The POWER of PR with Danae Jones
I was chatting to a small business owner the other day who was convinced that email marketing was dead and buried and that people were disengaged with email communication these days. I presented a different point of view to this business owner as I didn’t agree – Why? Because that is not what the current research is telling us and I’ve seen the results first hand. eCommunications is actually one of the most cost effective, results driven mediums that a business can utilise.
Let me share with you a little of what I know on this subject and I’ll let you be the judge.
When it comes to marketing your business, it’s important to be where your consumers are. Email use is thriving more than ever before and is used by 95% of online consumers. More people are using their tablets, smart phones and laptops each day and are constantly connected to their email and social media accounts.
Email Communication gets to people, no matter where they are – at work or at home because we are literally glued to our devices in this fast paced life. 91% of consumers reported checking their email at least once a day (Exact Target). In fact, it’s not uncommon for consumers to check their email dozens of times each day.
According to the Founder of Mobile Digital, John Stuckey - “People would rather give up drinking than their phone.”
Using email marketing to promote content and your products and services is a great way to drive more traffic to your website and is a highly effective tool for nurturing leads through the buying cycle. The key is making your eCommunication content interesting, informative and meeting the needs of your target market. I always use the 80/20 rule. 80% information, and only 20% sell. What people are desensitised most to these days is being overtly sold to.
The Stats Speak For Themselves
- 60% of digital media is now consumed on a mobile device- 66% of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email- 7 in 10 people say they made use of a coupon or discount from a marketing email in the prior week- For every $1 spent, $44.25 is the average return on email marketing investment. - 82% of consumers open emails from companies- Email marketing spend grows 10% year on year
(Sources: Exact Target, 2012 Blue Kangaroo Study, Experian, Litmus and Forrester)
A very simple cost effective way to relate with your publics in ‘real’ time
They say it takes at least seven touch points before a consumer will make a purchasing decision. Email communication is a non-invasive way of remaining ‘in touch’ with your community of existing and potential customers.
2. Strengthens Relationships, Loyalty & Trust
Email marketing is a great way to build one-on-one relationships with current and potential customers. By creating well-written and engaging newsletters and emails, readers get to know, like, and trust you and your company.
3. Increases Brand Awareness & Keeps Your Brand Top of Mind
Each time an email is sent to consumers it is building brand awareness of your company, products and services and it reinforces your value proposition. This helps to keep your company’s name top of mind.
4. Be Ultra Targeted With Segmentation
With email marketing, lists of each market segment based on demographics, interest, buying patterns, industry groups etc can be created, enabling you to craft a marketing message that speaks directly to each audience and meet their specific need.
5. Low Cost & Good ROI
Compared to other marketing channels, email marketing costs very little. For every $1 spent, $44.25 is the average return on email marketing investment.
6. Easy to Execute
Setting-up an email campaign is relatively easy. There are many email marketing resources and software companies online that enable you to DIY. But to really stand out, instead of using a pre-made template, I recommend having an email template custom designed consistent with your company branding so your touch point is given maximum impact. Making sure it renders correctly in all email programs is essential also so engaging a professional that knows how to do this is paramount if you do not have the skills in house.
7. Easy to Measure
The majority of email marketing software programs have analytics at the back end of every email you send. So you can very effectively track the metrics and report on your open rates, click-through rates, bounce emails and conversion rates. This information is key to understanding what is working and what needs improvement.
Email marketing is a highly effective public relations tool that needs to be given significant consideration when developing your marketing strategy.
Danae Jones is Principal of PR & Marketing firm Danae Jones Consulting