Benefits of Email Marketing

In a world where social media, blogging, and SEO take precedence, email seems like it would be on its way out the door. However, with the business world obsessed with acquiring consumer data, email marketing is not only useful but essential to companies.

Email marketing is one of the most effective and reliable channels for marketers to interact with customers. Here are three reasons why email marketing really works.

1.Easy Way to Reach Mobile Customers

Email marketing is an easy way to reach consumers on mobile without investing in new technology or software. Email channels already exist and are a traditional medium of connection, making it simple to reach consumers. According to a report by Pew Research Center, 52% of cellphone users in the U.S. access their emails via mobile phones. With many consumers constantly on the go, email marketing offers companies a way to send a greater volume of content to consumers in a quick and efficient manner.

Email is also accessible on devices other than mobile phones. According to a study done by Forrester Research, consumers opened 42% of retailers’ emails on smartphones and 17% on tablets. Essentially, nearly 60% of email marketing messages also double as mobile marketing messages. This versatility puts email at an advantage in comparison to text messages and SMS messaging. Consumers are more inclined to open email messages because emails are more accessible. Texting, on the other hand, is only available on mobile devices. Email is also free for the consumer and company while texting risks the chance of an incurred charge on the customer’s end. This diminishes the satisfaction of customer experience and can drive customers away. Also, email marketing is an easier access point for consumers and conveys more content that is useful to consumers.

2. Email is a Transactional Medium

Consumers see emails as a way to get offers, coupons, promotions, and in-stores sales. Email marketing deals drive in-store sales, making product emails key to getting consumers to engage with a product. A study performed by Nielsen found that 27% of online shoppers subscribe to emails in order to save money. 64% of consumers have printed out coupons found on email marketing campaigns.

Since customers expect to see offers and promotions in product emails, they are more likely to be in a buying state of mind. In turn, this can turn into increased revenue opportunity for companies. E-coupons are becoming a huge business with the growth of online sales, and email marketing is at the heart of it. Email marketing reaches out to online bargain hunters and provides consumers with a way to save online and in store. The transactional framework that email marketing provides also allows companies to personalize more toward consumers, engaging them more and further increasing sales opportunities.  

3. Tells You What Works

Email marketing allows companies to see what works and what doesn’t. The data obtained from email marketing provides metrics to see how emails are performing and what companies can do to improve email strategies. These insights allow companies to market their products smarter and better. Learning what works because of email marketing also gives companies a better understanding of the needs, interests, and desires of the consumer base. Companies can see the clickthrough rate of an email, which can then provide data as to how shoppers interact with the online shopping platform. Companies use the information provided by email marketing to not only cater to what consumers are looking for, but to better improve the interaction between consumer and company. By using email marketing, companies can track customer activity and better serve their interests.

Some say email marketing is dead. However, email marketing works. It keeps customers engaged and opens channels of communication between the company and its customers. With email marketing, companies can be in the right place at the right time.

marketing personalizationLifecycle Marketing can Deliver the Right Message at the Right Time!

You, as a marketer, are aware of the thousands of e-mails that companies send out according to the various seasons of the year. As the winter months near, there are a slew of promotions for winter apparel, home heating and everything related to the holiday season. Come spring, consumers’ inboxes bloat with offers for patio furniture, grills and air conditioners. These companies are targeting groups of products to coincide with seasons and holidays.
Lifecycle marketing is similar. Not only are you using big data as a means to strategize delivering the right message, product and offer at just the right time, it’s also recognizing the stage in which the customer is with the brand or lifecycle of the product itself. If a customer is an avid runner and purchases a pair of sneakers, more than likely, they’ll need a new pair 6-12 months down the road. It’s knowing that when a customer purchases a mobile phone, they’ll probably be looking to upgrade and exchange towards the end of the second year.

One of the “don’ts” in marketing personalization is treating everyone the same despite interests and lifecycle changes. That would be like trying to sell an air conditioning unit three days before a major blizzard is about to hit. It’s not happening.

 

Placing the right products and offers on the table at the right time increases your chance of customer loyalty and increasing your revenue. There’s a narrow margin of “make it or break it.” If a customer purchases a new mobile phone you wouldn’t try to sell them a new one several months down the road. What do customers purchase for their phones throughout that timespan? If you guessed accessories, you’re right.

A lifecycle can range anywhere from somewhat long term to short term. Jill and Bob announced they’re having a baby and the due date is months away. This widens the margin for email marketing and allows you to send various products and offers relevant to the stages of pregnancy, preparation and beyond. On the other hand, if John is showing interest in asking Jane for her hand in marriage, the margin is narrow. Got a great deal on engagement rings? Well, now is the time to send it. NectarOM’s suite automates the content based on the customer and product lifecycle so you know what products and offers to bring forth at just the right time.

You can request a demo through our website to see how Nectar’s products can best serve your needs.

 

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