Email Direct Marketing (eDM) is a highly effective tool for businesses to reach out to their customers directly. Unlike social media or other advertising channels, eDM allows businesses to create a targeted message to a specific audience, encouraging engagement and driving conversions. But you probably knew that already. What you’re wondering is are eDMs worth the effort or are they just annoying people?
There are 4 billion daily email users. Email marketing revenue is estimated to reach almost 11 billion by the end of this year, now that’s a market worth entering. Still not convinced? The average return on investment (ROI) for eDMs is $36 for every $1 spent! Not only is email marketing generating billions of dollars for businesses who are utilising it, it’s also an extremely cost-effective marketing tool.
I have social media, why do I need eDMs too?
Social media is like a crowded bar, and your message is just one of many trying to be heard. The beauty of eDMs is they are a direct line of communication to your audience, and the icing on the cake? Everyone on your email list has opted-in to hear from you. Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping each post reaches your ideal audience on social media, you can send highly targeted eDM to people you know want to hear from you. An eDM gives you full control over who receives your message, no luck need. This doesn’t mean that eDM should replace social media. Instead, it should be seen as a channel to chat to your most loyal customers. Think of social media being at the top of your funnel, whereas eDMs sit further down as the next step in getting your customers to make a purchase. This is traditionally done by advertising new promotions, offering discounts, or further educating customers.
But what’s so special about eDMs?
eDMs allow you to segment your audience and send personalised messages based on their interests and behaviours. It’s like having a magic wand that makes your customers feel like you’re speaking directly to them. In an over-saturated market, the power to make your customers feel special should not be underestimated. Recently, brands have begun giving their email list the opportunity to opt-out of content related to Mother’s Day for those who don’t want to be reminded of the upcoming holiday. It’s this autonomy and control of your eDMs that sets them apart from other marketing tools. Plus, the ability to segment your audience means it’s the perfect place to get to know them better. If you’re in need of more data (which almost everyone always is), A/B testing via eDM is a great way to go about it. Examples of this include trialing different subject lines to compare open rates, or mixing up your CTA (call to action) buttons to compare CTR (click through rate).
Am I annoying my customers by sending out eDMs?
The key to eDMs is keeping your company name front of mind without annoying your customers. We’ve all been frustrated by a constant influx of emails from certain companies, so bear this in mind when setting up eDMs for the first time. Finding the sweet spot between too many emails and too few is key to a successful email marketing strategy. A good place to start is one eDM per month, add an interesting subject line to make things a little unexpected and you’re good to go!
If you’re looking for assistance with your eDMs, reach out to us and we’ll take care of the rest!