Email Marketing Should Be A Major Part of Your Strategy in 2024 - Here's Why

In digital marketing, the sheer number of different marketing channels to choose from can be overwhelming. Social media, content marketing, paid advertising – all vying for your attention.

While each has its merits, email stands out as a reliable, owned platform that puts you in control of the timing, reach, and messaging your audience sees. In 2024 and beyond, email marketing remains a cornerstone of effective digital strategies and in my view is only becoming more important.

Let's explore why email should be a top priority for your team and how you can integrate it into your marketing mix effectively.

The Trouble With Relying on Social Media

Normally when I discuss marketing with people their mind shifts to social media. It’s easy to see why – these platforms are undoubtedly powerful and ever present today even amongst non-marketers. Plus, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer vast audiences and engaging ways to connect with your customers.

However, there's a catch: you're building on rented land – and that’s a problem for a few different reasons including:

• Algorithm Changes: Social media platforms constantly tweak their algorithms, which can suddenly tank your organic reach. What worked yesterday might not work today and keeping up requires time and money.
• Platform Disruptions: Remember when Facebook had a major outage in 2021? Businesses relying heavily on the platform were left scrambling plus certain accounts and posts may not be allowed overnight (accounts surrounding health, political, etc.)
• Declining Organic Reach: It's harder than ever to get your content seen on social media without paying for ads, things have become pay to play.

Email Marketing Benefits

Email, on the other hand, is a platform you own. You control the list, the content, and the timing of your communications. No one can take that away from you.

Here are the main benefits to email marketing:

• Direct Line to Customers: Email lands directly in your audience's inbox, a more personal space than a social media feed.
• Higher Engagement: Studies consistently show that email has a higher click-through rate than social media.
• Better ROI: Email marketing consistently outperforms other channels in terms of return on investment.
• Segmentation & Personalization: Email allows you to segment your audience and deliver highly targeted messages, leading to better engagement and conversions.

How Email Marketing Fuels Your Inbound Strategy

However, email isn’t something to just be deployed alone but rather a powerful engine used in as part of a wholistic inbound and outbound marketing strategy. It plays a pivotal role in attracting, nurturing, and ultimately converting plus retaining loyal customers through:

• Lead Generation: Use lead magnets and content upgrades offered through email to capture contact information from potential customers.
• Lead Nurturing: Send targeted emails that educate, and guide leads through the buyer's journey, building trust and rapport along the way plus keep your brand top of mind.
• Customer Conversion: Deliver personalized offers and promotions to segmented email lists, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
• Customer Retention: Keep your customers engaged and informed with regular email newsletters, exclusive content, and loyalty rewards.

The Arguments Against Email Marketing - Plus Why They Don't Hold Up

Oftentimes, I hear the same arguments against email marketing from organizations that don't utilize it as a major part of their digital strategy. These include: 

• Email is Too Crowded: This one is a bit ironic considering these companies are generally the ones spending incredible amounts of time and money trying to stand out on in the crowded landscape of social media.
• Nobody Reads Marketing Emails: To me this is a content issue because the rise of newsletters such as Morning Brew and others, which are essentially dressed up marketing emails serves as proof that people do indeed read marketing emails - if they are good and provide value beyond just selling.
• We Don't Have the Resources: Email is arguably one of the cheapest and easiest channels to get started. With a little training, less than 1-2 hours/week, and up to $50/month investment anybody can get started.

The Cost of Email Marketing: Surprisingly Affordable

One of the most appealing aspects of email marketing is its affordability. Unlike other marketing channels that can require substantial investments, email marketing offers a cost-effective solution with the potential for high returns.

• Free Plans: Many ESPs (email service providers) offer free plans for smaller lists (e.g., under 500 subscribers).
• Paid Plans: Paid plans typically start at around $10 per month and scale up as your list grows.
• Additional Costs: Factor in potential expenses for design templates, custom landing pages, or paid advertising to promote your email list.

Fortunately, you can avoid most of the costs for designing templates and promotion with some basic design tutorials and cross-promotion partnerships. For example, in my experience whether it’s Klaviyo, HubSpot, Mailchimp there are more than enough free templates to get you started.

In total, for under 5000 contacts you’re probably looking at under $50/mo. and relatively low skill to maintain. Meanwhile, that same $50 won’t get you too far on any other platform.

Building Your Email List: Strategies That Work

Ok so you want to get started with email marketing.

Building a healthy email list is the foundation of any successful email marketing campaign. Basically, you need to attract and retain a list of engaged subscribers that could be interested in your product, brand, and content.

Here are a few easy ideas for how to get started building your email marketing lists:

• Website Opt-in Forms: Place forms strategically on your website (e.g., the sidebar, footer, or pop-up). Offer incentives like a discount code or exclusive content to entice sign-ups.
• Content Upgrades: Create valuable content (e.g., ebooks, guides, templates) and offer them in exchange for an email address.
• Social Media Promos: Run contests or giveaways on social media and require an email address to enter.
• Lead Magnets: Offer free tools, calculators, or quizzes that collect email addresses in return for access.
• Partnerships: Find a related but non-competing product and build a mutually beneficial partnership to build both of your email lists.

You may potentially consider purchasing an email list as well. Some people might disagree with this but if you get the right list and your content is good enough then it can be a quick way to jumpstart your email list.

People won’t unsubscribe or spam you because they don’t recognize the brand or remember subscribing – they do it because your content wasn’t engaging or relevant enough to them.

Additional Email Marketing Best Practices for 2024

To maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns, it's crucial to adhere to best practices that resonate with your audience and drive engagement.

• Compelling Subject Lines: Your subject line is the first impression; make it count. Use curiosity, urgency, or personalization to entice opens.
• Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure your emails look great on all devices. Prioritize clear, concise layouts and easy-to-click buttons.
• Consistent Sending Schedule: Don't overwhelm your subscribers but stay top-of-mind with regular communication. Find a cadence that works for your audience.
• Good Content: Don’t make your emails just about you and your brand, make it interesting. Much like social media, your goal should be to get their attention. Focus on how to engage, entertain, and inform subscribers – not just sell them.

Here are some additional tips to maximize your email marketing campaigns.

Email Should Be Your #1 Marketing Platform

While social media can be a valuable tool in your marketing arsenal, email offers a level of control and direct access to your audience that no other platform can match. By building and nurturing your email list, you're investing in a long-term asset that can drive significant results for your business.

In 2024, email remains a powerful and versatile marketing channel. By following the strategies and best practices outlined in this guide, you can unlock the full potential of email and achieve remarkable success in your marketing efforts.

If you have questions about how to get your email marketing started, reach out for a free 1-1 email marketing consultation today!