Email lists may seem like a bit of a dinosaur in the modern age of constant engagement from social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, but email is a tried and true method of keeping your customers engaged with your brand and converting that engagement to sales. The Direct Marketing Association says email marketing sees a staggering 4300 percent return on investment on average. This is due, in part, to just how cheap email marketing can be; however, it also has a big impact on loyalty and engagement – both of which lead to sales.
Email is a trusted form of communication across the globe and for people from all walks of life. Opt-in email lists allow your customers to willingly permit you access to their attention. This can create a bond of trust. Your newsletter gives you direct access to every person on your list and gives them the ability to view it on their own time. You can also easily utilize A/B-testing with some help from email marketing companies. This will help you figure out the most effective way of getting your messages read and your links clicked.
You also have complete control over your newsletters. You don’t have to worry about another company coming in and changing search algorithms or dictating new requirements for getting your posts promoted. That list of email followers is with you through their own volition and they’ll happily engage with your content regardless of any new social media company policies or changes made to how Google works.
Visitors who subscribe to your email list are more likely to share your content on social media and they are more likely to purchase products from you. In addition to that, email is something most people regularly check throughout the day. Emails are much less likely to be buried in the pile like social media posts often are. Your subscribers will be much more likely to view the contents of your email than they are to interact with or even see your most recent tweet.
When someone subscribes to your mailing list, they are basically saying, “Hey, I like you.” So, take that little nugget of friendship and cherish it by ensuring your emails are relevant to your audience. It’s also important to keep the newsletters at a steady rate, but one that isn’t too incessant. Your updates should come at regular intervals unless there is an occasion that calls for more immediate action, but make sure you don’t drown your subscribers in a flood of emails.
Just like when you’re just starting up a new relationship, you want to be available and attentive but not overly eager and needy. It will take time to build that list and the trust with your subscribers but cultivating the relationship will be well worth the effort once you start reaping the rewards of an engaged and loyal userbase.