10 Reasons Why Email Marketing is More Important Than Ever

The world of marketing has changed dramatically in the past ten years. New marketing campaigns that involve social networks, search engine powerhouses, blogs, websites, and viral internet activity have permanently altered the ways in which consumers are effectively reached by worldwide companies. However, there is one marketing strategy that's been around the block a few times and still offers countless benefits to both marketers and consumers. Email marketing campaigns have changed with the times, but they may actually be more important than ever.

Kevin Gao of Comm100, in a recent article, discusses the benefits of email marketing. According to Gao, email marketing is still a relevant and beneficial form of mass consumer marketing. Below are ten reasons why email marketing is clearly here to stay.

Email Lists are Personal

First, email marketing uses lists of contacts that are often much more personal than consumer lists generated via social media or other lead-generation tactics. Consumers guard their email accounts, so if you have been given an email address for a consumer, your company has likely had some form of positive interaction with that consumer. In a world where many marketing campaigns are impersonal and generic, the personal nature of email marketing makes your campaign much more likely to be noticed by a consumer.

Email Marketing is Simple and Quick

Another great benefit of email marketing is the simplicity of this campaign format. With email marketing, you don't have to spend time and energy researching keywords, crafting attractive ad titles, generating a blog with thousands of hits, or posting on social media accounts every hour to attract attention. An email marketing campaign gives you a direct line to the consumers on your list, so you can simply craft an interesting and engaging email, filled with relevant information, and trust that consumers are going to respond. An email blast can take fifteen minutes to create, but it can offer days of flurried consumer activity.

Emails Drive Consumer Traffic to Websites

This brings us to the next benefit of email marketing: increases in website traffic. Email marketing eliminates the gap between seeing an advertisement and responding to the advertisement by visiting a company website. If you place your website address on a billboard or television ad, the consumer will need to remember that web address when he or she is browsing the internet in the future. With email marketing, however, you can link key phrases within your email directly to your website. You'll see a dramatic increase in web traffic simply because consumers can access your website directly from the email.

Email is Immediate

Email marketing is also important today because consumers want immediate information and regular updates about company events and happenings. The world has become an instant gratification smorgasbord, and many advertisement and marketing strategies such as radio and television commercials, billboard marketing, and even social media is simply too slow for consumers to effectively use. With email, companies can send immediate updates to consumers. Because many consumers are checking their email via a mobile device, companies can trust that their customers will receive important updates in a timely fashion.

Email Marketing is Super Cheap

Let's not forget one of the most attractive attributes of email marketing: the overall cost. Email marketing is one of the least expensive marketing and campaigning formats available to businesses today. It takes very little time, effort, or resources to craft an email and send it to a group of customers. While developing an email lead list does require time and energy, this email list can be used over and over again.

Email Marketing Involves Two-Way Communication

Email marketing is important today because it represents a two-way communication forum between businesses and consumers. Today's consumers are tired of being shouted at by businesses. They want opportunities to express ideas and voice concerns. Email opens up the avenues of communication so consumers can feel like they are being heard.

Email Marketing is Versatile and Customizable

Email marketing is also beneficial today because it is so easily customized. Because every business, company, and brand is different, it's important to find marketing campaigns that can be adjusted to meet present needs. With email marketing, you can include photos, video files, and even design elements that reflect your specific brand.

Email Marketing Creates Results

Email marketing is beneficial today because it creates results. Unlike other campaigns which are designed to communicate ideas and develop a brand concept, email encourages consumers to take action. Emails can invite consumer responses, increase web traffic, entice consumers to make purchases, and encourage consumers to forward important messages.

Email Marketing Allows You to Measure Results

Email marketing is also one of the easiest campaigns to measure and evaluate. The effectiveness of an email marketing campaign can be measured by using any number of web tools or data processing software. You can quickly see which email links were followed, which emails were shared and forwarded, and which email campaigns resulted in increased sales.

Email Marketing Doesn't Have to be Annoying

One of the greatest benefits of email marketing is that consumers can choose to receive email marketing alerts or opt out of the alerts if they feel they're being over-contacted. One of the biggest problems that companies run into when they begin marketing on a personal level is crossing the line from helpful to obnoxious. There is often no way to tell whether customers appreciate frequent updates or begin to loathe them. If customers feel that marketing efforts are too frequent, their concept of a brand can begin to falter. With email marketing, however, this doesn't have to be an issue. By allowing consumers to opt out of email marketing campaigns, you can ensure that consumers are only receiving the updates they have requested.

Email marketing may be an older marketing form, but it has secured itself as a long-lasting and profitable marketing campaign format. With the explosion of social network marketing campaigns, search engine marketing campaigns, and content marketing strategies, email marketing is often a breath of fresh air to consumers and a cost-effective marketing alternative for businesses.