Email marketing, if done correctly, can be very effective — unfortunately, in most cases it doesn't work.
Why email marketing?
In the era of new media and a multitude of platforms through which you can reach potential customers in a second, email is often pushed to the last place. Marketers forget that email gathers the largest group of people — while Facebook or Instagram are popular among the younger generation, everyone has email; old, young, anyone who wants to use the internet. Email has over 3.8 billion active users every day. Let's also not forget that having an email account is required when registering on every website, including social media platforms. What's more, a large percentage of users have more than one email address.
What is email marketing?
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a marketing strategy that involves sending emails to potential customers in order to gain loyal customers connected to the company. It is the first form of digital marketing and it is still very effective. What does effective mean? One that triggers a reaction in the recipient, builds a relationship with the company and, as a result, increases sales.
The average user checks email several times a day. Where do we check emails?
- 64% check their inbox while watching TV
- 54% while lying comfortably in bed
- 46% while on holiday
- 43% check their inbox in the bathroom
- 38% check their inbox while using their phone
- 32% while commuting to/from work/school
- 16% even check email while exercising
5 tips that will help you succeed
1. Create a targeted email address list
Think about who your target group is and acquire their email addresses. The easiest way to create such a list is to turn your company's website visitors into subscribers. This is easier because the recipient will already associate your company.
2. Define your goals
Think about what you want to achieve through this campaign and act in that direction. The goals can be: increasing customer engagement, welcoming new subscribers, or dividing existing subscribers into groups.
3. Know your audience
Gather information from Google Analytics or Facebook Insights — they have information about the demographics, gender, or interests of your audience.
4. Use technology wisely
The best marketing services have tools that can help you create an effective campaign. The best features are:
- integration of the software you use,
- a way to group recipients
- in-depth analyses of campaigns carried out
- easy campaign creation and automation
5. Create a good email subject line
A good email subject line is one of the most important things in a campaign; it decides whether it succeeds or not. It is the subject line that recipients see and use to decide whether to open the email. The most important information should be placed at the beginning, because that is probably the only part the user will see. Of course, how much they see depends on the screen on which the customer checks their inbox. Let's remember that most often it is a mobile phone, meaning the smallest of the available "screens".
A subject line should include: personalization (the recipient's name), a clear message about what the recipient will gain by opening the email, and no words typical of SPAM messages.
Concepts from the article
Email — electronic mail. A digital communication channel using messages sent to an email address. In marketing it includes newsletters, automation, segmentation, personalization, subject line testing, and analysis of deliverability and conversion.
Why it matters: The only channel that truly belongs to you: your address database won't disappear because of an algorithm change and won't get more expensive like advertising. It reaches straight to the inbox, with full measurability.
When it is used: In newsletters, sales automations, customer communications, and abandoned cart recovery.
What happens if you skip it: Without your own database, every contact with an audience requires paying platforms — and organic reach is falling year after year.
Summary
Email is still the most effective channel for reaching customers — it has over 3.8 billion active users daily. The key to success is a targeted address list, defining campaign goals and knowing your audience. It's worth remembering that as many as 64% of users check their inbox while watching TV, and 43% — in the bathroom.
The email subject line also matters, as it determines whether the message is opened. We most often read email on a phone, so the message must be short and clear. Email is the only channel that fully belongs to the company — the address database doesn't disappear after a platform algorithm change and doesn't require an advertising budget for every touchpoint.
