Episode 8: Why Email? Not Social

This week, we're tackling a topic that might seem a bit "old-school" in our age of TikTok dances and Instagram reels. But trust me, it's a marketing powerhouse you absolutely can't afford to ignore: email marketing.

I know, I know. You might be thinking, "Email? Isn't that, like, SO 2005?" But the truth is, email is far from dead. In fact, it's thriving! Let's look at some eye-opening stats:

• In 2020, over 306 billion business and consumer emails were sent and received every single day.

• That number is projected to grow to over 376 billion by 2025.

• 60% of consumers prefer to be contacted by brands via email.

• 51% of consumers say email is the best way for brands to communicate with them.

• 59% of consumers say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions.

• Over 50% of consumers say they purchase from an email at least once a month.

• 55% of emails are opened on mobile devices.

• 50% of people will delete an email if it’s not optimized for mobile.

• 99% of consumers say they check their emails daily.

• The average open rate is 42% (an increase of 2.48% compared to 2022).

Still not convinced? Let's dive deeper into why email is so crucial:

Email: Your Direct Line to Your Audience

If those numbers didn’t do it for you, I’ll continue to explain why email is still so important? Well, for one thing, it's a direct line of communication with your audience, you have an opportunity and way to reach and engage with your customers. Unlike social media, where you're at the mercy of algorithms and ever-changing platforms, you own your email list. That means you have a more reliable way to reach and engage with your customers. You're not held hostage by ever-changing algorithms that can bury your content.

Remember those social media outages? From Instagram to recently TikTok? They serve as a wake-up call for businesses who've put all their eggs in the social media basket. Relying solely on social media puts your business at risk.

That's why a diversified marketing strategy is essential, and email should be a cornerstone of that strategy.

Let's Talk Effective Email Marketing

Okay, so email is important. But how do you actually do it effectively? Here are some key strategies:

1. Master the Art of the Subject Line

First things first, subject lines. When writing a subject line, think about the messaging you want the customer to feel or take when they see your email in their inbox. You can use emojis, promotional offers, create awareness, spark curiosity, use humor, offer problem-solving solutions, or re-engage your audience.

Personalization is key! Use personalization in subject lines and throughout your email content, addressing recipients by name and tailoring messages based on their past interactions with your brand. This will help build trust and increase the likelihood of engagement.

2. Find Your Brand Voice

Remember back when we talked on Episode 2 about Auditing your Business and how to determine your tone of voice? Write your emails in a personal or business tone of voice that your customers will recognize from in-person conversations or social media interactions. Staying on brand throughout your messaging will help you serve your customers so they can know, like, and trust you.

Just like social media, you can use your email list to grow your audience. Share your "why," what makes your business unique, how you want to serve your customers, what your culture is like, and what your point of view is.

What is your tone? What are your values or mission? How is your business making a difference? How do you want your customers to feel? How can you help them from the customer perspective? What experience do you want the customers to have? How is your experience better than the competition?

3. Content is Still King

You can also use email to repurpose blog content, sell new products, announce promotions, share seasonal updates, and send reminder emails.

4. Don't Forget Lead Generation

Lead generation can often be forgotten, but Facebook offers a great tool through Meta to capture emails.

Using your email provider to integrate Facebook Lead Ads, you can run ads from Facebook linked to your email to grow your list through ads. The beauty of lead ads is being able to create ways to gain new subscribers and using your email to communicate your brand messaging. However, your website and your link in bio could be working for you too, making sure you have sign up offers in there.

5. Segmentation is Your Secret Weapon

Segmenting your email list is crucial. 72% of shoppers are engaging with personalized email messaging.

The purpose of email segmentation is also its biggest benefit: personalization. If you get your email marketing segments right, your customers will receive relevant emails packed with information that they actually want. That personalization leads to more conversions, more purchases, and happier customers.

Tailor your emails to cater to the distinct challenges and goals of each segment, so each message is relevant to the reader. 52.9% of marketers say their segmented emails have better open rates.

Ways to segment:

• Segment high open rates or VIPs.

• Segment by location.

• Segment for opening less than 10%.

• Segment by persona or age group.

• Segment those who have never purchased.

• Segment by loyalty.

• Segment by engagement (30, 60, 90 days).

6. Leverage Automation

Automation is also key to successful email marketing.

Servicing:

• Abandoned Cart: When a user adds a product to the online shopping cart of an e-commerce site but doesn't proceed to checkout and complete the purchase. Users may abandon because they aren't ready to buy. Instead, they are using their cart as more of a "wish list," so help problem-solve why they need your services.

Appreciation:

• Thank You Emails: A simple customer thank-you email can go a long way in creating a positive customer experience and brand perception, which in turn helps build relationships. Ensuring your customers feel acknowledged and happy can help foster their loyalty and help you stand out from the competition. We want our customers to know, like, and trust what we offer.

Celebrating:

• Birthday Month: Offering personal attention and a touch of delight, the goal of a birthday email is to highlight the occasion, offer a special discount, and encourage retention and positive brand equity. Celebrating them in a special way!

Introducing:

• Welcoming Drip Email: Welcome emails are proven to be more effective than other sorts of emails: Welcome emails have 86% higher open rates than other marketing emails. 74% of new subscribers expect to receive a welcome email. Subscribers who receive welcome emails show 33% more long-term brand engagement than those who don't.

7. Track Your Metrics

Test yourself!

"Understanding your email marketing metrics is crucial for business growth and customer engagement. Your email list health starts with Total Profiles, which shows your maximum potential reach, but Active Profiles reveals your true engaged audience – the subscribers who are actually interacting with your content. Keeping an eye on Suppressed Profiles helps maintain list quality and protect your sender reputation, while engagement timeframes (30, 90, and 180 days) help you identify trends and segment your audience effectively.

When it comes to campaign performance, Total Open Rate indicates how well your subject lines resonate and whether your emails are reaching inboxes, while Click-through Rate reveals if your emails are reaching inboxes, while Click-to-Action Rate directly tie to revenue, showing the real business impact of your email marketing efforts.

Finally, your Total Unsubscribe Rate serves as a health check for your email strategy – high unsubscribe rates might signal problems with content relevance or email frequency. Together, these metrics form a comprehensive picture of your email marketing success, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve engagement, grow sales, and build stronger relationships with your customers. By regularly monitoring these numbers, you can spot trends, identify opportunities, and address potential issues before they impact your bottom line."

Email Marketing: A Vital Tool for Your Business

Email Marketing has become an integral part of our business and how we create content for our customers via their inbox. The impact of what email marketing can do for your business is undeniable, and it has brought significant benefits to our business and will continue to strive to be better. Tuesdays & Thursdays are generally the most effective day, while Sundays are the least.

By leveraging email marketing, your businesses can reach a more personalized experience to increase brand awareness, and engage with your customers on a more personal level on the right days for a more strategic approach for a higher open rate!