27 Feb Is Email Marketing Still Effective?
Is email marketing still effective in 2023? 
With so many digital marketing platforms now available, it would be easy to think that using email would be dated, but not so.
When it comes to making sales, email still comes out on top.
Even with Gen Z, it’s believed that this generation craves emails from brands they love and are even happy to receive more than one a week!
If the newest generation is on board with this most historical of digital communication tool. Then it must be doing something right, right?
Email marketing still has the same influence and impact in the 21st Century as it did in the 20th, even more so.
Email is the tried and trusted way to stay connected to an audience.
It’s said that over 50% of consumers have purchased something directly from an email within the last year. It seems email marketing is even beating organic social media posts and ads by over 10%.
The subject line and preview text of every email clearly plays a part in open rates, and calls to action are equally important in end sales.
But, it’s what’s inside that really counts. That filling in the sandwich is all the good stuff, and exactly what can turn a contemplator into a buyer.
Consumers, be they commercial or public, want to receive offers for products or services that not only interest them but also fit their budget, their niche and their marketplace.
The intent in your content is key in email marketing.
This brings us nicely onto the hot topic which has got everyone talking, and that’s ChatGPT.
We will cover this in greater depth in future posts because it really will be a game changer when it comes to digital content and how we interact with an audience.
What is ChatGPT?
It is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered software which can humanly process natural language.
In its basic form, it’s a chatbot. But, this technology can go way beyond your average chatbot capabilities, because of the AI development involved.
Language technology can follow instructions and provide results. It can assist with writing blogs, emails, and essays (no cheating Gen Z!), and even help with coding.
There has been software on the market that can do elements of these things for a long time, but they were always with sketchy results.
This AI powered tech is ‘next level’, and while it cannot replace the human necessity to iron out the creases and inject character, it can greatly enhance capabilities and efficiency.
Want to know how? Stay tuned.
Most consumers seem to prefer personalised content from the brands they trust. What they no longer appear to tolerate is cookie related advertising that has the creep factor attached.
If customers know the brands they are providing personal insight to will protect and responsibly manage their data, they appear happy to share that intimate information for a more personalised product or service.
With the development of AI and its use within marketing software, this will be far easier and safer for businesses and customers alike.
Is digital advertising as powerful as it once was?
It would seem not.
This is interesting because it would be natural to assume that a tool as historical as email would become less relevant, and instead, it has become even more so, all these years later.
The first email was sent way back in 1971 and became widely used in the late 80s, and early 90s.
The fact that email popularity is on the rise in 2023 says something about its power.
In recent years, most companies put a lot of money into advertising such as banner ads and social media advertising.
Today, many consumers have become switched on to blocking these types of ads, and in some cases consider them spam!
It is thought that over 40% of consumers now use blocking tech which is over a 20% rise from the previous year. Fair warning to those companies still focused on this diminishing way of advertising.
People are even going to greater lengths to prevent brands from scraping data they don’t want them to have. This includes using privacy modes, alternative browsers, PC cleaners and even installing privacy software.
With the cost of living crises and threats of recession, businesses need to focus their advertising and marketing investments on the areas which will give the strongest return on investment.
According to some sources, there’s been almost a 30% drop in sales resulting from banner ads in the last 12 months.
There are also strong indications that businesses are no longer prepared to squander large chunks of their marketing budgets on these advertising forms.
Personalisation, engagement and retention benefits are clearly what consumers want to see from a brand they’re prepared to invest in.
What are the best ways to connect with customers?
Now, consumers are so tech savvy. More people than ever are now working with computers daily and using smartphones, alongside tablets; there’s no wonder.
So, brands need to build trust through transparency and connecting with them using effective personalisation to reach them in the right ways and at the right times.
Bombarding clients with the latest offers is so last century.
This is where AI can show off its talents.
By understanding a customer’s product/service preferences, purchase cycles, preferred communication methods, payment methods, delivery times, and profile personality; campaigns can be targeted to provide the customer with exactly what they want when they want it.
Including sporadic feedback questionnaires and encouraging online reviews, can help drill down even further into what consumers want, like and buy.
AI can deliver the data which helps businesses know when to send a message, which channel to use, which type of client to focus on and what the message should include.
Targeted ads just got a whole lot more targeted, and personal.
As the slow death of the digital cookie monster comes to fruition later this year, businesses need to already be employing new methods of reaching their audience more holistically.
It would seem that consumers are prepared to spend more with their favourite brands because they have built up a relationship and trust.
Rewarding loyalty with offers appears to be the main reason for this.
Finding ways to engage with and reward customers should be the main focus of any business looking to sustain and grow.
Why is email marketing still so effective?
Email has moved with the times. It has been bent to the will of the masses. It can provide businesses marketing structure whilst allowing for creativity.
Email is:
- Trusted
- Economical
- Measurable
- Uncomplicated
- Adaptable
- Personal
- Monetisable
- Targeted
- Inclusive
- Tailored
- Fast
- Brandable
- Controllable
- Returnable
All these reasons and more are why here at SurCo we have our own email marketing platform called BroadCast.
Did you know?
The average ROI is $40 for every $1 spent on email marketing, according to Omnisend in 2022. Compare that with an ROI of $22 for SEO and $17 for keyword ads.
Email is a bit like Levi’s jeans. Only the style changes, the brand remains ever strong.
Folks will trust something implicitly if they trust the brand sending them.
Having been in business for over 25 years, we know all too well how important building relationships and trust is. We’re experts in it.
We also understand that we have to constantly find ways to move with the times and provide our clients with services that will help them do better business and make more sales.
The bottom line is the bottom line.
Email is one of the ways in which we do this, effectively and consistently.You can discover more about our BroadCast email marketing platform or contact us to discuss how we can help email increase your ROI.