Email Isn't Dead
If you pay any attention to the marketing world, you've probably noticed articles claiming that this channel or that channel is "dead."
One article will scream, "Facebook is dead." No, SEO is dead, and you shouldn't be wasting your time."
Pretty much every channel has "died" at least once.
But none have been killed off more than Email.
Far from being the deadest platform of all time, Email is thriving and important for your marketing strategy.
According to Forbes, there are 4.48 billion email users worldwide, and 88% of those inboxes are checked daily.
Forbes also estimates that 361.6 Billion emails are sent Every Day.
I think it's safe to say that Email isn't going anywhere, though.
The way businesses use email marketing will (hopefully) change, though.
I say hopefully because Email is a marketing channel that has been heavily spammed throughout the decades. In 2023, Statista estimated that 45.6% of all emails were classified as spam or junk. That's a whole lot of junk being thrown around on the internet.
So, how do email marketing tactics need to change?
First and foremost, any business utilizing email marketing tactics needs to ditch the "spray and pray" approach to email marketing. If your idea of good email marketing is to blast your message to as many people as you can stuff into your list, there's a good chance you'll see the effectiveness of your efforts decrease.
In 2024, Google and Yahoo announced they were beefing up their email authentication requirements. This was a signal to the industry that they are trying to cut down on spam to help ensure a better experience for their email users.
This is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Businesses that implement better tactics will see better results:
Better Tactic #1:
Only send emails to people who want to hear from you. This one should be pretty obvious. You need to allow people to opt-in to receive emails from you. If you're blasting out mass messages to a list you purchased or got from a tradeshow, stop.
There are ways you can effectively reach out to those folks, but mass emailing isn't it.
Better Tactic #2:
Segment your list. People are increasingly attracted to personalized experiences. In a world where email users are getting spammed left and right, personalized emails that they actually want to read and that are relevant to them are a breath of fresh air.
Better Tactic #3:
View Email as part of a holistic marketing strategy. Email is effective because it allows you to build a 1 to 1 relationship with your audience. But if you're using Email independently from your other marketing channels, you're missing an opportunity. Focus on creating a seamless experience across your entire marketing strategy, and your email efforts will be supercharged.
Conclusion
If you're going to take anything away from this article, let it be this: quit blasting out the same generic spam to your email list. And for the love of all that is good, please don't buy a list or get a tradeshow list and blast generic messages out. If you take the time to really focus on providing value to your audience via Email, it will become a powerful channel that will help your business grow.
For more information about email marketing, or for information about your marketing strategy, email us at justin@jsxmarketing.com.
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