Email marketing may seem outdated in the age of social media and programmatic advertising. Even though the online mailbox was first invented over 50 years ago, it still remains one of the most effective (and consumer-friendly) ways to get in front of a target audience.
Before we outline the hurdles facing email marketing, let’s hit the main reasons it still remains a top choice for marketers in 2020.
- Consumers Prefer Email
- Today’s consumers like a more hands-off communication approach. Email gives consumers the ability to get instantaneous information for product promotions, company updates, etc., and without surrendering more personal details like phone numbers and addresses. Additionally, consumers have full control over who can send to their inboxes.
- Email Connects to Mobile
- The average person spends four hours every day on their smartphone. They are responding to texts, watching videos, liking photos….. and reading emails. By using an email marketing strategy, you are able to meet consumers where they live — the digital world.
- Affordability & Good ROI
- Everyone is on a budget, some are just way bigger than others. Email provides a lower barrier to entry in regards to monetary expenses. This enables almost anybody to jumpstart their marketing efforts. Furthermore, it provides a good ROI. Emailing helps increase brand awareness, improve sales conversions, and drive more website traffic — all for the fraction of the cost to other tactics.
So you’re thinking this is all great, but where’s the catch? You know it’s coming… So here it is. This is no revolution, but email marketing is useless if the recipients do not open your emails. Yeah, you knew that. But how many of us consciously think about open rates? Are we actively putting ourselves in the consumer’s shoes, and debating what would really motivate them to open your email compared to the other 12,588 unopened emails inside their GMAIL account?
The answer is probably — no.
This is where the title of this article comes back into play. Those cute little emojis that you send to your mother, significant other, and group chat, actually can play a big role in the success of your email marketing campaigns.
How Emojis Work Well With Emails
The use of emojis is aimed at gaining attention, and more specifically displaying a form of emotion to the reader. This works particularly well when trying to better illustrate a sense of urgency — this fits in line with all those last-minute Valentine’s Day deals you’re surely seeing in your inbox this week.
The use of emojis has been shown to increase open rates by an average of 56 percent.
So now that you’re going to try this tactic in your next email blast, keep these tips in mind before hitting the send button.
- Only use emojis in the email subject line
- Limit to one emoji
- Don’t use for every email
- Be clever with the placement and meaning
Finally, you’re going to need to test the use of emojis with your audience. Just because it increases open rates by an average of 56 percent doesn’t mean it will do the same for you. But if you start to see email open rates jumping in the right direction, don’t forget to thank Shigetaka Kurita — the mastermind behind that cute little code.
Need Help with Email Marketing?
At Venta Marketing, we are helping businesses meet their goals head-on. As leaders in the digital marketing industry, we know the ins-and-outs of successful email marketing. Contact us if you are curious about how we can help you grow!