Many people claim that email is dying and social media platforms are the future. But is it true for business marketing? Amid worries about de-platforming by big tech companies, email marketing is more important for businesses. Bold TV’s Philip Michael spoke with Adrian Savage, an email marketing expert from across the pond, to discuss how email marketing is actually a powerful tool to reach a wide audience.
Why email?
Savage says that email gives you more control over your audience engagement because you don’t have to rely on a third-party social media platform. With email, you dictate who you speak to and how often you speak to them. This strategy also gives you better information about recipient engagement, allowing you to form better marketing strategies.
With the right strategy, 40% or more of your email recipients should open and engage with your emails. “If you know what you’re doing—and don’t do crazy things—you can still build up a really big audience, and you can engage with them really well,” Savage said.
How to build engagement with email
With the way email companies generate revenue, you should send out emails that people will open. If people aren’t opening your emails, there’s the possibility your emails will end up marked as spam. After six months, if your emails aren’t being opened, you probably have lost that recipient’s interest.
So, it’s important to continue to follow up and engage with people who recently signed up for your email list. Savage recommends sending a ‘Hey, are you still there?’ email if they haven’t opened your emails for 30 days. At 60 days, send an unsubscribe notice so that you only have active recipients on your email list.
Take a pragmatic approach: combine email marketing with social media and other marketing strategies. And always keep in touch with your audience.
If you want to learn more about Adrian Savage and email marketing, you can find him on Facebook and LinkedIn, or visit his website for a checklist for email marketing success!