Spoiler alert, yes!
It is tempting to rely on social media platforms as a source of sales leads and customer engagement but we would like to state the case for email marketing. When consulting with a new client for the first time, one of the most important elements of a marketing strategy we encourage is the creation and development of a strong customer database. This will pay dividends in the long term growth of any business. A database of people that have signed up for your content or product and have chosen to hear from your regularly is worth its weight in gold.
Collecting fans and brand advocates of your product in marketing speak is often referred to as ‘onboarding’. Typically capturing data is a simple subscription form on your website which is powered by a mailing tool such as Mailchimp or Hubspot. Data can be captured, sorted and stored on your chosen mailer platform ready to be deployed as a direct marketing strategy.
We look after several businesses that use this tried and tested method of direct marketing and we see success time and time again in terms of engagement and sales. Email marketing is the perfect solution when you need to highlight new products or services, run special offers or and update to your business etc. And as a very important bonus, the results are measurable.
Measuring the results from an email campaign will yield valuable information and will steer the course of future campaigns. In truth, not every mail will ‘land’ and perform as expected but this should be seen as an opportunity for you to fine tune your mail until the ‘sweet spot’ is found and you establish what works best for your business.
However, this is not a popularity contest! High numbers of sign ups and purchasing data is not the best way to go. Databases should be built organically and naturally and should be populated by lists of people who genuinely want to hear from you. For example, 500 people who have chosen to read your next Newsletter and are big fans of what you do has greater currency than 1000 names who have been purchased or captured by other means.
In summary, please don’t underestimate the power of email marketing. The biggest corporations use it all of the time and with careful management, engaging content and used sparingly, email marketing is a powerful tool when growing your business.
If you would like more information about helping to grow your audience using email marketing or need a helping hand with content creation, contact us to arrange your no-obligation phone consultation today.
