It is clear that of all forms of advertising, email marketing is the method of the future. A Google sponsored report shows that many companies are funding their increase in their email marketing budget by reducing investment in other forms, such as direct mail and social networking.
The only significant cost is in setting up and securing email lists so the high return on investment makes email marketing very attractive to any company concerned with their budget. And there can be few that are not. This has probably led to the record number of marketing emails sent by companies in the last quarter of 2009.
However, one significant fact is that the number of clickthroughs has reached a two year low. There are any number of suggested causes for this but it would appear that one factor is that new companies have entered the fray unprepared and untutored in the craft. This means that established firms, and those newcomers willing to invest a little effort and resources, will have a distinct advantage.
The number of clickthroughs would appear not to have suffered. Indeed the expectation is that the value of email marketing will increase by ten per cent year on year for the next five years. So how can your company, established or new, obtain its fair share? Or more of course.
Your email lists have great potential and this needs to be realised. It is also essential to be better than your competitors. The easiest route is to ensure that your emails go where they will get the highest return.
Modern sophisticated email marketing software will allow you to target your emails. They should be triggered by events and the lifecycles of those on your email lists. You need to understand the behaviour of your customers. This will allow you to send the emails at the right time to the right customers with just the right offers.
Whilst the future of email marketing in these difficult times is looking healthier than any other form, you still need to work at it. You must become professional. Your email lists are a valuable asset but one which needs to be used effectively.
