Although it has become fashionable to promote businesses with social media and text messages, email remains an effective option. Each message can be personalized and customized to a much greater extent than a Facebook or Twitter post.
Email marketing has a long history that began in the early 1990s.Electronic mail first appeared over 30 years ago. It became popular in the 1990s, after the Internet was established. Email provided an inexpensive global communication and marketing tool. The term “spam” became common by 1998. In recent years, people have started to read email on mobile Internet devices. Nearly one out of three Americans used them to open messages in 2012, according to Macworld.
Effectiveness
Some companies report that their email marketing campaigns are producing fewer and fewer sales. This is not an inherent flaw of email advertising. The problem is that many marketers don’t adjust to changes in computer usage and technology. They waited too long to personalize messages and build relationships with readers. Likewise, most marketers still haven’t adapted their messages for smartphone users.
It is also vital for businesses to make use of data on their customers and email marketing in general. For instance, MailChimp reports that the majority of people read messages between noon and 5 p.m. on weekdays. An advertisement for a weekend sale will generate more revenue if it is sent on Friday morning. Data on the age and gender of a company’s clients may help identify the best type of humor to use.
Generations
Email is now most popular among people born before 1985. Younger Internet users prefer to read text messages and social media posts. Some do use mobile email on a regular basis. This isn’t a major disadvantage of email marketing. All advertising methods – radio, TV, texting, magazines – appeal to some demographics more than others. Marketers must take this into account when they create ads and content.
Most companies can benefit from targeting their email to Generation X and baby boomers. Each message must cater to the values, interests and experiences of these two groups. Businesses use email to advertise some products for young people by encouraging parents to buy them as gifts. In other situations, businesses use social networks and text messages to promote brands and products to the younger generations.
Other Techniques
Although email is a valuable advertising tool, it shouldn’t be a company’s only marketing method. Effective promotional strategies often combine several online and offline techniques. For example, a business owner might use Twitter to let people know about an upcoming contest that he or she will announce by email the next day. The Twitter post could include a link to a newsletter subscription form.
Email will remain an important marketing method for years to come. Young people may begin to use it more frequently as their attention spans grow and they feel the need to communicate in greater detail. Nonetheless, it is vital for marketers to use feedback, targeting and personalization to create stronger connections with readers.