Everyone is at it at the moment. Email campaigns. From monthly e-newsletters to one off campaigns and e-shots. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of using email campaigns as part of your marketing strategy? Is it the right tactic for your business?
Advantages of email marketing
Low cost – no print cost and, if you get the right supplier or software, then send costs are low too. No postage to pay either
Good for customer retention – regular newsletters to keep communicating with your customers.
Include links through to products/ website – you can tempt traffic directly through to your website quickly.
Can create in advance and set on “timer” if using Mailchimp, Constant Contact etc.
Measurable – metrics to show open rates, click thro rates etc so you can evaluate how successful your offer/message was
Disadvantages of email marketing
May get buried in people’s in-boxes with all the other (many, many) emails we all receive
Laws against spamming and “opting in/ opting out” are tight and you need to be mindful of these or you could get your domain blacklisted.
People skim read emails. You have around 5 seconds to make an impression. Therefore your “hook” has to be a good one.
Response rates vary according to industry and you should be aware of what is considered a “good” open rate. Check out Mailchimp’s benchmarks for your industry.
Layout will look different on different email systems. MS Outlook is notorious for screwing up the layout for the recipient. Make sure you test thoroughly in different browsers before you send it!
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