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Email is going away. It will be replaced by...I've heard this too many times over the past few years.
Here is a secret: email is here to stay.
While social media, SEO and paid advertising are all necessary channels to successfully execute on integrated marketing and brand reach, email is the ultimate direct communication channel between brands and their customers.
It is personal, direct, and generally trusted. More on this later.
And here is why small to medium brands need to spend more time and resources building, nurturing, and monetizing their email lists.
Platform dependence is becoming a real issue. Due to increased regulation and pressure to grow and diversify revenue, mega platforms like Google and Facebook are now more eager to influence what sort of information (and, implicitly, products) are seen by users.
Small and medium businesses can be severely affected by updated T&Cs, algorithm changes, while arm wrestling for user attention and internet real estate with the major platforms.
Take a look at a recent study by Rand Fishkin that shows that less than half (45%) of Google searches now result in a click.
One reason for this is that Google is now displaying answers to some queries right away using featured snippets and other SERP features. This hurts content publishers, for example, because users don’t need to click through to their website to find an answer to a query.
We are all targeted by ads whether online, offline, or on TV. And while targeting is a lot more precise than it used to be, and Facebook ads are sometimes very personal, email offers the best marketing personalization opportunity out of all the marketing channels.
Email segmentation is powerful. You can create a highly personal automated email journeys based on your subscribers’ preferences, buying patterns and interactions.
And since subscribers opted in to hear from you, there is already a level of trust that’s been established.
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Will King, CEO King of Shaves recently said “It’s never been easier to start a business and never harder to scale one”.
Customer acquisition is usually a major expense for small and medium brands trying to establish themselves in the market or trying to stay relevant and grow.
Email is a great channel to increase recurring revenue, up-sell, or cross sell. After all, if a customer has bought from you already, and was happy with the service, the chances are they will want to buy from you again.
Sometimes they just need a gentle reminder or a nudge, and email is great for that. HubSpot statistics show that 99% of consumers check their email every day.
Email marketing is affordable to set up and maintain if viewed as a long-term investment. The proliferation of marketing technology tools (MarTech) has helped automate processes, email journeys, and monetisation of email lists.
It is accessible to both small businesses and large enterprises with varied budgets.
Small to medium businesses especially have a lot of options when it comes to the available email tools due to the fierce competition in the MarTech market. And the initial investment costs can be adapted to suit the business at different growth stages.
Email marketing is here to stay. With the increasing uncertainty around the online platforms, it’s wise for business owners and decision makers to think about how they can strategically invest to grow their email marketing efforts.
About the author
Sam M is a CRM and marketing technology consultant focused on consumer e-commerce brands.
Investors regularly ask “scale” questions. They annoy me. Yes, the questions and, often, the investors.
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