Definition:
Email marketing is a type of direct digital marketing that uses email as the delivery method of advertising communication. Email marketing is used in different ways by organizations and marketing agencies to build brand image and customer loyalty, customer acquisition or conversion, company ads or to communicate promotional offers, among many other options.
Email marketing in detail
Email marketing is the direct marketing of a commercial message to a group of people through email. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing.
It usually involves the use of email to send ads, propose business, or solicit sales or donations, and is intended to foster loyalty, trust, or brand awareness. Email marketing can be done to predefined lists that are sold or a database of current customers.
In a broad sense, the term is generally used to refer to sending emails in order to improve a merchant’s relationship with their current or former customers, to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business with them, to acquire new customers or convince current customers to buy something immediately, and also for the addition of the announcements to the messages sent by other companies to their customers by email.
In 2014 it was estimated that 122 billion emails are sent every hour. When considering the use of an email marketing program, the company must ensure that its program does not violate spam laws.
Advantages of email marketing
Email marketing is very popular among businesses for several reasons:
- The exact return on investment can be tracked and has been shown to be high when done correctly. Email marketing often ranks second as the most effective online marketing tactic.
- Email marketing is significantly cheaper and faster than traditional mail, mainly due to the high costs and time required in a traditional email campaign.
- Advertisers can reach a considerable number of email subscribers who have consented to receive email communications on topics of interest to them.
- Nearly half of users check or send email on a typical day.
- Compared to standard email, direct email marketing produces a higher response rate and increases the average value of orders in e-commerce companies.