It’s easy to think that social media is the only way forward in 2018. Nearly every business, big and small, has some sort of footprint on Facebook, Snapchat, and/or Instagram. Certainly, your marketing strategy should incorporate at least one of these platforms. However, it should not be the only format you focus on. Email marketing, often regarded as having lost its influence over the years, remains stronger than ever for most customers. For lead generation purposes in particular, the power of email marketing must not be underestimated.
If you have been convinced that email marketing has gone the way of the dinosaur, we can provide a compelling case that states otherwise. These are just a few reasons as to why you should be capitalizing on email marketing if you aren’t already.
Out of all the different communication mediums, email is arguably the most personal of them all. Business owners generally do not engage in personal conversations on social media. These formats are typically reserved for mass marketing efforts, with little effort made into personalizing their message. By contrast, business-people often use Outlook or Gmail for one-on-one conversations. The nature of the format makes it easy to tailor your message to each individual customer, allowing you to build a close connection with them as a person.
Email marketing allows you to engage in more face-to face-interaction with your clients. This stands in stark comparison to social media, which does not allow you to get enough personal attention in a business context. Instead of trying to conduct business on social media, clients spend more time reading their emails. Because they are likely to check their email than their social account, you stand a better chance of communicating with them effectively.
Email has three times the number of users found on Twitter and Facebook combined. Facebook and Twitter, excluding spam, comprise only 0.2% of the emails that are sent everyday. If you are targeting an older audience, you can bet that a lot of them won’t be too active on social media; emailing them would be your best shot at contacting them directly. Even younger audiences will still be receptive to email, since having an email account is considered standard for nearly all age groups.
Through email marketing, you are sending out specifically targeted messages to your audience. Each one of these messages can be targeted on the basis of local market conditions, preferences, and location. This method removes the uncertainty that makes marketing strategies ineffective; by allowing you to make lists bases on income, marital status, gender, age, and more, your marketing campaigns will be much more effective in reaching your target audience.
To reap all of these benefits for your own business, develop a B2B email marketing strategy today!