“Email is dead.”
As a marketer or someone in sales, service, or just business in general, you may have heard this statement before. And, yes, our attention spans are waning and we’ve all become digital multi-taskers, juggling a multitude of documents, websites, messaging platforms, and social media sites in the palms of our hands. Not to mention all those games, memes, and videos that are constantly drawing our attention!
So, you’re concerned your audience doesn’t have time for email anymore? Wrong. Email isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and we’re here to show you why.
According to the most recent Email Statistics Report from The Radicati Group, Inc., we will send and receive 269 billion emails per day in 2017, and there will be over 3 billion email users around the world by the end of the year. Email usage is prevalent across all ages and demographics. Almost everyone uses email.
This is especially true in business. DemandWave’s 2016 State Of B2B Digital Marketing showed that not only do 95 percent of professionals use email, but also that B2B digital marketers rely mainly on email for lead generation and to drive revenue.
So why are some people down on email? Probably because it’s been around so long and it’s not the hot new toy. That, and because there are many myths and misconceptions about email marketing out there.
It’s time to bust those myths and prove once and for all why email still matters.
Myth 1: Email Doesn’t Generate Leads
While many marketers and business leaders believe that email is still effective in turning leads into sales, others believe that email does not help generate new leads. The idea that email is only a nurturing tool is absolutely a myth. Remember, we share emails as much as we share social media posts. So, if you include a good lead-generating call-to-action in your email, you’ve got an opportunity to get new leads anytime that email is forwarded. Also, be sure to include social sharing links in your emails so whenever recipients share your email to social media accounts, you’ve got an opportunity to reach everyone they’re connected with. By including calls-to-action and sharing links, any email can be a lead-generating email.
Myth 2: Email is Old/No Longer Effective/Doesn’t Work
We get it. Everyone loves the shiny new toy. But new isn’t always better and old isn’t always useless. Sure, email as a tool is old, but you still use it, don’t you? And so does everyone else you know, more so than any other form of marketing communication.
Maybe social or some other inbound strategy is the hot new thing. Does that mean your audience is using it? Depending on your industry, new marketing methods could fall on deaf ears, but email is a mainstay in virtually all industries in the business world. Is your audience highly technical and advanced? If so, by all means try the next big thing, but never abandon email altogether. With email you can send fully-fleshed, detailed marketing messages that are customizable and able to be delivered exactly when you want them to be.
Again, everyone has email, and most of us are on mobile devices, checking email multiple times a day. Your audience may skip logging onto LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter on any given day, but it’s a safe bet no one is going a day without checking their email unless they are on vacation and intentionally staying away from it.
Myth 3: Email Marketing = Spam
Most of us aren’t quick to flag a marketing message as spam. If people truly don’t care about your messages, they will likely delete them without opening or they will open and quickly search for the unsubscribe link. When they unsubscribe, don’t fret — those contacts probably weren't going to become good leads/referral sources/customers anyway.
If you have contacts who choose to remain on your list but only open or open and click sporadically, then you’ve got an opportunity. These people initially subscribed for a reason, and they’re sticking around on your list for a reason. It’s time to stop thinking about what you've done to lose them, and think about what you’ve done (or not done) to keep them.
Are you sending out useful, informative, relevant, and/or educational content? If you’re not consistently providing value, your messages will get ignored. Are you crafting attention-grabbing subject lines? Taking advantage of targeted email campaigns? If the answers are no, then you need to take a long, hard look at your email marketing program. Many of your customers and prospects want to receive emails. They just want emails developed and designed to appeal to them.
Email still matters. If you need further guidance on why email still matters, we’re here to help. Ask about our Email Marketing Audit, our full service programs, or assistance as needed. Contact us today!
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