Is Email Marketing Still Worth It?

Email marketing has been around for quite some time, and there’s no sign that it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Most small businesses use it in one way or another, but email marketing isn’t just limited to those looking to sell their products or services online; people who have brick-and-mortar businesses can also benefit from using email to grow their customer base and drive sales. Here are some pros and cons of using email marketing as part of your small business strategy that you may want to consider before you make any decisions about whether or not you should include it in your overall marketing plan.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Email

Email is still one of the most valuable tools for communicating with your customers, clients, and partners. It’s also wildly inefficient. Sure, if you use email marketing software such as MailChimp or Constant Contact , it’s easy to build a reliable customer base and efficiently send messages to hundreds of contacts at once. But think about how many emails you get from businesses each day that aren’t spam: Hundreds? Thousands? They pile up quickly in your inbox and—thanks to recent changes from Google —are becoming increasingly difficult to find. To make matters worse, social media sites like Facebook are reportedly moving away from email as a communication tool , making it even harder for marketers to reach their audience using email alone.

Why We Love Email

With more than 4 billion accounts, email is still one of the best ways to reach your target market—and when it’s used right, it can still drive results. Check out these stats: 81% of small businesses using email marketing saw a return on investment (ROI) and 97% reported that email helped build their brand. 1 That kind of impact means you need to put some thought into what’s going in your next campaign if you want it to be as effective as possible. Here are 5 tips for maximizing your ROI from email marketing campaigns

How Email Works For Small Businesses

Email isn’t just for sending messages to friends and family anymore—it’s a marketing tool for all kinds of businesses, too. There are tons of online resources that can help you learn how to start using email as a way to grow your business; you might even be able to glean some tips from your friends at work who manage their company’s mailings (though it’s worth noting they may have goals other than profit). But learning about email basics doesn’t take too much time or effort, so do yourself a favor and get started with these quick pointers.

How Does Email Compare To Social Media and Other Formats?

When it comes to small business, email might not always be worth your time and effort. Research has shown that social media marketing is 40 times more effective at connecting with customers than email is, which means you’ll want to allocate your time in those channels. However, if you’re looking for a platform with proven ROI and high engagement rates, it might just be worth exploring. To get an idea of how your business can better utilize email marketing, check out our infographic below.

Are There Alternatives to Email

Have you tried reaching out to your clients with more modern marketing techniques like social media, email marketing or even text messaging? In today’s online world, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to old school versus new school communication. Your small business needs to be in touch with all forms of communication that your customers prefer, if you want them to stay loyal. Keeping abreast of emerging technology is something every small business owner should do.

How Can I Get Started With Email Marketing?

If you want to use email marketing for your small business, but aren’t sure where to start, there are a few things you can do. Plan out your campaign: First, take some time to think about how your email marketing campaign will work. Think about what sort of emails you want to send and when you’ll send them. You don’t need to worry about writing content yet—you can save that for later. But coming up with an outline for how often and when you’ll send messages will make it easier later on when it comes time to plan out individual emails.