With all the fancy AI tools popping up left and right, people wonder if good old email marketing still cuts it in 2024. 

Sure, the world is changing at lightning speed, attention spans are dwindling, and trends are coming and going like nobody’s business. But the fact that the global email marketing market is predicted to hit $17.9 billion by 2027 is not ignorable. 

Put simply, people are putting their money where their trust lies. 

Think about it — while social media may be surging with fleeting updates and distractions, what really grabs our attention? Often, it’s that ping in our inbox that signals something we’ve chosen to receive. The same is true for your audience. 

Stick around as we reveal why email marketing is more than relevant in 2024 and share the strategies to do it right.

What Is Email Marketing? 

Email marketing involves businesses reaching out to customers and potential clients directly via email. 

Instead of shouting into the void of social media or hoping people stumble upon your website, this marketing strategy allows you to deliver targeted messages right to their inbox.

Generally, social media content competes for a silver of our focus. However, emails stand out as a deliberate choice. 

It’s a personalized invitation for your audience to engage with content that matters to them - whether it’s sharing updates about product launches or promotions. 

Why Is Email Marketing Important?

Surprisingly, emails allow you to acquire customers 40 times faster than popular platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Besides, 60% of customers prefer communication via email - another green flag. 

Let’s dig into some reasons why they’re important for your business.

Targeted Reach 

With email marketing, you can tailor your content based on your subscribers’ behaviors, preferences, and demographics. This precision ensures your message resonates with the right audience. 

Of course, targeted messages get better engagement rates and are more likely to drive conversions compared to generic broadcasts. In fact, data shows that marketers who segmentize their marketing campaigns experience increased revenue. 

Amazon, the ecommerce giant, utilizes customer browsing and search history to send targeted, personalized emails. These often include product recommendations customers viewed or purchased in the past or deals on items they showed interest in. 

Measurable Results 

Unlike conventional marketing efforts, where gauging effectiveness is often a shot in the dark, email marketing provides robust analytics. 

You can track open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and whatnot - all in real time. This means you’re more than empowered to tweak strategies for better, more tangible results. 

Cost Effectiveness

Let’s be real - no matter how well a business is doing, they’re always on the lookout for budget-trimming strategies. We mean, who doesn’t love saving a few bucks? 

Email marketing, fortunately, remains one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available to businesses. You don’t need a huge budget to create compelling campaigns. Plus, tools like automation and analytics maximize your ROI and make every penny count. 

Build Strong Customer Relationships 

Email marketing is no less than nurturing a garden - with care and attention, you’ll notice your customer base flourish. It offers a fantastic medium to build healthy relationships with your audience. 

You can build trust and credibility over time by offering value-packed, customized content. 

Drive Conversions

One of the primary goals of email marketing is to drive conversions, and luckily, it lives up to your expectations as long as you follow the right strategy. 

You can craft your CTAs and optimize email content for conversion, whether it’s about signing up for a webinar or making a purchase. Take ClickUp, known for its irresistible CTAs, as an example.

So, a little smart work is all it takes to guide your subscribers through the sales funnel and turn them into paying customers. 

Is Email Marketing Dead In 2024? Not Even Close!

Global email users are projected to reach 4.73 billion by 2026. So, when we ask, “Is email marketing dead?” consider this: as long as there are inboxes waiting to be opened, the answer might just surprise you (in a positive way).

Here’s why email marketing has become even more relevant in today’s era. 

Audience Value Authenticity More than Ever

The arrival of tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney has made people question the authenticity of what they encounter online, “Is this AI-generated or real?” 

Amidst this, people crave authenticity, and email marketing emerges as a breath of fresh air. With emails, you’re not just another face in the crowd - you’re sending tailored-made messages directly to your audience. For instance, Patagonia’s emails often convey a genuine commitment to its environmental and social issues - something that intrigues its audience. Besides, the brand understands customer pain points and addresses them adeptly.

Unlike the impersonal barrage of social media posts, personalized emails cut through the noise and resonate with recipients on a deeper level. 

Enhanced Personalization With Latest Tools 

AI is a double-edged sword. 

On one hand, it’s pumping out content faster than we can blink and leaves us wondering about the authenticity of online content. On the other hand, it deserves credit for bringing convenience, thanks to its advanced algorithms. 

Businesses can now deliver hyper-personalized content tailored to their audience’s preferences and behaviors. From customized offers to product recommendations, email marketing lets you develop deeper connections with your audience by delivering content that resonates on a personal level. 

Netflix, for instance, is known for its personalized marketing campaigns like “We’ve just added a TV show/movie you might like.”

More Convenience for Businesses

Brainstorming ideas alone took some work back in the day. Today, with generative AI in your corner, you’ve got a brainstorming buddy. It gives you endless ideas at your fingertips and lets you whip up killer content. 

Then, there’s predictive AI doing its thing in the background. It crunches numbers and analyzes campaign performance like a pro. It gives you a glimpse into what works and what doesn’t.

So, you can tweak your strategy and keep those emails hitting the mark every single time. 

Selective Content Consumption 

Sure, social media brings us endless entertainment and information, but every rose has a thorn. People often struggle with fatigue due to information overload. We’ve had American teens taking a break from social media in the past, and recently, it has been a trending topic on Reddit.

In other words, the overwhelming nature of social media is becoming a subject of debate.

People today prefer a more structured and organized communication platform, and emails offer precisely that. They allow recipients to prioritize and engage with content at their convenience. Emails cut through the clutter and allow for meaningful connections in an increasingly fragmented digital world. 

Besides, the transient nature of social media channels can lead to messages getting lost in the noise. Fortunately, that’s not the case with emails. 

How to Start Email Marketing - 7 Strategies to Get Started & Nail it Down

Email marketing gives an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. This, however, doesn’t happen out of the blue. So, how does email marketing work? 

Generally, marketers keep up with the latest trends and know the ins and outs of setting up a successful email marketing strategy. Here’s how to do email marketing in 2024 and the best tips to consider. 

1. Define Your Target Audience

It all begins with finding your tribe in the crowded digital world. You have to understand who you’re speaking to and tailor your messages Just for them. 

Think about it. When you converse with your close friends, you know their interests, their quirks, and what makes them tick. 

In business, identifying your target audience means defining the people who are more likely to resonate with your service or product. You can conduct market research to find out about their demographics, interests, pain points, and more. 

This will allow you to speak their language and solve their problems. For instance, say you discovered after thorough market research that your audience consists mainly of environmentally-conscious people aged 25-40 predominantly located in urban areas. 

Armed with this information, you can create better campaigns that address their queries and offer services that resolve their issues. 

2. Build an Email List

Building an email list is like assembling your squad of loyal supporters in the digital world. You need to stay connected with those who genuinely want to hear from you. 

Begin by offering value in exchange for their email addresses. 

Avoid spamming them with product promotions or sales emails at this point. Nobody likes accessing salesy content right after they allowed you in their inbox. So, consider offering discounts, exclusive content, or insider tips. Engage with them through personalized messages and keep them in the loop about your latest offerings. 

As your email list grows, so does your community of advocates who eagerly await your next message and support your endeavors. 

3. Be Clear About Your Goals

Being clear about your goals guides your actions and keeps you on track toward success. Take all the time you need to define what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to increase sales or perhaps simply build brand awareness. 

Whatever your unique goal might be, break it down into actionable steps and set measurable milestones to track your progress. A clear vision lets you focus on your efforts and make informed decisions.

The result? Moving closer to your aspirations with greater confidence. 

4. Know About Different Types of Emails

Since email marketing is about engaging with your audience meaningfully, you must explore different email types to ensure your message hits the target. 

For instance, sending promotional emails to new subscribers wouldn’t make sense, especially given that 50% of qualified leads aren’t ready to purchase from you. What this means is you have to nurture and build a bond with them rather than glorify your products and services right off the bat. 

Here’s when you’ll leverage “Welcome Emails” or “Thank You Emails.” 

You can draw inspiration from various brands. Spotify, for instance, does a fairly good job with its Welcome Emails. It highlights the primary benefits of the image to entice its audience. 

Other type of emails include but aren’t limited to:

• Product Announcements 
• Event Invitations
• Lead Nurturing Emails 
• Digital Magazine
• Promotional Emails
• Re-engagement Emails 

Regardless of the email you choose that serves your unique purpose in marketing strategy, ensure you keep it personalized and humane. 

Humans connect with humans and crave a genuine connection. Nobody likes bland messages devoid of human touch. It’s 2024, and AI has already pushed things far in the mechanical direction. Make sure you aren’t adding to it. 

5. Write an Email Copy

It all comes down to this - writing a copy that engages and converts. Your email subject link must spark curiosity or address a pain point. 

Keep your message clear, concise, persuasive, and actionable. Besides, make sure you keep the tone conversational and inject your brand’s personality. A well-written email copy builds rapport and encourages the desired response.

Here are a few other things to consider. 

• Avoid passive voice to enhance clarity and make the email sound authoritative 
• Check your copy for formatting errors, typos, and grammatical mistakes - consider investing in tools like Grammarly.
• Pick the right colors. Remember, besides being aesthetically appealing, a good color contrast serves those with color blindness. The text must be readable against the background and not blend in. 
• Avoid writing generic “Click this button” CTAs. Instead, add more clarity, “Click this button to display our new collection.” 
• Consider using headers like H1, H2, and H3 to make your content more readable. 

If this feels like too much work, consider hiring an experienced copywriter who knows the drill. Skilled copywriters can even sell a comb to the bald, which speaks volumes about their potential contributions to your business. 

6. Optimize It for Mobile Phone

People spend more time using mobile phones than desktops. So, make sure your content functions seamlessly on smaller screens. Keep your design simple and responsive with clear CTAs. Besides, condense your message and avoid large blocks of text. 

Here’s an example from Starbucks. The brand optimizes its emails for mobile phones and offers quick text consumption. 

Before sending the final email, test it across various devices and screen sizes to ensure a smooth experience for all recipients. Prioritizing mobile optimization will allow you to reach your audience wherever they are and maximize content engagement. 

7. Analyze the Results 

This is when you take a magnifying glass to your efforts. It lets you gain insights to refine your strategy and drive better outcomes. 

Dig deep into your email metrics, from open to click-through rates. Identify the trends and areas of improvement. What subject lines resonated the most with your audience? Which call-to-actions drove the most clicks? Use this data to tweak your approach. 

For instance, you might need to adjust your content and refine your targeting. Oftentimes, optimizing your send times makes a difference, too (more on this below). 

Consistent analysis of results allows you to fine-tune your email marketing strategy and maximize performance.  

When Is the Best Time to Send a Marketing Email?

Figuring out the best time to hit “send” on your marketing email is no different than picking the perfect moment to call a friend. Ideally, you want them to be free and in the right mood to chat. Here are some guidelines to consider. 

• Midweek, Midday. A few studies suggest that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays tend to have higher email open rates compared to Mondays and Fridays. Besides, Midday between 10 AM and 2 PM is often considered the optimal time to send emails since people are more likely to check their inboxes during work hours. 
• Avoid Peak Times. Although midday during the workweek feels like a suitable time to send emails, you better avoid them during peak hours when inboxes are likely to be flooded. For instance, early morning (6 AM to 9 AM) and late afternoon (4 PM to 6 PM) may not be ideal since people are only starting their day or winding down. 
• Consider Time Zones. If your audience spans different time zones, consider segmenting your emails. This way, you’ll be able to schedule them and send them at the right time for each segment based on their geographical location. 
• Special Occasions and Holidays. Seasonal marketing is a thing. So, consider taking advantage of special occasions, events, and holidays to send targeted emails. For instance, promotional emails before major holidays can capitalize on increased purchasing intent, which is a plus. 

Automation In Email Marketing 

Email marketing automation helps you stay on top of your game without breaking a sweat. 

Not only does it save you time, but it also ensures no one slips through the cracks. Plus, you can personalize these automated messages to make each receipt feel they’re having a one-on-one chat. 

But the question is, which email marketing software should you pick? Although it depends on your marketing goals, Mailchimp and HubSpot are decent options. They include numerous features for a hassle-free marketing experience. Keep these things in mind before finalizing one, however. 

• Make sure it includes basic functions like templates, segmentation options, and personalization features
• Opt for user-friendly and intuitive software - a clean interface saves you frustration in the long run 
• Does it offer tutorials, documentation, or training resources to help you better understand its functionality? 
• Can it integrate smoothly with your existing tech stack? Seamless integration will streamline your workflow and ensure consistency across systems. 

Conclusion

Far from meeting its demise, email marketing has not only survived but thrived. This year, it's going even bigger, given that people seek refuge from the overwhelming deluge of social media. What else? They crave personal touch and authenticity, and that’s where emails shine. 

The level of customization that emails offer is hard to beat. Besides popping in inboxes, they hit your target audience right in the feels. 

Email marketing knows what to say, when to say it, and who to say it. It’s here to stay like the fine wine that only gets better with age. 

Here’s to building lasting connections through email marketing and setting up your business for enduring growth! 

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