Email marketing is sometimes considered the ugly stepchild of marketing. It's not visible to people who aren't in your inner circle, and it doesn't come with the opportunity for viral success. It's also (arguably) harder than standard marketing techniques. One has to build that beautiful email outreach list, after all.
However, as the marketing landscape changes, the power of email marketing remains. In fact, it's quite possible that email is the secret weapon that you just haven't tried yet.
Here's why I'm advising some of my clients to reconsider the humble email marketing outreach message. And watch this space! Next month, I'll share some email marketing techniques that caught my eye in recent months.
Let's dig into three reasons I'm excited about email marketing right now.
1. You Own Your Community.
If you're an ethical business owner who built an email marketing list carefully, collecting customer data and verifying the addresses painstakingly, you're sitting on a goldmine of data. Your list consists of people who have used your service in the past or somehow expressed interest in who you are and what you do. Why in the world wouldn't you reach out to these people and try to convert them into a sale?
Communities built on social media sites like YouTube or Instagram are different. You don't own the contact information or data—the site does. And at any point, site administrators could block your access to these audience members. You could wake up one morning and find your account has been suspended or blocked. Bam! Away goes your access. Getting it back is hard.
2. Your Reach Isn't Restricted.
Social media sites are notorious for their algorithms. If you make content that conforms, you may reach more people. However, conforming content often looks just like the stuff your competitors pump out. It's hard to stand out or get seen in an environment like this.
Email messages come directly from you to a consumer's inbox. Your message could get shunted into an "offers" inbox. Write it badly, and it also could be listed as spam.
But email messages aren't subject to trends and preference algorithms like social media posts are. If you're crafting valuable content for people who agree to get your messages, you're sure to get through and talk directly with your potential customers.
Best of all, you can say whatever you want. Trends be damned! When the algorithms don't control your content, you can say what seems right for you and your business.
3. You Control What's Shown.
Many modern marketing tools place brands in a sticky situation. Run ads on websites, and you could be placed next to content that's directly critical of your core customer or business model. Put content on some social media sites (looking at you, X), and you could be right next to some outrageously offensive content.
Your email messages exist in a really nice, safe, protected bubble. You control what's inside them, so your brand is always protected.
Craft Great Email Marketing Content
All of these tips apply to exceptional email marketing content. If you're not sure how to get started, reach out! I can help you create an email marketing content calendar. I can even write content for you.
Watch this space for tips about creating email content. That's on deck for next month!