We are on the cusp of the year 2016 – technology is making the ability to communicate with one another easier and easier. New social platforms and messaging apps are popping up all the time touting ways to connect through videos, short messages, or even emojis! So in this day and age, is email still an effective way to connect with your database? Can it move your customers to action? The answer to these questions is YES! More than ever!
In a survey of 5,000 marketing professionals done by Salesforce, 73 percent stated that email marketing is core to their business success. Why?
It’s mobile: With the increasing popularity and exclusivity of smart phones (when is the last time you’ve seen a flip-phone?), mobile communication has changed everything. Subscribers now regularly check their email via their phones much more frequently than on a traditional desktop. Forrester reports that 72 percent of U.S. adults who communicate online send or receive emails via smart phone weekly. Calculating from 1.2 billion emails opened in September 2015, Litmus reported that the top five email clients are*:
Apple iPhone – 29%
Gmail – 16%
Apple iPad – 11%
Android – 9%
Outlook – 9%
By the year 2017, 1.779 million people will access email via their mobile devices. (The Radicati Group “Email Statistics Report 2013-2017”)
SO WHAT? Mobile has made email even more important. Design every email you send with mobile responsiveness (think small screen) in mind.
It’s preferred: Your customers still prefer this form of communication. Most engage with your email just to see if it includes a special offer.
Consumers make 75 percent of their purchases after being influenced by an email and 72 percent say that email is their favored conduit for communication with companies they do business with. Of those surveyed, 61 percent say they like to receive promotional email weekly and 28 percent want them even more frequently. (MarketingSherpa 2015)
SO WHAT? Your customers will engage with you through this medium now more than ever! Most say they would love an email every week. In 2016, make it a marketing goal to develop an email strategy and content calendar to meet these desires.
It’s profitable: Email marketing brings a positive ROI and it is easy to quickly calculate the value of this marketing method. Of the 5,000 marketers surveyed, 92 percent said that email marketing is linked to positive ROI.
What are the most effective email campaigns?
• Newsletters
• Promotional Content
• Welcome Series
• Birthday
• Anniversary
SO WHAT? Email continues to be a very effective way to generate profits and promote your salon. Effective campaigns often target specific customer behavior, including birthdays, anniversaries, welcome messages, etc. These email types produce higher click-through, open rates and conversion rates.
Bottom line: Email marketing continues to stand the test of time as an effective method to drive salon profits. If you aren’t using it, consider implementing a campaign for 2016. If email is already part of your marketing plan, take time to build a robust strategy to maximize your potential in the coming year.
*emailclientmarketshare.com
If email is already part of your marketing plan, take time to build a robust strategy to maximize your potential in the coming year.
