No matter who you ask, they’re going to have a different opinion on email marketing; it’s effective, it’s powerful, it’s cost-efficient, or it’s spammy, it’s annoying, it’s useless. But what are the facts? Is email marketing a useful strategy when it comes to generating tangible conversions? Or is it a waste of your organization’s energy destined to end up in the “spam” folder?  

In this issue of The Pulse, we investigate.  

Why use email marketing? 

Email, across all platforms, has about four billion daily users, and that number is constantly on the rise. Email marketing makes use of a platform people are comfortable with, ensuring the message you’re trying to get out there is both received and understood.  

Not only is email marketing an incredibly cost-effective alternative to traditional advertising methods because it makes use of traditionally free features, but it also has advantages over other digital marketing tactics. These include: 

• Direct communication with your target audience.  
• Specific messaging based on various customer criteria. 
• Measurable results such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, etc. 
• Automation potential. 
• Nearly limitless reach.  
• Mobile and desktop-friendly delivery. 
• Relevancy with both B2C and B2B markets.  

On top of this, 55% of consumers say email is their preferred digital channel for business communication. With all these advantages, low implementation cost, and minimal risk, why wouldn’t organizations take advantage of email marketing? 

As previously mentioned, the low barrier to entry for email marketing has caused it to become widely adopted, creating oversaturated customer inboxes at the same time. This has defamed its reputation slightly, making these efforts more likely to end up in spam folders, unread, once implemented.  

Key Stats to Consider. 

If you’re unsure of the benefits of email marketing, compared to the risk of your brand being associated with spam, here are some of the facts about this method.  

People do read them, at least at first: 

• Welcome emails have a 91.43% open rate. 
• New subscribers to email marketing are most engaged in the first forty-eight hours. 

They do convert: 

• In 2023, on average, brands made $36 for every U.S. dollar they spent on email marketing. 
• 34% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on email marketing, versus other methods.  
• This number increases to 67% when the email includes a coupon or discount.  

Marketing emails serve many purposes. Cart abandonment emails, for example, tend to be quite effective for brands with e-commerce capabilities. They’re not just for large brands, either. In fact, 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers. 

Other businesses are increasing their use of email marketing.  

If your audience isn’t opening emails from you, they’re opening them from your competitors. With 37% of brands increasing their email marketing budget, this strategy is clearly not going anywhere. Likewise, the majority of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the past year.  

Avoiding being seen as spam.  

If you think email marketing might be a viable option for your organization but are worried about being – or have historically been – seen as spammy, there are common mistakes you can avoid. Email marketing can sometimes come across as spammy for several reasons: 

• Overly promotional content with no other value to the receiver. 
• Poorly targeted campaigns.  
• Too-frequent scheduling, bombarding the receiver.  
• Misleading subject lines. 
• Poor opt-in/opt-out options. 
• Unprofessional design.  
• Lack of mobile compatibility.  

Some best practices to keep in mind include: 

• Personalize your efforts – emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened and 10% more likely to convert.  
• Establish the value of your email campaign as immediately as possible – consumers’ attention spans are limited.  
• Send emails during regular business hours to increase the likelihood of them being opened rather than deleted in the receiver’s inbox.  
• Develop a sending cadence that works for your target audience that won’t feel overwhelming or disruptive.  

In conclusion… 

Email marketing is an incredibly effective platform for informing your customers and target audience of new information and deals, as well as strengthening brand awareness and loyalty. However, many see it as spammy. Implementing best practices can convert to sales when handled with care.