How Email Marketing Can Make Your Business Resilient
Want to learn one skill to improve your business's health?
Invest in becoming a better email marketer. Even though email marketing is nearly 50 years old, it is just as relevant as it ever was. We saw businesses pivot, rally support, and stay afloat even during shelter-in-place orders. Why? Because they can engage a pre-existing community base that cares about their brand and is willing to help in a moment of need.
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
Coretta Scott King
Email Marketing Builds Community
A community takes time to build. Email marketing is the mechanism in your marketing pipeline in which you can gradually earn trust over time through thoughtful communications. Once you have earned enough trust, email respondents will easily purchase with the right offer or call-to-action. Simply put, email marketing is the best way to engage with a pool of interested, potential, or previous customers who are willing to step up when asked as long as they feel like the relationship is mutual. As we have seen recently, in challenging times, these are the people you will call upon for help!
“Best of all, your time and money are spend nurturing existing relationships that have already opt-ed into learning more. They want to hear from you!”
Email Marketing is Cost-Effective
Once the system is in place, email marketing requires limited attention regularly. Following a regular weekly or bi-weekly email schedule keeps your list engaged and your business top of mind. If the content is relevant and helpful to your email contacts, the relationship will be fruitful. Email marketing programs are generally free for a basic limited plan or as little as $10 monthly for a subscription plan. Best of all, your time and money are spent nurturing existing relationships that have already opted into learning more. They want to hear from you!
Email Marketing Strengthens Brand Awareness
How many times has this happened to you?
You skimmed your inbox in the morning and saw a great sale on wine from your favorite winery. Later that evening, you're at a dinner party (or a virtual happy hour), and your friend says they could use a refresh of their wine cabinet. You immediately think of the email you received and mention the sale.
Whether it's wine, clothing, or your favorite Etsy seller, the product in this example doesn't matter. What matters is the power of brand recognition. By sending email marketing, you're building your brand awareness with your contact list, as well as spreading word-of-mouth referrals unsolicited. By someone else speaking on behalf of your brand, they are giving a testimonial of your business. This messaging is powerful!
“Email marketing is far more intimate than social media and a better barometer of your business's health.”
Brooke Cagle @brookecagle
Email Marketing Drives Engagement & Insight
Email marketing has many hidden benefits; this is where analytics come in. Behind the curtain, you can see a whole set of metrics such as open rates, click rates, abandon cart statistics, etc. Through tracking tools, you can see how engaged a person is, what they are interested in, and where in the selling process they drop out. This information helps make your content more relevant. It allows you to tailor communications through segmenting, making your offers irresistible to your customers. You can better understand who your customers are and offer services to meet their needs. Email marketing is far more intimate than social media and a better barometer of your business's health.
Email Marketing Adds Value
When it comes down to it, your email list (if earned organically with proper opt-in measures) is your property. You own the right to contact your mailing list as long as you sustain their respect. Emails must always have an "unsubscribe" link in them, and unsubscribing is a natural and healthy part of the email marketing process. Don't be afraid of unsubscribes, as those who are left are those who are more likely to convert. If you tend to and nurture your list—much like a garden—the reward of effortless conversions will follow. It's wise to foster relationships in a purpose-driven, trust-filled manner. When it comes time to ask for a purchase, your customers will be eager to step up to the challenge. There will be no uncomfortable feeling of needing to "close the sale."
