Marketing Through Email

SPAM This is what I first think of when I hear people talk about email marketing... But after reading a great article by Ifran Ahmad, I am more educated on the true importance of emailing as a business. 

In today's society, I am naturally accustomed to social media and I know how important it is for companies to have some sort of presence in that aspect. It is very hard for me to see email marketing as something that is just, if not more, important than social media. "#SocialMedia Vs. Email Marketing - #Infographic" helped me to see how much actual research has gone into email marketing and how it compares to the growing social media craze. Research has shown that it would be a costly mistake for business owners to toss email marketing out entirely.

Email Marketing

• For all SMM (Social Media Marketing), email is still converting better
• Spending on email marketing campaigns increased by 60% in 2012, resulting in a 4,000% return on investment
• When someone opts in to an email list it is to learn more about product/service, resulting in a relationship with that customer 
• Provides availability from "just a mouse click away"
• Social media channels are more complementary and additive to email than displacing

-VERSES-

Social Media

• When someone 'likes' a Facebook post or follows a company on Twitter, the context is typically more indirect and less overtly commercial
• More geared toward sharing status updates with friends
• Less direct, more entertaining approach that respects the nature of why people visit sites like Facebook works the best
• People on Facebook like to stay on Facebook
• Most social media can run laser targeted ad campaigns to target markets
• Capture interesting individuals in Facebook ads to an email list by incorporating an opt-in form inside your campaign

Both are very different and distinct marketing channels that can both be effective for your business. As someone who has pretty much grown up with social media, it's hard for me to get away from much of anything being more important for businesses that marketing through social media. But now I understand and really see why email marketing is just as important.

BUZZFEED

This growing organization is known for its well-written subject lines within their emails. They are said to be "short and punchy," great for individuals in today's society that are drawn to things that don't look like they are going to take forever to read. Also, they have arranged their emails to have a preview text that accompany's the subject line.