Email marketing is an OG marketing channel, with the first email being sent over 50 years ago. According to Litmus’ annual State of Email Workflows Report, 41% of email marketers report email as their most successful channel - that’s pretty impressive if you ask us!
But if you are still wondering why email marketing is so effective, let us take you through a few reasons why it still is, even 50 years on!
Email automation captures customers at the right time
Have you ever added something to your basket on a website but didn’t purchase, yet received an email to ask whether you forgot something and then ended up buying? This is an automated email. Email automation or flows, is set up using predefined rules that trigger emails to users who qualify for each rule.
With higher intent, email flows are incredibly successful in helping to increase revenue and engagement. Why? Because these types of emails reach the users at exactly the right time.
Helps to retain customers
Whether that’s well-thought-out regular email campaigns, anniversary flows or winback emails, it is much easier (and cheaper!) to retain a customer than it is to acquire one.
The key thing with retaining subscribers is to provide them with relevant and interesting content, if not a cheeky discount code or gift. With anniversary flows, such as birthdays, by sending an email every year (whether that’s on the day or on the lead-up), you’re offering the user something in return for them being a subscriber and potentially reminding them of your brand.
A discount code or voucher for X% off, not only gives them a gift but also encourages them to shop again - a win-win situation!
Overcomes ad noise
We now live in a world full of ads! When browsing social media or searching on Google, you’ll always come across paid ads amongst the organic content. With email, you don’t need to pay for ad space and your emails will feel more authentic than a paid alternative.
Ability to tailor content & messaging to segments
With other channels, it can be extremely challenging to tailor content and messaging to individuals. However, with email marketing, this can be done easily, but only when it’s executed properly!
Using segments, you can categorise subscribers into certain categories; such as highly engaged (those who have opened or interacted with your email within a certain period of time), location-based (if you have physical stores or location-specific products) and users who’ve purchased certain products (such as products for kids aged between 18 and 24 months).
By creating segments, you are then able to tailor the content they receive. Such as segmenting users who’ve purchased products for kids between 18 and 24 months, this can be followed by an email showing them kids products for ages 24 to 36 months, making it highly relevant for them, and more than likely, they’ll receive this at the correct time!
99% of email users check them daily
What is the first thing you check when you pick up your phone or open your laptop every morning? According to Porch Group Media, 58% of consumers check their emails first thing in the morning. Even if it’s not the first thing you do, 99% of email users check their emails daily, with the majority checking them multiple times a day.
It’s all about personalisation
Tying in with tailoring content and messaging to different segments, one of the key reasons why email marketing can be so effective is that we can personalise the content each and every user receives. Personalisation variables allow you to insert subscriber attributes to your email, such as name or location, into your emails, which helps to increase engagement and build stronger relationships.
Email will never die (well, we hope not!)
Remember MySpace? Back in its prime, it overtook Google with user usage but now 20 years on, it’s barely used. The start of email can be traced back to 1971, and with over 200 email providers, email shows no sign of slowing down - Hooray!
Forget algorithms and search terms, email is all about communication, and as long as your email deliverability is top-notch and you have the email marketing basics down to a T, email is an incredibly effective marketing channel and can be much more cost-effective than alternatives.
Here at Get Better, we’re a specialist Klaviyo email marketing agency. Meaning we work exclusively with Klaviyo; whether that’s optimising your current flows, setting up completely new ones, or creating a yearly email campaign strategy, we’re here to take your email marketing to the next level.
