Emails are still a viable marketing tool if done right

At a conference in 2010, Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, told a diverse crowd, “Email – I can’t imagine life without it – is probably going away.”

Fast forward eight years and email is still alive and well – and to the surprise of many, still a viable and preferable marketing tool for many businesses and organizations.

In June of 2018, Manifest (a business information service) unveiled a study which found that more than two-thirds of the businesses surveyed still regularly used email for marketing purposes.

Additionally, inbox-delivered newsletters are on the rise and gaining in popularity, thanks to new filtering tools which help guarantee delivery to customers who actually want your content.

But perhaps the most surprising information comes from a 2016 survey by Adestra (a U.K. marketing firm) which found that more than two-thirds of every generation surveyed, including those between the ages of 14-18, preferred using email to communicate with businesses.

That begs the question – how are you leveraging your email marketing?

Email consultant Val Geisler says, “Email has been beating out every other platform for years now. Especially as algorithms start to take over the social media platforms, I don’t see any of those rising to the top. I see email continuing to be the leader here.”

The first marketing email is credited to a marketing manager at Digital Equipment Corp. – who in 1978 sent a commercial email unveiling their newest computer to hundreds of techies through an internet-like platform called Arpanet.

Many criticized the commercial email for its intrusiveness, yet it helped the company sell tens of millions of dollars in new computers. A powerful tool indeed.

Much has changed since then, such as more sophisticated and easy to use automation tools (examples include: Constant Contact, Infusionsoft, MailChimp), laws designed to help protect consumers from unsolicited emails and an understanding by companies that frequency and content matter.

While it’s easy to assume that only big businesses are using an email marketing strategy, small businesses see the value in not only creating relationships with their customers but doing it with a minimal cost to participate.

Whether you’re just starting out or currently using email marketing, here are some things to remember:

• Determine your send frequency and be consistent
• Create strong content that educates, informs and engages rather than sells
• Continually measure results and refine your process
• Only send to those you have permission for and make unsubscribing easy
• Have a call-to-action in the email (visit your website, read a blog, sign up for samples, etc.)
• Invite your audience to other social channels for additional information

While email marketing requires time, it’s still a viable method for building relationships with your customers and staying top-of-mind.