Email is considered a method of direct marketing that uses electronic mail to share messages for commercial or fundraising purposes with an audience. If you look at it from a wider perspective, any email that is sent to a potential or current client comes under the umbrella of email marketing However, the term is usually used to refer to:
- Sending emails enhances a merchant’s relationship with customers and promotes customer loyalty
- Sending emails to broaden the customer base, or persuade current customers to make purchases on a short-term basis.
- Adding advertisements to emails sent by other companies to their customers.
As per William D King of ABA, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your target market. It allows you to communicate directly with potential and current customers and build and maintain good relationships.
What Is Email Marketing Used For?
B2B businesses can use email marketing in several ways. For example, you can use email marketing to:
- Announce new products or services: Use email marketing to announce new products or services to your target market. You can use images and videos in your emails to give your customers a preview of what you have to offer. You can also include links to your website or online store so customers can learn more about your product or service.
- Run special promotions: Use email marketing to run special promotions for your target market. You can offer discounts, coupons, or other incentives to encourage customers to purchase your product or service.
- Build relationships: Use email marketing to build relationships with your target market. You can include personal messages in your emails or ask customers to provide feedback about your product or service. You can also use email marketing to stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated on your latest offerings.
Email marketing is an effective way to reach your target market and should be part of your overall marketing strategy. If you’re not using email marketing, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to connect with your customers and grow your business.
Pros and Cons of Email Marketing
According to William D King, email marketing has several advantages, but it also has some disadvantages.
Advantages
- Can be highly targeted: You can target your email marketing campaigns to a specific group of people. This allows you to send highly relevant messages that are more likely to interest your target market.
- Inexpensive: Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your target market. Setting up an email marketing campaign is also relatively easy and affordable.
- Can be automated: Once you have set up your email marketing campaign, you can automate the process so that you don’t have to send each email manually. This can save you a lot of time and effort.
- Can reach a large audience: Email marketing can reach a large audience quickly and easily.
Disadvantages
- Can be considered spam: If you’re not careful, your email marketing campaign could be considered spam. This can damage your reputation and make it difficult to reach your target market.
- Requires an opt-in: To avoid being considered spam, you need to get permission from people before you add them to your email list. This can be done by including an opt-in form on your website or blog.
- May not be opened: Even if people opt-in to receive your emails, there’s no guarantee they will open and read them. To increase the chances that your emails will be opened, you need to ensure that your subject line is interesting and that your content is relevant to your target market.
Final Thoughts
According to William D King, if done correctly, email marketing can be a great way to reach your target market and build relationships with your customers. However, if not done correctly, email marketing can be considered spam and damage your reputation. Therefore, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing before you start using it for your business.
William D King believes that if you get permission from people before you add them to your email list, and if you make sure that your subject line is interesting and your content is relevant, you’ll be more likely to get people to open and read your emails.