15 Reasons that Email Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon

So we have all been talking a lot about social networks, and how they are fundamentally changing the way that we communicate. But while it is certainly true that these networks are becoming more and more vital to reaching your customers, clients and members, that doesn't mean that email marketing has lost its importance too.

In fact, the two communication strategies can co-exist nicely, and address different needs for reaching out to consumers. Here are the Top 15 Reasons Email Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon.

1. People still send hand-written letters via snail mail, even though they could instead make a phone call, send an email, text message, or status update.

2. Nearly all sites on the web that require registration still require an email address. Some are starting to integrate social media into this process (through things like Facebook Connect), but that is still a small fraction, and they typically still allow for email information as well.

3. Email notifies you of updates from all social networks you are a part of (provided your settings are set up that way).

4. Email is universal, and social networks are not, at least not yet. Nearly everybody on the web (while there are no doubt some exceptions) has an email address. Most places of employment give employees email addresses when they begin working there. Meanwhile, some of them are restricting workers from accessing social networks.

5. Email is still improving. It hasn't screeched to a halt with the rise of social media. There is still innovation going on, and integration with social media. Look at the new Yahoo Mail, and how Google is constantly adding new features to Gmail.

6. Even social networks themselves recognize the importance of email. Never mind that they update users about community-driven happenings via email. MySpace, still one of the biggest social networks, even launched its own email service recently.

7. More social media use means more email use. Look at these recent findings from Nielsen. The people consuming the largest amount of social media are also the people consuming the largest amount of email.

8. Twitter and Facebook are fantastic products and companies; but that's what they are, companies. Even though email is host to 279 million users vs. 301 million users of social media according to Nielsen, email isn't going anywhere so on with many companies offering it as a service. Twitter and Facebook are just two companies that likely make up most of the social media users.

9. Your email recipients are still going to use business email for business purposes. They'll not likely let their boss know that they've finished the spreadsheet and are ready for the meeting now by posting to Twitter. If they don't use their business email address they probably also have a personal email account that they like to receive your email-only specials.

10. You can't easily segment your friends and followers to do targeted marketing in Twitter & Facebook for the optimal response.

11. You can't tell who clicked on a link with some social media outlets so that you can follow up with them again because they might be interested in your content. That said, since you also can't tell who didn't click on the link so you can follow up with them with a different message trying to get them to take action.

12. You cannot size your graphics or use more than one in Facebook. You can't use them at all in Twitter. Graphics can help tell a story.

13. You can't track how many clicks you got on your links in Facebook unless you use a third party URL shortener.

14. You are limited to 140 characters in Twitter, leaving it impossible to put multiple messages in one Tweet.

15. You almost have to have separate social media accounts for your business and your personal life. Some customers might not care about that vacation you took where you...let's just say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

As far as online marketing is concerned, email is still a great channel of communication, as many companies continue their search to find the right social media strategy to suit their needs.

There have been a significant number of studies released in recent memory, indicating that email marketing is doing quite well. Epsilon shared some findings about how email marketing is driving offline purchases. The same firm also found that email open rates increased for the fourth quarter in a row (up 18% YoY according to the most recent study). Forrester Consulting and ExactTarget found that email marketing is the most popular channel for consumers. Earlier this year, Forrester Research reported that email marketing in the U.S. alone was expected to reach $2 billion by 2014.

Is the email landscape changing? Yes, without a doubt. Social media has become a very large part of the online lives for many Internet users. Earlier this year, social sites were even said to have surpassed email in usage. That said, Facebook has come significantly close to matching Google in terms of unique visitors, but that doesn't make Google any less important does it? The two can co-exist, and so can email and social media. They are co-existing.

So email marketers are facing new challenges with an increasingly social and mobile web, but we are meeting those challenges too, and continually finding effective ways to connect with consumers with email.

Getting Responses With Email Marketing - Part One

So, you've sent out your E-Newsletter to your email list, and now you're sitting back waiting to review your Open and Click rates...and the response comes back, and it's not quite what you were hoping for.

While every campaign and organization is different, and there is no "magical" Open rate, the industry standard often quoted is between 20 - 30%. Anything greater than 30% is often reserved for organizations with smaller lists or recipients who are deeply invested with the organization sending the E-Newsletter.

So, how do you improve those numbers and get readers to Open your campaign? This is part one of a five-part series on variables you can experiment with to increase your readership - and results - from email marketing campaigns.

1) Your Subject Line is Vital!

If no one opens your email in the first place, then it doesn't matter how valuable, timely, or eye appealing your E-Newsletter is on the inside.

So with your next issue, why not try a different style of subject line than what you have used before, and see which type of subject works the best with your recipients? That way, when you look at the analytical reports provided by most vendors for previous campaigns, you can see what type of subject lines your recipients are responding to, and use a similar offer or call to action in the subject line of future E-Newsletters.

Another angle is to break down your list into smaller pieces and try different subject lines for the same issue, and compare them head-to-head. This provides an even better comparison, since Click rates for different subject lines will be based on the exact same copy and design once the E-Newsletter has been opened by the recipient.

Did a question compare favorably to a statement? Did including a special offer or discount work better than a more general or broad subject line?

And once you figure out what works best with your readership, you can continue to tweak subject titles in ongoing issues...to continue incremental increases and overall success going forward.

For more information on email marketing, E-Newsletters and other online communication tips visit www.hattrickassociates.com.

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