Email Marketing Soars In Recession
Yes, I know it’s old! And yes, I know the Internet is clogged with spam! But the recession is giving email marketing new life! Why the new life? The answer is simple. Businesses are turning to cost-effective proven programs that get results. Email marketing fits this bill perfectly.
First, email is one of the most cost-effective direct marketing methods. Email campaigns can be fully implemented at a fraction of the cost of direct mail campaigns. Unlike direct mail campaigns every element of an email campaign is trackable including open rate, click through rate (to a landing page, if one is used in the campaign), and recipients’ response rate. This allows the return on investment (ROI) to be easily calculated. Lastly, it’s fast. Email campaigns can be quickly developed, precisely launched (including targeting and timing), and 80% of the recipients will respond (i.e. either take action or ignore it) within 48 hours.
Retailers in particular are embracing email marketing along with their shift in focus to customer retention in the current recession-era market. Longer-term marketing programs are being shelved in favor of low hanging fruit. The fact is email is low hanging fruit. According to a Shop.org study, 64% of the retailers increasing their advertising spending are putting more dollars into email marketing. That same study indicated that 96% of those retailers decreasing their advertising spending are still maintaining their email advertising budgets.
We have done countless email campaigns at TMA E-Marketing, for start-ups to enterprise companies. We were there when email was the hottest Internet marketing arrow in the quiver. We saw it decline as spam clogged email in-boxes and as search engine marketing became king. Now, it’s making a comeback and with good reason. When done properly, it is capable of yielding amazing results. There’s the catch. What does it mean to do it properly? Here are the three top rules we consider important:
- The list is the most critical element. The only list that will work is a targeted opt-in list. If it’s not targeted, the results will be hit and miss. If it’s not opt-in, it will not comply with the Can-Spam law. The best list is a company’s in-house opt-in email list. This is a list where the company’s clients and prospects have agreed to accept email messages from them. We are generally able to routinely get 25-50% open rates using in-house opt-in lists.
- The second critical element is the offer. The offer needs to be compelling. Finding the right compelling offer is far from easy and generally requires careful testing of different offers.
- Everything else is tied for third! This includes email design, copy, landing page, etc. In short, if you don’t get the first two elements right (i.e. the list and a compelling offer), nothing you do from that point on will matter.
Obviously, tracking every element of the email campaign is essential. With careful tracking you will be able to segment the list, test different offers, and test other elements of the campaign. Ultimately, tracking will enable a return on investment to be calculated. Doing an email campaign without tracking is equivalent to driving with a blindfold. The results are likely to be disastrous.
One last point that is often overlooked is email’s branding power. Email is generally viewed as a direct response marketing tool. However, email provides an opportunity for a company to raise brand awareness and to maintain its brand. Even those recipients that don’t take action are still exposed to the company’s brand and messaging.
The recession has required companies to pinch pennies and focus on what works. Guess what? They are rediscovering that email is cost-effective and works!
I have been in the internet market business for a few years, and I definitely agree with your views. The initial outlay for the marketing email software is small in comparison with regards your business receives from it.
Regards
Dale
very good information about email marketing… this is true recession is giving new life to email marketing..
Great post Louis -
I just launched my own email campaign yesterday… 50.4% open rate. I’ll take that any time. I also registered for a strategic email seminar in two weeks. Email is definitely on the upswing.
Thanks -
Matt
http://www.advisionmarketing.com/blog
Email marketing is the way of marketing where only requires Time, PC, Internet and a sender. with just only have those requirements you are enable to market by sending emails.
Obviously spam is still an issue for many. Do you think the large quantity of spam emails that clutter many people’s inboxes requires an increased frequency or sending the same email multiple times to your targeted list?
Email marketing has an advantage of free cost promoting by the mails send in different users.On the other hand,the disadvantage is that people look at it as a spam and most of the time take for granted this mails.
That’s true, in this recession time, email marketing is a very cost effective tool.
I agree totally agree email marketing is a very low cost marketing technique that can reap huge rewards for your business or internet marketing campaigns. The best part of email marketing is you can sell to the same customer over and over again. Where else can you get that kind of low cost effectiveness for $20-$30 a month. As long as it’s double opt-in and not spam it’s the best low cost advertising there is hands down!
Today, marketing online has become an industry unto itself for its vastness and its charm to generate unlimited income. People are desperate to learn the quickest way to gain success in this field. I, being an experienced marketer, can very confidently ensure you that simply anyone can earn from this business even if he does not have a high qualification or experience of marketing online. You just need to comprehend the apt marketing plans and use them in a technical way.
At this point in time, where the competition is touching the skies, everyone will be reluctant to tell their techniques. That is where I come. I have a long term experience of marketing and hence am in a position to enable you to realize your dreams.
Most people are stuck in the maze of age old methods of marketing. I can teach you how you can follow up your prospects over and over again with literally no work from you. This is a great technique which is being exploited by a select few online businesses. You can even get other people including your competitors to promote your website.
Whatever you people think of email or other marketing ways, you need to change it now.
I don’t like email marketing especially from someone I’ve not even subscribe..
Sometimes email marketing make people hate to use email..
Too much SPAM than real product/
I absolutely agree - the list and the offer are the 2 most crucial elements of a successful email campaign. Yet so many business owners refuse to spend time with either and then wonder why email marketing does not work.
I definitely enjoyed reading the article.
Ana/ Your Net Biz