There’s no doubt that social media and its subsequent marketing are alluring. Its shareability has made it an easy, essential way for small businesses to get the word out. But once everything has been retweeted, liked, and posted, then what? How do you have ongoing conversations with your followers that actually matter? And what paves the way to greater customer retention?
Email Marketing.
Despite its strategic, less-than-sexy reputation, email marketing is still the best way to generate leads and take your audience beyond a tap on the ‘like’ button.
Why? Because email communication sparks a feeling of connection in consumers. They feel like you care about them, like you see them, and like you understand exactly what they need. Email marketing isn’t just about making your business look cool and garnering thousands of followers, it’s about taking the relationship to the next level (kinda like the difference between the first date and the fifth.
Your customers and subscribers truly want to know you and engage with you. And the proof is overwhelming–from ROI to click-through rates, email out performs social media in almost every way, which is why it’s become a tried and true method to unlocking the secret of generating and nurturing sales leads. Let’s take a look at why:
Let’s Get Personal
We all want to feel seen and heard. When we do, we’re more likely to listen and engage with the world around us. The digital world is no different. When your subscribers feel like you understand them, they’re more likely to purchase your product or service.
Email marketing gives you the opportunity to make sure your subscribers feel like you get them–what they like, what they need, and what their values are. They feel like they can trust you, and there’s nothing better than being a trustworthy business.
To get personal with your audience, try this:
Make Segmented Lists
These lists are based on your subscribers’ personas: demographics, interests, profession, purchase history, etc. Target your message and see a dramatic increase in click-through rates.
Say Their Name
Personalize the sender email and subscriber names to show your authenticity and elevate credibility.
Make Them an Offer
Include offers and coupons that are relevant to the specific group your emailing to, and maximize your business’ transactions by up to 6x.
Convert Your Followers
You may have 5,000 Facebook followers, but if they don’t click, they’re not getting to know your business. To grow your business, you need to convert your followers into committed customers and one way to accomplish that is with a successful email marketing campaign.
Reports have shown that click-through rates on emails hover around 3.57 percent, while rates for Facebook land at a miniscule 0.07 percent. Let’s go back to our 5,000 followers–that means that only 3.5 followers will click on your Facebook link and potentially transform into customers. On the flip side, if you send an email to 5,000 subscribers, your click-through rate jumps to 178.5! That’s 175 more chances to show how awesome you are and continue nurturing your leads.
Transactional Emails Can be Transformative Opportunities
As avid email users, we are trained to look at emails as transactions–something we need to do something with. Considering that, you can bank on your subscribers responding in some way. What’s key is to see that the transaction of sending and receiving emails is an opportunity to transform your subscribers into loyal customers, your marketing campaign into a meaningful conversation, and your business into a reputable, industry leader.
Measurability Matters
Measurability is one of the biggest benefits of email marketing. Email interactions allow you to:
- See who opened it
- What they clicked
- What they viewed
- What action they took
When you have detailed metrics like those above, you can tailor future email campaigns to enhance specific services, target offers and coupons to a certain group, and effectively format emails to get the most clicks. Basically, the more metrics you have, the more like you are to increase conversion rates–and that’s a good thin.
ROI
$44 for every $1 spent on email marketing–no matter how you slice it, that’s a remarkable return on investment for any marketing channel. There is no greater digital well to tap than email. Combine some killer emails with a stellar website and you’re sure to generate more leads and more business.
Email is Ubiquitous
I’ve got an email address, you’ve got an email address, heck even my grandma has an email address–and we’re really good at checking those emails all day long. In fact, we’ve become digital experts with the ubiquitous smart phone, which has placed our personal and professional interactions within immediate reach. So, why not be one of those all-important emails that lands in your users’ inbox?
To sweeten the deal, remember that 61 percent of consumers prefer to be contacted by email. No matter how cool your Instagram page is, the chances of getting more eyes on your business are exponentially better through email.
After all this, remember: consumers want to know who you are. The most valuable resource you have is your authenticity. So, don’t be afraid to share who you are through email marketing. The conversations that start around your email campaigns really do matter.
If you haven’t tapped into the wonderful world of email marketing, or if creating email marketing campaigns isn’t your jam, no worries. Wayward Kind is ready to partner with you.
Get in touch today so our stellar marketing pros can help you master your email marketing strategy and get you the leads you’ve been waiting for.
