Email Marketing- what is it?   It is the process of using emails to advertise a product or service to potential or current clients. Every business should have a form of email marketing in their marketing toolbox. Email became the defacto standard for business communications in the early 1990s.  The benefits of using the medium for marketing purposes quickly became apparent.  An instantaneous, free method of reaching potential clients.  What could be better? Newsletters, sales announcement, informational emails are all different types of content that can and should be used in an email marketing campaign.

Bulk email services such as MailChimp or Constant Contact are online solutions to manage subscribers, send emails, and track results. We’ll go into more detail on the differences between the various email marketing companies in our next blog but beware it is rife with pitfalls for someone who doesn’t understand the rules of the game. 

Email Marketing Pros and Cons:

Pros:

  • Free – There is no cost to send an email.
  • Easy to Track – You have a very high level of tracking ability from deliverability rate, to open and click through rate.
  • Brand Awareness – Sending regular emails helps keep you in front of current and potential customers. Even if they do not open the email, it helps you to stay top of mind when they’re ready to make a buying decision.
  • Fast to create – Campaigns can be developed and dispatched within a matter of minutes. This means you can quickly get an offer on the table or respond to a competitor’s marketing tactics.

 

Cons:

  • SPAM – Because it is fast, easy and free, everybody uses it and we are inundated with useless emails daily which means you are lost in the noise and sometimes even seen as an annoyance.
  • Blacklisting – As tempting as it may be to snatch a list from somewhere.  Don’t.  There are very strict laws governing the commercial use of email as a marketing tool.  You are not allowed to buy an email list.  If that person did not opt into your list you have no right to contact them and you risk having your domain blacklisted which basically means every email you send from that domain will go straight to the spam folder or worse. The CAN-SPAM Act sets forth strict guidelines that companies must follow.
  • Deliverability – Deliverability is an issue.  You must be careful to not use words or phrases or images that will trigger a spam alert and dump your email into never-never land.
  • Time – List curation takes time.  There is no quick fix to list building.  It is a process that cannot be done overnight.

 

Because of its overuse, you must be very careful with how you use this form of marketing but it is an invaluable tool in providing information about your company and its services to those who would be most interested in them. Every company should incorporate email into their marketing toolbox. Combined with a traditional form of marketing like direct mail you increase your chances of success. Talk with your marketing professional to determine how to best achieve your goals.

We Can Help

3D Studios helps businesses grow their influence and their brands. As a boutique brand management agency, we begin with a thorough analysis of your needs and partner with you to develop and execute a marketing plan that will help you take your business to the next level. To learn more about how 3D Studios can help you, visit us at www.3Dstudios.net or call 914-304-4229.