If you have 10,000 followers across your socials but your accounts got deleted. That’s 10,000 opportunities you had to convert followers into paying consumers.
How many of your 10,000 followers would then add your newly set up social account? This is why email marketing is important for your business, let me explain.The first forms of social media were conceived way back in the late 90s, with platforms such as Six Degrees and MySpace which have now either disappeared entirely or evolved beyond recognition.
Nowadays, social media dictates the way we live our lives, and goes far beyond the social aspects it was originally designed for. Whether you’re using classic platforms like Facebook and Instagram, or emerging sites like TikTok and Clubhouse, social media is now one of the most powerful marketing tools available.Most people, even self-proclaimed technophobes, have at least a basic grasp of social media. As well as being free at a base level, this is one of the aspects that makes social media marketing so attractive.
If used smartly, there is also the potential to reach thousands, sometimes millions of people from the comfort of your desktop, or even your mobile phone. But social media is just the start when it comes to online marketing. Just because it’s one of the newer forms of marketing via the internet, more classic methods of reaching your audience have not had their day. I’m talking about email marketing.
Back to basics with email marketing
Despite the popularity boom of social media over the last 2 decades, email has remained an integral part of daily, online life. In 2020, the number of global e-mail users amounted to four billion, while Facebook, the most popular social media platform in the world, has just 2.8 billion users. That means, if you are only using social media for marketing, you’ve potentially already alienated over 1 billion people. While it is true that the popularity of social media is ever increasing, email is the constant and stable tool that the majority of internet users will check without fail, every single day. As well as the number of people using email, consumers actually prefer to receive marketing via this channel. Research shows that almost one third of people prefer to receive communication from brands via email over any other channel, including social media and print advertising. What’s more, 66% of consumers have actually made a purchase after receiving a brand email, increasing overall sales and return on investment.
Converting your visitors
The majority of businesses that use online marketing have a website – that is a given. And while you may get hundreds or thousands of website visits every day, those people are likely to click away, or move on without looking back. By encouraging them to sign up for an email list, they reap the benefit of exclusive discounts, sale notifications or inside knowledge straight into their inbox, while you gain a lead for potential future sales. Sending them regular emails over time will nurture your relationship, and when they are ready to buy the service or product in your field, they are much likely to turn to you rather than a competitor. Email marketing can be a slow game, but one which builds trusting long term customer relationships.
Victim to the algorithm
Something which regular social media users know well, is that the algorithms are always shifting. A few years ago, Instagram and Facebook saw a dramatic change which meant that our news feeds went from chronological order, to one decided by an algorithm. While this is supposed to benefit the user by showing content you’re more likely to be interested in, many complained that engagement on their posts dropped dramatically.
That means if you’re using social media as your sole marketing platform, your entire marketing plan and subsequent success is in the hands of the algorithm. Email marketing however, is not subject to this. Every person on your list will receive your marketing material. Of course this doesn’t necessarily mean they will click on and engage with it, which is why you also need great content, but it increases your chances of reaching your audience in a meaningful way. Once you have decided to carry out email marketing, there are a few extra ways you can boost your engagement.
Once a customer has viewed and enjoyed your email, use this momentum to redirect their energy. Including social buttons in your email so they can view your profiles, or calls to action linking to your website are great ways to do this. In other words, use the email as a hook to capture their attention, then gently guide them to the goal destination. A sure fire way to run a successful email campaign, is an eye-catching subject line.
Many of us are guilty of letting our emails stack up, so what makes yours stand out from the crowd? Something personal, unusual or funny will always leave readers wanting to know more, and click on your email first. For example, if you are planning to run an online fitness class, the subject line ‘Online fitness class’ is dull, unimaginative and unlikely to inspire a potential attendee. Instead, go for ‘What are you doing this Tuesday night?’ or ‘Heard you’re a fitness fanatic!’ Whether that is true or not, it will sure grab their attention. To get the best of email marketing, see the business support options on our website.
Whether you are looking for 1:1 coaching as you prefer to lean and ‘do it yourself’ or want the job taken away, I am here to support you.
