Since the advent of the internet, and subsequently electronic mail, marketing has been able to reach new heights in the fields of advertising as well as audience data collecting. While once restricted to physical media where the consumer actually has to make an effort to procure and view, marketing has been revitalised by the digital age, opening up new methods of campaigning and profitability for corporations or virtually any party wishing to use marketing to grow their business.
In its early days, access to the internet was a special privilege reserved only for those with the technological know-how. While it was used for communicative purposes then, its options were just as limited as they were time consuming (although still far less so than the regular snail mail), and served few purposes. The first email services usually required both parties to be online at the same time, and were not nearly as secure as messaging systems are now.
Nowadays, just about anybody who has regular access to the internet, which is just about everybody, also has access to a plethora of high speed communicative tools. One of the most popular of these tools, even in the age of emerging social media, is the electronic mail. Email systems of today use a storable server model, allowing users to have quick access to their archive of messages as well as forward any message they choose to another recipient.
Over half of internet users send email or view their own inbox at least once every day
Email is a very regular, very accessible commodity in the online world, and as such provides an opportunity for consumers to receive marketing in a new and unique way. Marketers can count on their messages being seen with email, unlike the physical advertisements of old. In addition, marketers can gauge popularity with an audience using subscription features which give marketers an idea of how many people are interested in what they have to say. This also brings a new sense of satisfaction to the consumer as they can pick and choose what marketing media they wish to see in their inbox.
Email marketing is unique in that it provides a method of enriching the customer-merchant relationship, encourage loyalty with repeat business, and gain new customers through word of mouth. Once customers have been gained, they can easily receive the latest updates on new products and opportunities. Companies may use this to unveil new promotions while also provide targeted or personalised messages for specific campaigns. Information can also be easily conveyed between the merchant and the customer regarding the status of their current purchases and transactions.
Email is immedaite, and inexpensive
Like most aspects of the digital world, email communication is immediate, giving customers a sense of ease in their media consumption and the ability for businesses to run their campaigns smoothly. Businesses can track the individual returns on each investment made on a campaign just as smoothly, and studies have shown that these returns can grow to be quite high when email marketing strategies are executed with efficiency. Email marketing also remains one of the cheapest methods of marketing, especially in terms of its speed and effectiveness, when compared to the increasingly high time commitment and cost required for traditional, physical mail marketing campaigns to be successful, such as artwork production, rights securing, printing, addressing, and of course mailing.
Gain a sense of trust by providing subscription options to your customers
Advertisers can reach very high numbers of subscribers in email campaigns when consumers have been given the option to opt-in, and the consumers gain a sense of trust with the company because they have been allowed to choose to receive communication only related to subjects of interest to them, rather than being forced to receive constant advertisement for products that may not hold their interest at all. When taking this into consideration along with the fact that nearly half of internet users in America send email or view their own inbox at least once every day, it is no surprise that email marketing is held in such high regard. Studies have shown that email sent between 1 AM and 5 AM consumer local time will outperform those sent at other times, giving marketers the advantage of not having to rely on catching the consumer at the right time as they will naturally come to the email communication on their own accord.
Email communication is a global experience, giving any and all marketers the upper hand regardless of where they are located or based. Provided they are capable of creating an interesting and appealing message and make a good first impression with the consumer, they are almost guaranteed to have an audience that will only build upon itself with successful campaigning. Email marketing is no longer the way of the future, but rather the way of the present, and not without good reason.
Fatpublisher provide email marketing services to our clients. If you are interested in finding out about our social media packages, please contact us.
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