Why the World’s Top Marketers use Email Marketing… and Why You Should, Too

In 1978, the first mass email was sent by Gary Thuerk – the “Father of Spam” – to some 400 people. [1]

The company Thuerk was working for sold over $13 million worth of product as a result. And email marketing was born. Fast-forward to today, and email marketing is used by top marketers all over the world as an integral part of their marketing strategies…

and for good reason. Here are

7 reasons why email belongs in your marketing arsenal:

1. It’s direct – each email goes straight to the recipient’s personal inbox.
2. It’s specific – each email can be tailored to the recipient for an extra special, individualized touch. Just calling someone out by name automatically creates a more intimate feel.
3. It’s cheap – like, dirt-cheap. You can run your own successful email marketing campaign for almost nothing. Compare that to Facebook Ads!
4. It’s instantly sharable – just hit that little forward button. It couldn’t be easier.
5. It’s a huge timesaver – if you automate your email campaigns, you’ll save a lot of time that could be better spent elsewhere.
6. It’s relevant – almost everyone, young and old, uses email. According to Adestra, 78% of teenagers, and more than 85% of U.S. adults check email. [2]

   2

   “2017 Consumer Digital Usage & Behavior Study.” Adestra (accessed 12 September 2018).
7. The big one – it can be more effective than social media – 6x more effective. 

Think of it this way: email is more targeted than Facebook Ads, more personal than Google Adwords, and cheaper than all of them. Let’s take a look at the facts:

On average, an office worker receives 121 emails per day.

The open rate for emails sent in North America is 34.1%.

So, on average only about 41 emails are opened per day.

On top of that, the average click through rate is as low as 3.1% — which suggests that, of all of those emails, there’s a very slim chance that your intended recipient would actually engage with yours.

Simple. It’s easy to get those numbers up. And, once you crack the magic code for email marketing, you’ll never look back. The good news is, it’s not too hard to get off to a successful start – if you know where to start. You can increase click rate by a whopping 29.6% just by personalizing the email subject! You’ve also optimized your email for mobile? Congratulations, you’ve just bought yourself another 13.7%.

So what, you might ask, makes a good email? We’ve studied several highly successful email marketing campaigns, and here’s what we’ve found:

• They’re well written: the well-written email not only conveys professionalism and credibility, but it also increases readership (and, not coincidentally, conversion).
• They compel readers to visit a brand’s website: email stimulates website navigation, and is a powerful tool for brand building and identity.
• They’re sent at the right time: the time of day (and the day itself) in which the email is sent has a significant impact on open rates. According to MailChimp, most email opens occur between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., while Tuesday is the best day for high open rates. When you use Constant Contact their software tells you when your audience opens email, which day and what time.
• They’re fully optimized for mobile: today, 55% of emails are read on mobile devices. By optimizing your email for mobile, you can better tap into that population segment.

So email marketing is good – that much is clear. But it’s also tough. Getting it right can take a long time, and that’s an investment you might not feel comfortable making if there are a million other things on your plate. Here’s the good news: services exist to help get you started on your email marketing journey.

Here’s some better news: they’re actually pretty affordable.

One of these services from Go West Design starts at just $18 per month, and includes a proven template, free setup, human support, and cost comparisons. And, if you need more advanced capabilities (e.g., to poll your email list, or to work out ticketing and event registration), they’ll take care of it all for $45 per month.

The takeaway: email marketing has come a long way since 1978, and – for better or worse – it’s proven to be an incredibly effective means to increase engagement, generate social support, build brand identity, and increase revenue along the way. And it’s here to stay.

1. Smith, Gina. “Unsung Innovators: Gary Thuerk, the Father of Spam.” Computerworld (accessed 9 September 2018).
2. “2017 Consumer Digital Usage & Behavior Study.” Adestra (accessed 12 September 2018).
3. DMR Email Marketing Report. 12 August 2018 (accessed 7 September 2018).
4. Ibid.
5. “Email Marketing Benchmarks.” MailChimp (accessed 11 September 2018).
6. “Mobile is Now the Preferred Platform for Reading Email with More than Half of All Email Opens.” Return Path. 18 July 2017 (accessed: 9 September 2018).