The Benefits of Email Marketing


The Top 7 Benefits of Email Marketing (We Love #5)

The numbers show that email marketing is still a widely used, and successful, marketing channel. The benefits of email marketing are clear, showcasing it as a highly effective and prevalent channel in the digital marketing realm. This strategy holds vast potential for enhancing your small business’s reach and engagement.

However, leveraging the benefits of email marketing can vary significantly in approach and execution. Determining the most effective strategy for your business involves understanding the diverse applications of email marketing and identifying which aligns with your goals.

A useful resource in this decision-making process is the insights provided by the Email Marketing & Marketing Automation Excellence Report, which offers a comprehensive overview of how businesses can maximize the benefits of email marketing through strategic implementation.

Top Benefits of Email Marketing

Source: Email Marketing & Marketing Automation Excellence 2017 Report

  • Generating More Leads
  • Improved Sales
  • Improved conversion Rates
  • Reduced Marketing Costs
  • Identifying Better Quality Leads
  • Integrating with Other Media to Boost Response
  • Shorter Sales cycles

Top Benefits of Email Marketing

The chart illustrates the seven top benefits of email marketing (ignoring “Other”), each of which is a worthy goal depending on what your small business is aiming to achieve.

1. Generating More Leads

Encouraging visitors to sign up for your email marketing list is just one way to generate more leads. Another strategy is to encourage your email subscribers to forward your emails on to friends, families, and acquaintances or to share it on social media.

2. Improved Sales

If every subscriber on your list turned into a customer, you’d be in small business heaven. Unfortunately, that’s probably never going to happen. However, you can increase your sales by focusing the right email campaigns on the right people. The secret to doing this is email list segmentation, a process that enables you to nurture each of your list subscribers with the right message at the right time, eventually moving each through your funnel to becoming a customer.

3. Improved Conversion Rates

In order to sell, you need to convert and the key to email conversions is to nurture them using content. Like #2 above, the key lies in email list segmentation however, it helps to know what type of  content to use at each stage of the sales process. Once you nail that, your nurturing efforts will be much more effective and, your overall conversion rates will increase.

4. Reduced Marketing Costs

If your small business marketing budget is tight, you’ll be interested in low-cost ways to promote yourself. Happily, there are a lot of email marketing tools out, many of which offer a free tier of service and low prices when you need more features and functionality.

5. Identifying Better-Quality Leads

The last thing you need is to waste time on bad leads. That’s why, before marketing your small business, it pays to have a lead qualifying system in place. Happily, email marketing itself is a lead qualifying system that demonstrates a prospect’s interest based on:

  • The fact that they signed up for your list in the first place;
  • Whether they open your emails; and
  • If they click on any of the links within your emails.

6. Integrating with Other Media to Boost Response

Integrated marketing is a powerful tool in any marketer’s kit. One of the best integrations for email is with social media where your emails can include:

  • Social share icons;
  • Super-sharable content; and
  • Deals to share which then give a referral reward back to the subscriber who shared it.

7. Shorter Sales Cycles

Email marketing is a great way to get your most convincing content in front of prospective decision makers. If you’re nurturing the right subscribers via email as mentioned in No. 5 above, and you’re using both segmentation and the right content as mentioned in No. 2 and No. 3 above respectively, then you can speed up your sales cycle by getting the right content to the right decision maker at the right time.

Benefits of Email MarketingDescription
1. Generating More LeadsEncourage website visitors to sign up for your email list. Utilize strategies like encouraging subscribers to forward emails to expand your reach. Promote sharing on social media to attract new leads.
2. Improved SalesIncrease sales by targeting the right audience with tailored email campaigns. Implement email list segmentation to nurture subscribers with the right messages at the right time. Move leads through the sales funnel effectively.
3. Improved Conversion RatesFocus on nurturing leads through content. Leverage email list segmentation to deliver the appropriate content at each stage of the sales process. Enhance overall conversion rates by delivering relevant messages.
4. Reduced Marketing CostsOpt for cost-effective email marketing tools, many of which offer free or budget-friendly tiers. Maximize your marketing budget by utilizing affordable email marketing resources.
5. Identifying Better-Quality LeadsUse email marketing to qualify leads based on their actions, such as subscribing to your list, opening emails, or clicking on links. Identify leads with genuine interest in your offerings. Avoid wasting time on uninterested prospects.
6. Integrating with Other Media to Boost ResponseLeverage integrated marketing strategies, particularly with social media. Incorporate social share icons, shareable content, and referral reward deals in your emails. Encourage subscribers to share your content, expanding your reach through various media channels.
7. Shorter Sales CyclesSpeed up the sales cycle by delivering compelling content to the right decision-makers. Utilize email nurturing for subscribers, segmenting your list, and delivering tailored content. Provide decision-makers with relevant information at crucial moments, expediting the sales process.

The Top 7 Benefits of Email Marketing

Enhancing Your Email Marketing Strategy

While email marketing offers a multitude of benefits, there are additional ways to enhance your strategy and achieve even better results. Consider these advanced tactics to take your small business email marketing to the next level:

Behavior-Based Automation

Behavior-based automation sequences are a cornerstone of an advanced email marketing strategy. By tracking how subscribers interact with your emails and website, you can trigger personalized follow-up emails tailored to their actions.

For example, if a subscriber clicks on a link about a specific product, you can send them more information or a special offer related to that product. This level of personalization enhances the customer experience and can significantly increase engagement and conversions.

Dynamic Content

Dynamic content adapts the content of your emails based on the recipient’s preferences, behavior, and data you’ve collected about them.

This means that two subscribers might receive the same email, but with different products featured, articles listed, or even personalized greetings and offers.

Dynamic content makes your emails more relevant to each individual subscriber, thereby increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

Segmentation Refinement

Refining your segmentation strategy involves creating narrower, more specific audience segments based on detailed criteria like purchase history, engagement levels, and product preferences. This allows you to tailor your email content even more precisely, leading to higher relevance and engagement.

For instance, you could segment your audience into “frequent buyers,” “occasional buyers,” and “never bought,” and send them different emails tailored to their buying behavior.

Personalized Recommendations

Incorporating personalized product recommendations into your emails can significantly increase sales by suggesting items that are genuinely relevant to each recipient.

By analyzing a recipient’s browsing and purchase history, you can identify products they’re likely interested in and tailor your recommendations accordingly. This strategy not only boosts sales but also enhances the shopping experience for your customers.

A/B Testing

Continuously experimenting with A/B testing allows you to refine every aspect of your email marketing, from subject lines and visuals to the content and calls to action (CTAs).

By testing different variations and analyzing the results, you can identify what resonates best with your audience and optimize your emails for higher open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

Advanced Analytics

Leveraging advanced analytics tools to dive deep into your email campaign’s performance can uncover valuable insights about your subscribers’ behavior.

Tools like click maps and heatmaps show you where subscribers are most likely to engage, while conversion path analysis can help you understand the journey from email to purchase. This data is invaluable for optimizing the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics use historical data and machine learning algorithms to forecast future customer behavior. By identifying patterns and predicting actions like churn risk or the likelihood of a purchase, you can tailor your email marketing strategies to address these outcomes proactively, engaging high-value customers more effectively and personalizing the customer journey.

Mobile Optimization

With the increasing prevalence of smartphones, ensuring that your emails are optimized for mobile devices is essential. This includes using responsive design to ensure that your emails look great on any screen size and considering the mobile user experience when designing content and CTAs.

Mobile optimization can significantly impact your email campaign’s success by improving readability and engagement among mobile users.

Personalized Surveys

Embedding personalized surveys in your emails is an effective way to collect feedback directly from your subscribers. This feedback can be instrumental in guiding product development, improving content strategies, and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

Surveys show your subscribers that you value their opinions and are committed to meeting their needs and expectations.

Drip Campaigns

Drip campaigns are automated sets of emails that are sent out based on specific timelines or user actions. They are designed to nurture leads through the sales funnel by providing timely, relevant information that guides potential customers toward making a purchase decision.

By delivering a series of targeted messages, drip campaigns can effectively build relationships and encourage loyalty and conversions over time.

Retargeting Emails

Retargeting emails aim to reengage individuals who have shown interest in your products or services but have not completed a purchase.

By sending targeted messages to users who have abandoned their shopping carts or visited your website without buying, you can remind them of their interest and potentially convert abandoned sales into revenue. These emails often include personalized offers or information to encourage a return visit.

AI-Powered Content Generation

Exploring AI-powered tools for content generation can revolutionize how you create email content. AI can help generate personalized, engaging content for your email campaigns at scale, ensuring each message is tailored to the recipient’s interests and behaviors.

From writing product descriptions to crafting personalized email copy, AI tools can save time while enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of your email marketing efforts.

The Top 7 Benefits of Email Marketing

Crafting Compelling Email Subject Lines

The subject line of your email is the first impression you make on recipients. It plays a pivotal role in whether your email gets opened or ignored. To maximize the benefit of your email marketing efforts, consider these tips for crafting compelling subject lines:

  • Be Clear and Concise: Keep your subject lines brief and to the point. Avoid ambiguity and clearly convey the email’s content or purpose.
  • Create a Sense of Urgency: Use words and phrases that create a sense of urgency, such as “Limited Time Offer” or “Act Now.” Urgency can prompt recipients to open your email quickly.
  • Personalization: Incorporate personalization elements, such as the recipient’s name or location, to make the email feel tailored to their needs.
  • Ask a Question: Pose a compelling question that piques recipients’ curiosity and encourages them to open the email for answers.
  • Highlight Benefits: Emphasize the benefits or value recipients will gain by opening the email. Make it clear how the email’s content will improve their lives or solve a problem.
  • Use Emojis Sparingly: Emojis can add visual appeal to subject lines, but use them sparingly and ensure they align with your brand and message.
  • Avoid Spammy Language: Steer clear of spammy language, excessive capitalization, or excessive exclamation marks. Such tactics can trigger spam filters and deter recipients.
  • Segmented Subject Lines: Tailor subject lines to specific audience segments. Segmenting your list allows you to create subject lines that resonate with different groups.
  • Test and Iterate: Conduct A/B tests on subject lines to determine which ones perform best. Continuously refine your approach based on the results.
  • Tease Content: Give recipients a glimpse of the valuable content or offer waiting inside the email. Create curiosity without revealing everything upfront.
  • Stay Relevant: Ensure that your subject line aligns with the email’s content. Misleading subject lines can lead to unsubscribes and a damaged reputation.
  • Avoid All Caps: Avoid using all capital letters in your subject lines, as it can come across as shouting and decrease open rates.
  • Preview Text: Consider the preview text that accompanies the subject line. It should complement and provide additional context to the subject.
  • Mobile Optimization: Keep in mind that many recipients view emails on mobile devices. Test subject lines to ensure they display well on small screens.
  • Test Length: Experiment with different subject line lengths. Sometimes a concise subject line works best, while other times a longer, informative one is more effective.

The Top 7 Benefits of Email Marketing

Maximizing Email Deliverability

Ensuring that your emails reach the intended recipients’ inboxes is vital for the success of your email marketing campaigns. Here are essential strategies to enhance email deliverability:

  • Use a Reputable Email Service Provider (ESP): Select a trusted ESP with a good track record of delivering emails to inboxes. Reputable ESPs have established relationships with ISPs and email providers, improving your chances of inbox placement.
  • Authenticate Your Domain: Implement authentication protocols like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to verify your domain’s legitimacy. Authentication helps prevent email spoofing and phishing.
  • Maintain a Clean Email List: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses. High bounce rates and spam complaints can harm your sender reputation.
  • Follow Double Opt-In Procedures: Encourage subscribers to confirm their email subscriptions through a double opt-in process. This confirms their consent and reduces the likelihood of spam complaints.
  • Monitor Sender Reputation: Keep an eye on your sender reputation using tools provided by your ESP. A strong sender reputation increases the chances of inbox placement.
  • Segment Your Email List: Segment your email list based on subscriber behavior, preferences, and engagement. Send relevant content to specific segments to reduce the risk of unsubscribes and spam complaints.
  • Monitor Engagement Metrics: Pay attention to email engagement metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. ISPs often consider engagement when deciding whether to deliver emails to inboxes or spam folders.
  • Avoid Spam Triggers: Steer clear of spammy content and practices. Avoid using excessive exclamation marks, all caps, or misleading subject lines. Provide a clear unsubscribe option.
  • Set Expectations: Clearly communicate what subscribers can expect when they sign up for your emails. Set frequency expectations and deliver the content you promised.
  • Warm Up New IP Addresses: If you’re switching to a new ESP or IP address, warm it up gradually by sending emails in smaller volumes initially. This helps establish a positive sender reputation.
  • Test Send Times: Experiment with the timing of your email sends to determine when your audience is most likely to engage with your messages. A/B testing can help identify optimal send times.
  • Monitor Blacklists: Regularly check email blacklists to ensure your IP or domain isn’t listed. Being on a blacklist can significantly impact email deliverability.
  • Provide Clear Unsubscribe Options: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails. Complying with unsubscribe requests promptly can prevent spam complaints.
  • Regularly Update Contact Information: Ensure that your contact information, including a physical mailing address, is accurate and up-to-date in every email you send.
  • Stay Informed About Industry Changes: Keep abreast of evolving email industry standards and regulations. Compliance with laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM is essential.

Email Marketing Photo via Shutterstock


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Matt Mansfield Matt Mansfield is the SEO manager at Small Business Trends and has been a member of the team for 11 years. He carries over 24 years of experience in driving targeted online traffic using content and search engine optimization (SEO). He specializes in data research and content creation designed to attract visitors.