Email marketing has been a strong digital marketing tactic for several decades – since 1978, according to Forbes. With the development of so many other forms of digital marketing, some might argue that email marketing is no longer an effective strategy for growing a business. That’s unequivocally false. Even today, email marketing is one of the most successful marketing strategies out there. It’s cost-effective, improves your revenue and increases your reach and communication. This article delves into the value of email campaigns, debunks five common email marketing myths and shares some tips for creating an effective strategy.
5 Email Marketing Myths
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Email marketing is expensive and time-consuming.
When strategizing your digital marketing efforts, every dollar counts and should make an impact whether your business is small or large. With a tool like email marketing, you can hope to achieve brand recognition, increased website traffic, a surge in sales and much more. There are also many free or inexpensive tools to lessen the time you devote to your efforts. According to VideoForm, email marketing automation is “usually not expensive and time consuming because it is often based on analytics that tells you what email has the highest open rate, bounce back rate and subscriber engagement.” This allows your business to save on funds that might otherwise have gone to an entire team that handles your email marketing efforts. Additionally, automated emails eliminate a need for manual input, saving time and resources that can then be used elsewhere.
Campaign Monitor shares insight on initial costs you’ll need to consider when developing an email campaign strategy so you can prioritize your return on investment:
Email marketing is as inexpensive as you need it to be. As your business grows, your email needs will too.
Most email platforms will let you upgrade and expand your plan as needed. On average, a mid-sized business can expect to spend between $0-$1000, depending on the chosen platform and number of subscribers. Reports show that 82% of marketers spend anywhere between 0-20% of their total marketing budget on email marketing.
Marketing Platform drives the point of the value of email marketing home in a recent article:
It has a higher Return on Investment (ROI) and is ranked the highest amongst all other marketing channels. The return on investment is about $40 for each $1 spent, which is a huge return. And almost everyone uses email. With approximately 4 billion email users in the world today, no matter who your targeted audience is, chances are they have an email address. So, profits are there to be made by targeting the right audience.
For more information, Influencer Marketing Hub recently shared a list of 41 free email marketing tools for 2022 and educates readers on how those tools can help elevate email marketing campaigns.
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Subject lines should be short.
A subject line has major importance in your email campaign. It communicates the topic and should grab the attention of the reader. A common misconception about subject lines is that they need to be short so they don’t get cut off and therefore not receive a click-through. A recent article by Mailmunch states, “Studies have shown that the average length of a subject line should be between 9 and 60 characters long.” Instapage shared a study of over 9 million emails which found the most common length of subject lines was between 41 and 50 characters. However, they also found that “longer subject lines with 61 to 70 characters proved to have the highest average read rate.” This dispels the myth that high open rates are only associated with shorter subject lines. The article by Instapage also notes that emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
Entrepreneur shares reasons why a shorter subject line may not be the best course of action for your email marketing campaign. Their article suggests placing importance on conveying your message rather than making it appear short because “short sentences might lead to misunderstandings and that might disappoint your readers when they don’t get what they were promised.” They go on to share that:
Buyers usually prefer communicating with their favorite brands and they look forward to your emails. So be sure to convey what you have in store for them in the subject lines with as many characters as possible. Chances are they like the detailed subject line and enjoy what you are sending them. Be relaxed and play around with your subject lines.
Although subject line length is important and should always be considered, it’s important to note that overall, open rates vary widely “depending on the industry and sender.” So, you should reasonably convey your message while also trying to grab the attention of your audience with something catchy and interesting – or better yet – personalized!
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Email marketing is no longer effective.
As mentioned earlier, email marketing has an incredible return on investment – approximately $40 for each $1 spent, but that isn’t all that the tool has to offer. Email marketing builds your business’s credibility, increases brand recognition and builds strong customer relationships and excitement around your brand.
The content you put into your campaigns has the potential to communicate your brand and keep your audience engaged. We won’t dive into the importance of communicating your brand with your audience and building authentic relationships with them, but you can read more about it in this Three Girls’ blog article. ROI and increasing your sales is important, but showing your audience what your company stands for and building authentic relationships with them is what keeps your business relevant. Email marketing is a way to accomplish many things that benefit your business all at once.
No matter what way you look at it, email marketing is still an effective and useful tool for growing your business.
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There is only one effective day to send emails.
Another common email marketing myth is that there are limited windows of time to send out emails so they are
the most effective. Data shows that is not entirely true. Realistically, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the best posting times to maximize your success. According to Enginemailer, “Research done by Mailchimp and Customer.io indicated that the highest open rates are received if the email is sent on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.” Other studies have found Saturday and Tuesday have the highest open rates.
Given the varying reports of successful days to send out your email campaigns, it all seems to come down to “your marketing plan and the products or services you have to offer.”
As for the best times to send your email campaigns, Email On Acid shares data from Mailchimp revealing that the “hours between 2-5 p.m. are the most active hours of email opens by time of day.” The article also shares that, “the best time to send an email does not remain static. There are many contradictory findings of when is best to send. For example, Experian researchers found that sending emails between 4 and 8 a.m. has the highest response rates in all areas, but Mailchimp found the best email open rate to be 10 a.m. local time for recipients.”
These statistics are dynamic due to every audience being different! Your best bet as a marketer is to do your research on these numbers and let that foundation guide you as you experiment with varying send times.
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Adding videos boosts engagement.
In the digital space, it’s no secret that video content has been on the rise and the top social media platforms are changing the algorithms to favor videos. This obvious pivot in desired content should not inform your email marketing strategy! One of HubSpot’s email deliverability specialists commented on the matter, sharing that “including an actual video file in an email can be really bad for deliverability.” The article goes on to share:
This is because if large files, like video, are included in your email, it may impact the formatting — and, therefore, deliverability. Recall that deliverability focuses on the content of emails as much as its legality, so it’s important to make sure your emails look clean and professional.
This isn’t to say that you should never add videos to your email campaigns. There are ways to provide access to video content without risking negative impacts on the formatting of the email and its deliverability. Read more about that here.
Tips For Boosting Your Email Marketing Strategy
Once you’ve dispelled these common email marketing myths, you’ll be better prepared to either create or adjust your strategy for optimal success. Below are some tips you can use to inform your future email campaigns.
Make Sure Your Audience Comes First
Many newsletters or email campaigns can come off as self-serving or “salesy” and consumers are already bombarded with advertising messages on a daily basis. In an article by Three Girls’ CEO, Erika Taylor Montgomery, she shares the importance of forging an authentic connection with your audience:
The best way to build a solid audience is by offering value first and foremost. The majority of your messages should be purely informational in nature and involve no selling whatsoever. The first message should ideally be a free resource, such as a guide, course or any other resource of value. A discount will also be welcomed and will help establish trust. Your subscribers will then value your list and look for other discounts later on. You’ll be able to use your list to promote your brand or advertise product launches once you’ve provided enough value.
Include A Call To Action
A call to action will tie in all the work you’ve put into your email campaign and remind your audience of the
intention of the email. Including a call to action has the potential to increase your engagement and your subscribers and initiate any other requests you have. According to Business News, “Developing a call to action can be as simple as including a direct request. “You can’t expect your audience to guess what you want them to do next,” said Kendra Jones, a PR and marketing strategist specializing in influencer marketing. “Placing concise calls to action, such as ‘Click here to download your free guide,’ that are hyperlinked to the opt-in increased my click-through rate by 18%.”
With the advancement of technology and digital marketing, it’s easy to brush off email marketing as an outdated tool for advancing your business. That’s why it’s important to understand the myths around email marketing campaigns and how to use this form of marketing to your advantage.
Do You Need Help With Your Email Marketing Strategy?
Now you’re ready to get started with or revisit your email marketing campaign! Want to learn more about sending effective e-newsletters for your business? Contact us for a complimentary 30-minute consultation with our CEO, Erika Taylor Montgomery. Our team is ready to help your business grow!