What is email marketing?
Definition of email marketing, its importance for your business, the types of email marketing and options for sending email marketing messages.
Email marketing is when an organisation uses email to promote their products or services. It is a form of direct marketing. It can be used to build customer relationships. It is one tool in the online marketing mix, alongside other channels such as social media and pay-per-click advertising.
Why use email marketing?
Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach your audience. It can have a high conversion rate, encouraging users to take action on your website, eg make an online purchase.
Email marketing allows you to connect with your audience directly. You don't need to rely on them coming across your ad. You have complete control over the format and content of your messages.
You can use success metrics to compare and optimise email marketing campaigns. It is easy to target and personalise email marketing messages.
It is best to send your promotional emails from a specialist email marketing service as they are designed to send emails in bulk. There are a number of email marketing platforms available including some free options.
Types of email marketing
Your business can send different kinds of email communications to promote products or services. This could include:
Welcome
Introduce your business to new customers or users who have registered on your website.
Newsletters
You could have a monthly or weekly email that round-ups the latest news from your business.
Seasonal
Suggest products, services and promotions relating to events such as Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
New product launches
Inform customers about new products and services.
Special offers
Make your audience about discounts and price promotions.
Abandoned cart
When a customer adds a product to their online shopping cart and does not complete the purchase, you can send them an email reminder. You could automate this through your e-commerce platform.
Re-engagement
A reminder to a customer who hasn't made a purchase in a while or has cancelled a subscription. You could use customer relationship management (CRM) software to send these automatically. This could include a special discount to entice the customer back.
Event invitations
Boost attendance at events with email marketing. You could link to an online registration page. See organising events in Northern Ireland.