The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) tells us that 90% of companies use email marketing and they describe email marketing as the new hero for troubled financial times. More than 50% of UK companies will increase the amount of their budget dedicated to email marketing this year, often by reducing the amount of direct mail sent. We all know that the big boys have been at it for years, but how can your business benefit from email marketing?
There are three massive advantages to email marketing compared to traditional marketing techniques:
Its inexpensive, the cost of email marketing campaigns is significantly less than other marketing strategy. You will often have the ability to start out with email marketing on a smaller scale and grow as your confidence with the medium grows.
ROI, email marketing has constantly shown greater return on investment than any other form of direct marketing. This is partly because of cost; you arent spending as much in the first place, the amount of flexibility email marketing gives you also effects the ROI. Targeted email marketing allows you to personalise campaigns to your customers. You can keep existing customers up to date on your current offers at the same time as maintaining your relationship with them. Although you can get it wrong, a well executed email marketing campaign should show great returns on your investment. You dont have to go it alone on your first email marketing campaigns, expert advice is available.
Measurable, an email marketing campaign allows you to measure effectiveness more than any other type of direct marketing. From opening the email, to click through to your site, to sale each stage of the process can be shown in campaign statistics. Having operated a well managed email marketing campaign you will miss the level of accountability of other forms of direct marketing.
As well as seeing positive results from your email marketing campaign, you will be able to quickly identify areas that were unsuccessful. This allows you to learn from experience and use that feedback to tailor your email activity to your customers needs.