Website Conversion: does email marketing still work?

Website Conversion: does email marketing still work?

Conversion: Does Email Marketing Still Work?

In light of social media and online word-of-mouth marketing is so effective for customer conversion, many business owners are weighing the value of traditional email marketing. But, just because social media marketing may be the hottest, flashiest way to reach customers now, doesn’t mean a well-crafted email campaign can’t turn a profit.

Based on this year’s Email Statistics Report, consumers sent and received almost 270 billion email messages a day in 2017 so far. This is a number that continues to grow, and email continues to be the top form of contact in the business world, both from business to business (95% of business professionals utilize email to communicate) and from client to business. So when we’re thinking about what types of messaging will be most visible to the average customer, email is far from the bottom of that list.

The downside to email marketing is the struggle that exists to find the right amount of messages to send, so a consumer will finally click on a promotion or link but not send your company’s listings to the spam folder. Many consumers who are turned off by a brand say it’s because they feel bombarded by email marketing efforts, and either unsubscribe or rarely open messages before trashing them.

So what’s the magic number?

The answer is that it’s not so much about numbers, but rather about how personal each message can get.

Start by using the consumer’s name, and work toward understanding their needs before they realize the need is there. For some businesses, this means offering promotions around key holiday weekends or featuring certain products seasonally based on demand. Photos will also draw the eye down an email message toward the link situated underneath to bring a person to the storefront. Including the most dramatic savings number in an email subject line can also increase open rates, since you’re promising savings and value to the customer rather than a “where have you been?”.

Plus, when comparing social media marketing results and email campaign numbers, what’s shiny and new doesn’t necessarily indicate what works best. Email is still the winner in conversions and clicks, compared to sponsored social media posts or self-generated content meant for sharing and converting. Plus, statistic show about 45% of customers keep and use coupons they receive on their mobile devices via email.

The story is, don’t count out email marketing just yet in your 360 strategies for 2018. Consumers and professionals alike will agree that email is still king in the world of business.