What is email marketing? Definition and benefits

Email marketing is to date one of the most effective tools for promoting your business and increasing engagement with your target audience. Here's what it consists of and why you should take advantage of it to ensure the growth of your business.

Probably when you read the title of this article you thought, "Come on, but with all the tools available nowadays, is it possible that we still talk about using email?"

Yeah, because with more and more people getting information and interacting online in a wide variety of ways, it might seem absurd that sending e-mail messages is still effective...

There are so many resources (SEO and social networking, just to name a few), that to think that email continues to work seems unbelievable.

Yet trust me, that's exactly what it is!

Believe it or not, email marketing is one of the most profitable and cost-effective direct marketing channels at the same time, with a return on investment to be the envy of any other medium.

If executed correctly, it can help you increase traffic on all your channels and maximize sales and profits.

For these reasons, and regardless of your target audience, it should be a key pillar of your digital strategy and a top priority to grow your brand quickly and efficiently.

If you are still not completely convinced, please continue reading the article: after explaining to you What email marketing consists of and how it works, I will also tell you all the advantages That can bring to your business.

What is email marketing

This is the definition you find on Wikipedia:

"Email marketing is a type of direct marketing that uses e-mail as a means of communicating messages, commercial and otherwise, to the target audience."

Email marketing is therefore a powerful digital communication channel that uses good old-fashioned email to advertise your company's products or services.

These are. A digital sales and promotion strategy, with which you personally reach out to your target audience to increase engagement, encourage conversions and grow demand for your offering.

But not only that: through various ways, it is a great tool to increase the awareness of your brand, position yourself as thought leaders and show you how authoritative expert In your industry.

All without intermediaries: it is a direct line Between you and your audience.

And no, it's not just about sending the classic messages with discounts and limited-time offers (which, by the way, are very effective); when used in the right way, emails turn into a powerful communication tool that allows you to build real relationships with your customers, educating them about the value of your brand and stimulating their trust in you.

To do this, you must have a list of people who have explicitly expressed their desire to receive your messages.

The recipients of an email marketing campaign, in fact, are not random: it always starts with your mailing list, that is, the list of your contacts, who have given their consent to receive communications from you. And this, if you think about it, makes a big difference from other digital media: people are aware that if you contact them, it is because they themselves have given you the opportunity.

You can also segment them according to the interest shown in you and your products or services. So you can interact in a segmented way and maximize the effectiveness of each individual email.

So it is not a universal "mass" mailing: it is low on Consensus, segmentation and personalization and thus allows you to establish a unique relationship with your clientele.

As retail and e-commerce increasingly depend on digital marketing to reach leads, prospects, and existing customers, email marketing strikes with personalized messages at the right time, in the right place, and with the right offer.

How email marketing works

Of course, just because people agree to receive communications from you doesn't mean that any email will automatically generate conversions or build trust. You have to be strategic and, as with any strategy, rely on planning and the use of certain supporting tools.

So without belaboring the point, here is how it works and what is needed to set up an email marketing campaign (three are the essentials):

1. A list of emails: As I mentioned earlier, you need to have a contact list, a database of all the people who have expressed consent and interest in receiving messages from you. There are many ways to create it; one of the simplest is to offer a lead magnet, which is free valuable content in exchange for your contact.

2. An email marketing platform: this is software that helps you manage your contact list and design and run automated campaigns. You can tag people based on their interests and actions, personalizing every interaction you will have with them accordingly, (thanks to an autoresponder, for example). This will save you a lot of time and resources, as well as give you the ability to send targeted messages.

3. Clearly defined objectives: You need to be clear about why you are sending certain messages. It can be to promote a product, to increase brand awareness, to stimulate customer loyalty... the important thing is that each one is matched by a list of contacts aligned by interest and likelihood of conversion.

Types of email marketing

To give you a better understanding of all the features of this fantastic tool, here is a brief roundup of all the types of messages You can send depending on your purposes.

#BWelcome

When a customer first interacts with you, you can send an automated series of emails with which you introduce yourself, explain who you are and what you do, and perhaps immediately propose a targeted offer.

#Promotions

This is the case when you want to advertise special offers, new product launches, various content (such as ebooks or webinars). These emails usually have a clear call to action (the CTA, call to action), which is exactly what you want your reader to do (whether it's visit a page on your Web site or use a coupon to make a purchase).

#Newsletter

Newsletters are great for sharing valuable content with your audience: news, updates or introductions; to talk about new milestones you've achieved, new tools you've discovered or the latest books you've read. They are an opportunity to share insights, thoughts, tips, whatever brings the most value to your audience, and sent at regular intervals they help maintain consistent touch points with your subscribers.

#Automations

As I mentioned earlier, automation is one of your best friends when it comes to email marketing. If a person clicks on an offer, makes a purchase, returns or exchanges an item, or leaves something in the cart, the software sends a personalized email for each specific action. As the saying goes. Strike while the iron is hot 😉

#Re-engagement

Has it been a while since a customer has shown interest or made a purchase? Send an e-mail with an offer he can't resist or with information you know he'll find valuable-use an ad hoc message to "rekindle" your relationship.

The benefits of email marketing

We've said it before: although one of the oldest forms of digital communication, e-mail still remains the most effective marketing channel, beating out social media, SEO and affiliations.

You may wonder, why?

I'll explain it right now: here are in detail some of the main reasons why building a successful email marketing campaign is more important than ever.

It has a universal reach

According to data, there were already more than 4 billion e-mail users worldwide at the beginning of 2021, and that number is also expected to continue growing. That's more than Facebook and Twitter subscribers combined. You understand that the amount of potential customers that are out there who can get in touch with you and your products is really incredible.

Easy to use, for anyone

È super accessible both for you and for your recipients. For one thing, you don't need to be a digital marketing expert to create broadcasts or newsletters (just use a simple and intuitive platform). On the other, any person nowadays has an e-mail address that they can access from any device.

Create custom messages

Email marketing allows you to send personalized content to each recipient with information, offers, and messages relevant to their needs and interests at any time or stage along the way. In this way, communication is more engaging and more effective.

It is convenient and worth it

Email marketing is within everyone's reach and is one of the cheapest forms of communication (with, among other things, a very high return on investment) than other channels, such as social networks or search engine ads. Effective email campaigns that leverage automation and valuable content can lead to higher quality leads with less effort and expense.

You own your mailing list

This is a key point. Think about it: if one day Facebook decided to close its doors, you would no longer be able to reach all of your page's followers and would be left empty-handed. Your mailing list, on the other hand, is forever: you create it yourself, you secure it, and you can leverage it whenever you need it, without depending on anything or anyone.

It is effective and functional

Compared to social users, your list is made up of an audience that is already lukewarm or warm, that is, one that has already shown some level of interest in you and already knows you more or less well (otherwise they wouldn't have left you their e-mail). You can also segment potential customers according to their needs by tracking how they interact with your marketing materials. This allows you to send them content and offers that are most likely to interest them.

Conclusion

So have I convinced you?

Believe it or not, not having an email marketing strategy to date means missing opportunities to grow and build lasting relationships with your customers.

Despite the success of other channels, such as social networks, e-mail still remains a great tool for creating a community of loyalists around your brand, getting more leads, increasing sales and building credibility.

Finally, what makes email marketing so powerful and profitable is that it gives you Direct, individual access to your audience. Try thinking about it: when a customer leaves you their email address, it is  as if he were giving you the equivalent of the keys to his house. Showing up already having permission to enter, rather than being uninvited, really makes a difference.

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash