How Email Marketing Works and the Role it Plays in Advertising Today by Julia Allman
The year is 1978 and the Bee Gee’s song “Stayin’ Alive” is now at number four on Billboard magazine’s Top Hot 100 songs. The movie Grease was released in theaters, and the first test tube baby was born. 1978 is also the year email marketing was created. Around for the past forty years, email marketing is just as important now as it was in the late 70s and is one of the most highly used marketing channels to this day.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing targets audiences and customers through electronic mail to boost conversations and revenue. It helps build relationships and connections between consumers and businesses through personalized engagement. This boosts brand awareness by promoting and sharing content about company news and sales. By generating leads to entice subscribers, information can be provided in a personalized way (such as using first names and personally addressing messages to consumers) which provides a deeper level of engagement.
Graph by Statistics Showing Email-Marketing Revenue Worldwide from 2020 to 2027 (predictions from 2024-2027)
According to HubSpot, 86% of consumers like to receive promotional emails from companies they buy from at least once a month. It is a phenomenal way to reengage past consumers and remarket products to them. It is a quick way to announce sales, share company news, and remarket to previous customers with lower advertising costs.
Graph by OptinMonster showing Email Usage in the U.S. by Age
It is also popular amongst all ages. 68% of surveyed respondents in all four demographics—Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z—said they prefer to receive brand communications via email according to a report done by BlueCore. It is an effective marketing tool across multiple generations, and is a great way to reach a plethora of target audiences across all age demographics. OptinMonster states that more than 90% of people over the age of 15 are sending and reading emails, and 99% of people check their email every day.
Graph from OptiMonster showing what people check first: Email or Social Media
What are the Types of Email Marketing?
Another great perk of email marketing is the numerous different types available for senders.These include newsletters that allow customers to stay tuned in with the current events of a brand. Welcome messages are another type that greet new users and generate more customer interest or action with the brand. Welcome messages can also include a discount for the new user and information on how to use their products or services. Anniversary and birthday messages are a great way to boost customer retention and loyalty by highlighting the important role the consumer plays for the brand. These messages show consumers that they are important and valued to a brand, creating a deeper relationship. Limited time offers and abandoned cart emails are another great marketing tool that can boost sales but reminding customers to complete their purchase, or share items similar to ones they bought in the past.
Perks of Email Marketing
One of the biggest perks of email marketing is that it is easy to maintain and inexpensive as far as advertising goes. It is a quick and effective way to get in touch with past consumers and make sure new ones feel welcome. The customization and personalization of messages creates a deeper connection between consumers and a brand or company because it makes consumers feel more valued. A personalized message addressed to them has more merit than a billboard or magazine ad might. Offering similar products being sold currently to ones customers have purchased in the past shows them brands are paying attention to their taste and giving them personalized suggestions, like a friend making a recommendation.
Email marketing also gives companies and brands more control over the information being sent out. Curated messages with specific points, targeted to different consumers, allows brands and companies to choose what messages are being conveyed and who they are conveyed to. It also allows for control over when messages are going to be sent out. For instance, a holiday email can be sent out specifically marketing holiday sales or conveying information at a certain time and on a certain date.
With so many different ways to advertise today, email marketing can often get lost in the shuffle. However, it is just as relevant today as it was when it was created in 1978. Its ability to target different audiences with different messages, at a low cost, and with added personalization deepens the connection a consumer has with a brand. It conveys their value and importance as a customer.