Email marketing is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of Internet advertising. This is because there are many distinct advantages to the concept of email marketing. However, email marketing does have some disadvantages as well. In this article, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing and provide insight into how to plan and execute an effective email marketing campaign.
The Advantages of Email Marketing
Email marketing certainly has unique advantages over other types of online and offline marketing. One of the most significant advantages of email marketing is the ability to reach a worldwide audience with minimal effort. It is certainly possible to reach a worldwide audience with other types of advertising. Still, traditional types of advertising, such as television, radio, and print media, are not nearly as effective for reaching potential customers worldwide all at once.
Another significant advantage to email marketing is it is highly affordable. This is significant because there are many other types of marketing, including Internet marketing, which are significantly more expensive than email marketing. The costs associated with email marketing are minimal. Ideally, you will already have a list of email recipients interested in your products and services, so there is no cost associated with obtaining a list of email addresses. Additionally, the cost to send out emails is minimal and can be considered part of your regular operating costs. All of these factors already make email marketing significantly cost-effective.
Email Marketing Costs
However, there is some cost involved in email marketing. It primarily comes with the costs of writing and creating any graphics accompanying the email advertisements. This will require hiring a writer to write the copy and a designer to create and implements the graphics. The cost of these services will vary widely. As expected, you will pay more for writers and designers with more experience. This is because these writers and designers are expected to be able to produce a higher quality of work than those with less experience.
Disadvantages of Email Marketing
The most obvious disadvantage to email marketing is it can be viewed as spam. This is a significant problem because it could prove to be quite costly in terms of the profit margin for your business. Each day Internet users are bombarded with unsolicited emails serving as advertisements. This problem has reached epic proportions. The abundance of spam infiltrating email boxes has caused many recipients to be cautious and suspicious about unsolicited emails.
Emails that contain subject lines or content that appear similar to spam may be automatically transferred to a spam folder by the email system. Emails that are not automatically deleted may be deleted without being opened simply because the recipient does not recognize the email’s sender.
Both of these problems can result in wasted time for the business owner because the recipients are not even viewing the emails advertising the products and services offered by the business. Additionally, they may result in complaints being lodged against the company for being a purveyor of spam.
Maximizing Your Email Marketing
Now that you understand the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing, you might wonder how you can maximize the advantages. The most important factor to consider is your email distribution list. This should consist of former customers who have expressed a desire to receive emails with information and advertisements and potential customers who have also expressed interest in more details.
The content of the emails should also be carefully considered. They should certainly highlight the products and services you offer but should do so without appearing to be a hard sales pitch. A writer with experience in writing this type of copy should be able to help you provide insightful and accurate copy that allows the reader to discover more about your products and services.
Finally, your emails should provide the readers with a call to action (CTA). This should be a statement urging the reader to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, booking a meeting or demo, or requesting more information.