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Email Marketing: Still Relevant

 In Email Marketing, Email Marketing News

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In an online world full of blogs, twitter updates, social networking and google ads, e-mail can begin to seem like the older, obsolete technology when it comes to online communication.

That’s because as social networking and ‘web2.0’ technologies have started to take over, everyone’s looking to jump on marketing technologies that they think will reach more people with less money and effort.

But ‘new’ and ‘exciting’  doesn’t always offer the best results.

Consider the original argument for email marketing: it’s a relatively inexpensive way of reaching a target audience in real time. It saves paper, cost and time. And while there’s no reason to devalue other forms of online marketing, the original premise still holds true. There many reasons why e-mail marketing is still at the forefront of online communication.

Target your audience:

While facebook, myspace, instant messaging and twitter have become the common language used by so many internet users and run in the millions (http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/01/11/a-collection-of-soical-network-stats-for-2009/), they still only make up a small percentage of internet users. Therefore depending on your product, message and strategy, the newer online communications technologies may not reach your intended audience.

Subscribers and opt-in lists mean loyal readers:

if you run a business with a more personal edge, most likely your subscriber lists will include clients and those who have used your services before. Many other forms of online marketing operate more like traditional advertising – putting the message out there, and hoping it gets picked up. With e-mails, you’re communicating with people you know have used your service. High open and conversion rates will follow

Even if you’re using a hired list:

According to a 2007 survey by Jupiter Research (via www.emailstatcenter.com), 87% of Consumers online time is spent reading email. Not blogs. Not facebook. E-mail. E-mail is the only way to get to your audience  right where you want them. Coupled with great subject line principles, excellent content and delivery at the right time (all things we’ll discuss in future blog posts), you’re more likely to get a captive audience for what you’re trying to say.

Personal is best:

There’s something lovely about a well-layed-out, colorful and captivating email. With or without personalization, your customers will appreciate something that looks good and speaks directly to them in their inbox.

While the newer online technologies are still important and can be used effectively to market your business, e-mail marketing is not going away, and is still at the forefront of all the various methods of online marketing.  Especially when done properly – with the right tools (link to openmoves website), knowledge and execution, they can really add a boom to your business’ marketing.

Look out for future entries to this blog giving you all the know-how you need to make your e-mail communication as successful as possible.

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