Email marketing is utilised by a lot of different industries as part of their overall online marketing strategy. When done correctly, email marketing can be an ideal way to reach new audiences online; however, if not done correctly, there can be a few issues. On the other hand, if an email marketing campaign is effective, it can lead to an increase in sales which is why it is used so widely.
Whether you are considering implementing email marketing or whether you use it already, there are some pros and cons that you should be aware of. Read on for more information.
The Pros
Firstly, when compared to other marketing options, email marketing can be more affordable. Other forms of digital marketing can incur serious costs if used long term. Email marketing is also much better value for money than postal marketing. There are some initial costs, such as building a mailing list and potentially investing in some software, but after these start-up costs, the running costs are minimal.
Email marketing also has a huge reach. You can reach hundreds or thousands of people within your target market with a few clicks of a button. Whereas with other forms of marketing, it can take a lot longer to reach an audience of that size. This increased audience also makes it easier to share information more quickly too. You don’t have to simply share that info with prospective consumers; you can also share it with your suppliers or other business contacts too.
If you have the right software in place, you can also easily track your efforts and measure the success of your email marketing campaigns. For example, you can find out how many people are opening your email versus deleting them unread. How many people are clicking the links inside, and how many emails are converting prospective consumers into paying customers. You can also see if any emails are no longer active, or you can also offer an opt-out to those who want to unsubscribe from your mailing list.
Keeping your emails consistent in design and content can also help you to increase your brand awareness. Your consumers will begin to recognise your brand, and if they like what they see, this can lead to sales. They may even share your materials which further promotes your brand. This brand recognition can play an important part when it comes to consumers deciding who they want to purchase your products from. It is also incredibly easy to construct these emails; you can find a huge variety of email templates online.
Lastly, email marketing allows you to open a dialogue with your consumers around topics they are interested in. Most mailing lists are built around an opt-in, opt-out service which means that those who opt-in to your mailing list are far more likely to be interested in your goods and or services. Which then makes it much easier for you to build a marketing campaign that is catered to those people.
The Cons
As with all marketing strategies, there are also cons to email marketing. Firstly, it can be difficult to get noticed. It depends on your recipients. Your emails may go unnoticed or unread, they can be deleted, or they can languish in the spam folder. Try not to send out emails too frequently either, as that can be sorted into the spam folder. Some businesses also fall into the trap of click-baiting, which can mean that you lose the respect of your consumers, and in some cases, it can damage your reputation.
If your mailing list is not an opt-in, opt-out service, then you could risk sending emails to the wrong people. Some people even sign up to mailing lists with incorrect email. If your emails are not finding their way to the right inboxes, your marketing campaign is unlikely to succeed. Try to verify the email addresses before you spend your time and money creating emails for them.
Lastly, email marketing can limit the scope of your creative possibilities. For example, it can restrict the creativeness of an ad campaign if said ad has to rely on email marketing. However, there are ways in which you can be creative in the presentation of your emails. But often, it is better to concurrently run other marketing campaigns alongside the emails as you can be more creative with them.
In Conclusion
Email marketing is a popular choice for a good reason. It has the potential to be incredibly effective. However, there are drawbacks too. This is why it is important to consider the pitfalls so that you can ensure that you are avoiding them to make sure that your email marketing campaign is as successful as possible. Email marketing is best done in conjunction with other marketing channels like SEO or social media to ensure that you have a more well-rounded approach to your marketing.
