I remember it like it was yesterday, it was 1998 and businesses were just starting to use this new thing called web-based email. I was working for a financial institution and we were using an AOL email address for business until the IT Department declared that we must use the new corporate email addresses.
In the beginning email was very much considered just a way to communicate with staff and vendors via the Internet. It was mainly used to communicate with other employees internally and a handful of vendors or partners.
However, a couple of years later email started to be considered a viable marketing communication channel for businesses. A way for businesses to communicate with customers and prospects.
Now fast forward almost 20 years later, and email is still an integral part of business communication, but some have been questioning whether it is still a viable marketing channel. Hence the question, “Is Email Marketing Dead?”
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Email is, and probably will always be, a key way for businesses to communicate both internally and externally, but because of super crowded inboxes and short attention spans, email marketing results have changed over the years.
This is why it’s now even more important to establish a strong know, like, and trust with the contacts on your email list more than ever before.
Email Marketing still works, but the recipients of an email must feel that the person sending the email is credible, and that the content will be valuable. If your name or your company name is not considered a credible or known source your email will not be opened and your email open rates will suffer that’s why it is important to have an established relationship with the contacts on your email list.
The next factor is your content. People will judge whether your email is valuable and worth their time based on the subject line of the email. Your subject line determines whether the reader feels your content will be valuable and worth their time. That is why it is important to make your subject line read like a headline that will catch people’s attention.
However, the biggest hurdle can be getting your email to actual make it to the inbox of your client or prospect. With so many spam filters, it can be hard for an email to even make it to the inbox. That’s why it’s important to check your spam score before you send out your email and make necessary changes to your subject line and/or the content of your email to make sure that the email is more deliverable. It also goes without saying that it is important to use an Email Service Provider. If you’re not sure how to select an email service provider, check out the blog post, How to Pick an Email Marketing Service Provider.
However, when you set these hurdles aside, email marketing is still one of the best and most cost effective ways to reach your target audience online, so I wouldn’t say that Email Marketing is dead, it is still a viable marketing channel for your business.
Are you using email marketing in your business? If so, what results have you gotten from your email marketing effort? Be sure to sign-up for the smart marketer’s email marketing checklist.