Email marketing is a cost effective way to reach high numbers of potential and existing clients at the touch of a button, without the complications of physical mailing. So, what are the pros and cons of email marketing?
Emails are versatile and can be used for a variety of messages – news, promotions/special offers, new products, tips/advice, follow ups to lead magnets, new clients, etc.
They are an invaluable part of any marketing strategy for raising brand awareness, competitor differentiation, and fostering customer relationships.
However, as with all marketing tools, there are advantages and disadvantage to employing email marketing as part of your digital marketing strategy.
Email marketing can be used to create different messages while ensuring you remain on brand.
It is one of the most effective ways of directly speaking to your customers, whether existing or potential.
It is also one of the most successful tools for you to discover more about your customers, their likes and dislikes and what interests them.
The more detailed data you collect from your customers, the more targeted and personalised you can make content to help you make that all-important connection with your audience.
The benefits of email marketing
Okay, so let’s take a look at some of the pros.
Cost-effective
In these times of high inflation and rising costs – something we have seen particularly in the print mailing sector with soaring fuel, energy and paper costs – marketers find that they have to do more with less money.
Email marketing is very efficient with lower resource costs (time and manpower), than a print campaign and a faster turnaround time.
According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) the average ROI for email campaigns is 42:1. In other words, every £1 spent on marketing emails returns around £42.
When you compare this to the £14 return for every £1 spent on physical advertising mail (According to the Central Mailing Services website), it is easy to see why email marketing is such an important part of a digital marketing strategy.
Email campaigns also come out on top when compared with the cost of other methods of generating traffic to your website.
PPC/paid ads are much more expensive to run.
With email marketing you know that the recipient is interested in your products because you have already collected their information.
Increasing sales
Because emails are so versatile and put you in control of the content, you can include messages that will encourage your target audience to buy more products.
They are already more inclined to buy because they have opted in to receive emails.
So, whether your email carries a promotional message or is a follow-up to a lead magnet your customer has downloaded, the chances of them making a purchase are higher.
According to a poll conducted by Royal Mail, 47% of respondents had bought goods or services from a company after receiving a marketing email.
Customer communications
Making sure your customers are engaged with your company and products/services creates trust and loyalty with your brand.
Email marketing allows you to keep in touch with relevant information, messages and offers throughout the year, not just for seasonal campaigns.
Emails deliver your message directly to customers.
A customer who feels that your brand is talking directly to them is engaged and, therefore, is more likely to make a purchase.
Reporting/Automation
With email marketing software like the RebusMailer, you can build up your list, schedule emails for weeks ahead, manage your data stream and build a loyal customer base.
You need to learn more about your customers in order to personalise their email marketing experience.
You can deliver timely emails directly into your customers’ inboxes at different stages of their customer journey using automation.
These can be sequencing emails welcoming new customers, new product information for items they have bought previously, thank you for purchasing, did you know we also sell, take advantage of our offer, etc.
The disadvantages of email marketing
As we stated earlier in this article, there are disadvantages as well as advantages to most marketing tools, so let’s take a look at some of the cons of email marketing.
Undelivered/unopened emails
ROI on email campaigns can be negatively affected by undelivered or unopened emails.
Potential customers will not be able to see the latest offers and you may lose out on building customer loyalty.
The standard opening rate of email campaigns is around 20%, so if you are not achieving this figure, you need to revisit your customer data, try different subject lines, or alter your message.
The good news is that by using the data gathered for each campaign to inform and streamline the next one, you can target more successfully and reduce the number of unopened or undelivered emails.
Also, please remember, even if your email is unopened, your customer saw your name in their inbox – keeping you at the forefront of their mind. They may have been too busy at that precise moment, or the subject line may not have caught their attention… but they saw your name!
Spam filters
Many emails can have spam issues, so it is important to keep your email lists up to date and only send to those customers who have opted in.
If people unsubscribe following a marketing email, they will be automatically removed from your list straightway.
However, you can use this as an opportunity to send them a ‘sorry to see you go’ automated response.
This has two benefits. Firstly the customer will know that you value them and don’t want to lose them. Secondly, it gives them an opportunity to subscribe again.
Email regulations GDPR/Data Protection
Many people are put off using email campaigns by the Data Protection Act 2018 which is the UK’s implementation of GDPR.
The regulations require companies to obtain agreement from customers before they are allowed to send them marketing emails.
This is why emailing only those who are interested with relevant information/communication is so important.
Companies must also make sure that information is kept up to date, stored no longer than is necessary and is protected against unauthorised access/processing, loss damage, or destruction.
If you intend to use email marketing as part of a digital marketing strategy you must make sure that customer information is stored securely and that you know who has access to it.
If you are new to email marketing, or keen to make more of it in digital campaigns by linking to your website and social media platforms, the Rebus Creative Team can help.
The RebusMailer puts you in control of your email campaigns and our email marketing software comes with many added benefits including:
- Fully responsive whether emails are opened on desktops, tablets, or mobiles
- Emails carry your brand, not a third party mailing template/service
- Allows you to customise email campaigns
- You are in control of content, including links
- You can try out different subject lines for split campaigns
- Send test emails to up to five email addresses
- Detailing reporting on who opened your email and what they clicked on
If you have found this article about the pros and cons of email marketing useful and would like to talk to Rebus Creative about our emailing software or book a demo, just get in touch. You can call us on 0114 553 2977, send an email, use the contact form on our website or we can even meet up for a coffee!