What is email marketing?
The term digital marketing comprises several techniques and strategies. Some of those you may be aware of like search engine optimization or affiliate marketing. The lesser know child of digital marketing is Email marketing. In simple terms, email marketing means marketing or promoting your products/ services by approaching people via email. An email curated with efforts can have a significant impact on the receiver. But when did it begin? Emails were for personal use only for a long time after their invention, but then came Gary Thuerk, a Marketing Manager at Digital Equipment Corp. Gary sent the first commercial email where the message reached an email list of a few hundred email addresses. That is when email marketing was born. Thuerk was known as the “Father of Spam” because of this little stunt he pulled.
Its scope
Some people think that email marketing is dead because no one uses email for anything in 2020, but they can not be farther from wrong. 2020 appears to be all about the videos, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and chatbots. It is only natural to think that email is long past its prime. The metrics tell a different story; a 2018 study concluded that email marketing is the most effective digital marketing technique. It has left social media, SEO, and affiliate marketing behind. You might be wondering how it is even possible with all the hype around social media and other things. The reason is more people use email than other platforms. An adult might not be an active user on Instagram, but Email; Everyone checks their email. 85% of adult internet users belong to the email clan, which is 22% more than adults on social media. Email marketing is still going strong and is possibly the best strategy for you to promote your business. A successful email marketing campaign is a more important thing for entrepreneurs.
How to begin?
Email marketing is nothing without an email list. To create an email list, add a signup form on your website. When people visit your website for the first time and like what they see, they must have an option to stay in the loop about your brand. Create a signup form for newsletter signups. Also, install a pop-up to collect customer data from your visitors.
A signup sheet is old but gold kind of option. When people are interested in the services or products you are providing, they naturally want to be associated with the brand. Provide them a space to sign up their email addresses and become a part of your brand newsletter or receive announcements.
You must keep adding more subscribers to an existing list. Hosting a contest or offering a discount can help. Rewarding your customers can never go out of style. Reward people with discounts or incentives when they sign up on your website. A few percent discounts on the price or a complimentary gift can go a long way in making your email list along with a customer base.
The emails must be easy to share. When you create beautiful, compelling emails with a lot of valuable information, people will want to share them with their peers or on social media. Beautifully curated emails end up getting free shout outs from receivers. It is a marketing technique that spreads the word quickly.
If you are still thinking about the pros and cons of email marketing, Stop! Email marketing is an efficient and proven way of connecting with potential customers or turn your one time customers into recurring customers.
