Why Email Marketing is Still Successful

More than 235 billion emails are sent worldwide every day, and email is still one of the most popular means of communication. However, many marketers neglect the potential of email marketing and prefer advertising on social media or Google. However, email marketing is an efficient complement to other marketing channels and should be part of any marketing mix.

Many consumers subscribe to newsletters, but not all companies offer them

As early as 1989, scientists at Stanford University predicted the demise of emails—electronic exchange was hardly practicable; it was even dangerous for society. Instead, they thought the fax would prevail and shape the future of communication. They were wrong. 

Email is as much in demand as ever. According to United Internet Media, over 70% of consumers in the German speaking region have subscribed to at least one newsletter, and according to a study by Swiss Post in collaboration with the HSLU and the FHNW, 83% of Swiss online shops consider email marketing to be relevant. According to the companies surveyed in Absolit's email marketing benchmark study, however, only 60% of these companies offer non-customers the opportunity to subscribe to their newsletter, even though the newsletter is known to be effective for customer acquisition and retention. In addition, only a quarter of B2B companies indicate on their website that people can subscribe to their newsletters.In the field of e-commerce, email marketing has always been important. But email offers other advantages: in the B2B area, for example, case studies, new products, or product instructions can be shared with existing and future customers.

Email as part of the marketing mix

There’s still a lot of untapped potential in the way companies deal with email marketing. Email must be seamlessly integrated into the marketing mix to be successful. However, from a technical, visual and, of course, content point of view, a lot needs to be considered to achieve the desired success.

For example, existing content from other marketing channels can be optimized for email campaigns with just a few adjustments. Content planning should therefore always consider how the content can be produced appropriately for all channels in the marketing mix. 

How-to: How Good Email Marketing Works Today

Precisely because email has been around for so long, there is a danger of getting caught up in outdated ideas and structures: "We've always done it this way" is all too often said when it comes to email marketing. Taking the time to rethink your strategy is also essential in email marketing. 

For all formats—regular newsletters, automated trigger emails, or simple promotions—certain aspects must be considered to be successful.

• What do I want to achieve with the newsletter? 

Is it the acquisition of new customers, advertising for seasonal sales, or presentation of a new product?

• Is the target group clear?

Before defining the content and design of a newsletter, the target group must be clearly identified. Who do we want to reach, and what additional benefits can we offer them with our content?

• Do we have the right technical set-up for sending emails? 

Modern tools offer address list management, template management, campaign management (dispatch), and reporting. Requirements for modern authentication between servers is also possible.

• Beautiful and functional design

Design is a matter of taste. Nevertheless, certain components in email marketing should always be considered. In addition to visual consistency across emails, optimized response design and fallbacks for different email programs and apps across all devices should also be considered.

• Convincing content that meets expectations

We write the newsletter for our customers, not for us as a company. Choose the topics accordingly. From the name of the sender, to the subject and the pre-header, to the actual content, the email must be completely convincing. The content should also correspond to the form expected by the recipient—those who subscribe to an editorial newsletter, for example, are annoyed by clumsy promotional emails.

• Test, test, test

Simple testing (A/B or multivariate tests) is possible with all common solutions. In this way, all components of an email can be constantly evaluated and optimized. 

• Acquire subscribers

Last but not least, place and advertise the newsletter sign-up in a well thought-out manner—because a newsletter without subscribers is of no use, no matter how good it is. Is the registration field prominently placed on your website? Do you use other online and offline channels to acquire subscribers?

• Using addresses beyond email marketing

After an email is opened, the focus is often on bringing the reader to a platform, such as an online shop. Thinking further, the email addresses of the subscribers can also be used beyond the limits of their actions. With the appropriate consent of the recipients, the addresses can be used on various other platforms, for example in the form of social media or display advertising, as extremely efficient targeting options.

Conclusion: Email will remain important for marketing in the future.

Fifty years after its invention, life without emails is almost unthinkable. This is all the more reason for marketing experts who want to reach their target group successfully to use qualitative and valuable emails. In doing so, it is crucial to regularly re-evaluate the channel, as the possibilities in email marketing are constantly being further developed. One of the most exciting innovations will be the broader introduction of AMP for emails, which Google has been promoting for some time now. This should enable interactive content and, thus, an even better user experience directly in the inbox.

You want to optimize your newsletter and use its full potential? We support you in strategy, content-writing, design and integration into your marketing-mix.