Email marketing, if done properly, can be a very focused and effective marketing tool for the New Year. While many brands have recently put more focus on search engine optimization and social media marketing, email marketing remains one of the most powerful yet overlooked items in the internet marketing toolbox.
One of the greatest strengths of email marketing is its ability to hit potential customers in one of their favorite digital destinations: their inbox. This gives marketers an easy foot in the door when trying to better connect with potential and return customers alike. On top of that direct access, email marketing can also provide a number of other benefits that can not only be used for reaching out to new customers, but can also be used to help mold and reshape a business to best appeal to customers.
Here are some quick benefits to email marketing some business often overlook:
Learn Exactly What Your Customers Want
Like with many forms of internet marketing, email marketing allows businesses to track all kinds of data about their customers. If used right, an email campaign can provide business owners with a wealth of information about their customers and their customer’s interests. For example, a local retailer targeting women sends an email to their subscribers about a new shoe and dress line and they find that the dress link receives all the clicks while the shoe link receives none. This type of information helps the retailer learn exactly what their customer wants and to target their future email campaigns around it. Not to mention it also helps them with future purchasing decisions for the store. That is quite a powerful tool.
Give Your Customers What they Want
It’s important that businesses remember that customers have opted-in to receive your emails so you need to give them what they asked for. Even if a customer isn’t looking for the type of product or service you are targeting in an email, your brand or product will be the first they think of when they ARE in the market.
One of the most effective ways marketers can build brand loyalty is through email marketing. It’s not only about acquiring new customers but also about focusing on current ones. Things like sending a thank you email for their purchases, a birthday or anniversary coupon and reminder emails to purchase from you again and again will help build your customer loyalty.
Target Specific Customers
Not all segments of your customer base want the same thing. This is where the concept of target marketing through email marketing is a magical thing. For example, if you are a business with multiple locations it wouldn’t make sense to market a weekend special at its west side store to its east side customers. This issue can be resolved with email marketing.
Email marketing allows you to segment your list based on customer interests, demographic or any behavioral data you may have collected on your customers. Many email service providers allow you to easily segment your subscriber list so you can send the right thing to the right customers.
Drive Sales
If you sell products online or in a physical store, email marketing is one of the best tools in driving sales. According to an article by ExactTarget, 50% of online users bought something as a result of an email which is higher than any other marketing channel. Through emails, businesses can share current sales and new products almost immediately with customers. With a properly designed email and the right content, these timely emails will drive targeted customers to your website or store and eventually lead to sales.
If email marketing isn’t already a key component of your marketing strategy, make sure it is for 2014. Let IQnection lead you in the right direction with your email strategy. Contact us today for a free consultation at 215-345-5424, ext. 7215.
