Are your advertisers asking, “What is email marketing?” Most everyone knows what email is and values it as a communication channel. It’s also a channel that can drive significant ROI for your advertisers.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- What email marketing is
- How to explain it to advertisers
- Stats that prove its ROI
- Ideas for campaigns to pitch to clients
What Is Email Marketing?
Email marketing describes campaigns sent to customers through email that promote a product, event, service or business. It’s an email with a CTA (call to action) prompting receivers to click and convert.
In talking with your advertisers about email marketing, you might learn that they tried it but didn’t stick with it because it was too much work. However, they realize it’s a great way to engage with customers. After all, customers had to opt in to receive an email. Those recipients have some level of brand awareness and knowledge, making them an ideal target to message directly.
There are different types of emails used in marketing. Here are some categories:
- Standalone emails: These focus on one product, deal or topic and aren’t associated with any other emails.
- Drip email campaigns: This is a series of emails to a target audience that includes content for the entire funnel. It usually starts with awareness content that’s educational and eventually becomes brand or product specific.
- Autoresponder emails: These are automated welcome emails that someone might receive after signing up for a newsletter.
- Newsletters: These emails are often sent monthly, and they include news, deals and other timely information.
- Transactional emails: These emails occur after an action like making a purchase, setting an appointment or downloading content. They usually thank the user and provide a summary with links.
- Re-engagement emails: Customers who haven’t interacted for a period of time would receive these. They can include specials to prompt a new purchase.
How to Explain Email Marketing and Its Value
Email marketing can deliver significant ROI, returning $42 for every $1 spent. What email has going for it first is that it’s warm outreach because customers agreed to receive communications. They asked to hear from you, so don’t leave them hanging!
The next point to make with advertisers is that email helps them personalize offers and promotions. Your advertisers can segment email lists by location, demographics, product interests and more.
The third reason for talking up email marketing is that it complements digital and linear advertising. If your customers want to launch a campaign to promote a new service, they can hit large viewership with linear, target with digital and personalize with email. By using all these channels together, they are likely to see better results.
Fourth is the ability to deliver relevant content. Ads don’t always give you the time to state a value prop. Email can, in a way that isn’t too wordy, immediately convey the offer and why recipients need to act now. You can build urgency, excitement and more with the right words.
Even with all this context, advertisers may still be hesitant. Here’s how to find out why they feel that way and what you can do to ease their doubts.
Overcoming Advertiser Objections to Email Marketing
If advertisers respond that email marketing “never worked before,” ask why.
- Were they segmenting? If so, how?
- Were the offer and its value clear?
- Did the subject line elicit curiosity?
- Did they track email performance (open rates, click-through rates)?
- What were they promoting? Did the product or service make sense for those receiving the email?
Getting this additional backstory can help you evaluate why it wasn’t a productive tactic before and what to tweak in the future.
More Stats for Email Naysayers
If your customers still need more proof that email marketing is a revenue generator, share these facts.
- 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers. If your customer isn’t using it, their competitors are another reason for them to adopt it.
- Email personalization can boost open rates by 50%. Therefore, it should be part of your strategy. Personalization is also the leading characteristic to improve outcomes, followed by data quality, email design and messaging.
- Email crosses every demographic. In 2022, 4% of the U.S. population will use it at least once a month.
- Content influences buying decisions of email receivers. They most want deals and discounts, followed by product review requests, tips and tricks, and upcoming product news.
- Email is a fast medium. One email platform provider stated that users open them 21% of the time within the hour. Thus, they are great for time-limited deals.
Now that you have advertisers interested, you’ll want to pitch some email marketing ideas.
Email Marketing Ideas for Advertisers
Email marketing can be an excellent channel for a variety of campaigns. Here are some ideas for your customers.
- Brand loyalty programs: Creating or enhancing these programs can be a fast way for advertisers to collect more email addresses. From there, they can send exclusive email deals to loyalty members.
- New product or service launches: Make sure current customers know what’s new with the companies they frequent. It’s a critical communication channel to share the news and prompt customers to visit online or in-store.
- Invitations for events: Email is ideal for invitations to events, whether in-person or digital. They could be events your customer is hosting or events they are sponsoring.
- Time-limited deals: If advertisers need to clear out inventory fast or have a flash sale, let customers know via email, so they can get these coveted deals.
- “Miss you” emails to re-engage dormant customers: A hello in the inbox is a good way to reconnect with customers. These emails can include a special promotion if the customer returns for a new purchase.
- Company news: While these emails are not promotional, your advertisers can regularly send company news emails to announce plans, welcome new employees, showcase products or locations and highlight anything else worth talking about.
What Is Email Marketing? You Now Have the Perfect Answer
As advertisers consider diversifying their marketing, email should be in the conversation. It drives ROI, connects on a one-to-one level and is versatile. When you share this information and ideas for executing it, your advertisers will be ready to try email marketing with you!
Find more ideas and proof for your advertisers by downloading our email marketing case studies.
