How Can Email Marketing Fuel Your Overall Inbound Strategy?

Is email marketing dead in 2024? Far from it. If you want to drive traffic, nurture leads, and truly engage your audience, pretend like it’s the late 90s and embrace the power of email!

Let’s talk about the digital dinosaur that refuses to go extinct — email marketing. Despite the naysayers who keep predicting its demise, email marketing is still alive and kicking, and for good reason. So let’s uncover why email marketing has stuck around for so long and how it may actually be the secret sauce in your inbound strategy.

Why Is Email Marketing Still Important?

In the vast landscape of digital channels — social media, blogs, podcasts, and the rest — email stands out. Not for being flashy, but because email has this unique way of fitting neatly into people’s lives. It's where people expect to find updates and information, making it a prime spot for your messages.

In the world of inbound marketing, where the goal is to draw people in rather than chase them down, email is key. It’s less about intrusion and more about invitation. You’re reaching out in a place where people have already signaled they’re interested in hearing from you by signing up or subscribing. This means your message is more likely to be well-received because it’s landing in a space where engagement is expected.

Instead of being one of many voices shouting into the void, email gives you the opportunity to establish a direct and personal connection, while competing with a comparatively small pool of other voices. So, how can email marketing fuel your overall inbound strategy? It’s simple really, because email is — by its very nature — made for inbound. It’s direct, it’s expected, and when done right, it’s engaging.

Email Requires an Invitation — That’s Where Other Channels Come In

Email is your digital marketing strategy's MVP, but it's not a solo act. Because for email to succeed, you have to have an audience. And to grow an audience, you need other channels.

Let’s say you’ve just published a killer article on your blog that positions you as a thought leader in your industry. You share it on LinkedIn to tap into your professional network, adding a call-to-action that invites readers to subscribe to your email newsletter for more insights. This not only boosts your visibility on social media but also grows your email list with engaged readers.

This is just one example of email acting as the glue that binds different elements of your marketing strategy together. It’s a way to deepen engagement, offering a personalized touch that turns casual readers into loyal followers.

By strategically linking email with social media, content marketing, SEO, and other channels, you create a cohesive ecosystem where each channel enhances the others, driving both reach and relevance.

What Makes a Great Email?

To create messages that practically beg to be opened and engaged with, try incorporating the Three S’s: scarcity, social proof, and storytelling.

• Scarcity is like the forbidden fruit of marketing — the less there is of something, the more we want it. It’s why exclusive or limited items are highly sought after. This sense of urgency propels consumers to take action before it’s too late.
• Meanwhile, social proof leans on the power of online reviews. A glowing recommendation can go a seriously long way, luring you towards that “add to cart” or “contact us” button. Embedding testimonials, user-generated content, or simply dropping a line about joining satisfied customers can make your emails all the more compelling and fuel your overall inbound strategy.
• Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about storytelling: the oldest trick in the book (or should I say cave wall?). Humans have been conjuring, sharing, and recollecting stories since the dawn of humankind. Whether spoken or written, stories are powerful. Outlining the journey of your brand, the triumphs of a customer, or the evolution of a product can engage your audience on a much deeper level.

As you’re creating your emails, keep in mind what you respond to when you receive an email. What catches your attention? What inspires trust? What are pet peeves? Your experiences as a receiver of emails are vitally important in informing the messaging and drafting stage. So trust your instincts!

Elevating Your Insights Beyond Basic Metrics

While open rates and click-through rates are important to understanding how well your marketing strategies are playing out, they don’t really paint the whole picture. You’ve got to dig a little deeper to really understand your results.

Start by analyzing user behavior beyond just the initial interaction. Track how subscribers engage with your emails over time. Are they loyal readers who devour every word, or do they skim through, looking for specific bits of information? How long are they spending on your email? Which links are they clicking, if any? Are your calls to action getting the attention they deserve?

You should also pay attention to metrics such as email list growth rate, which can indicate the health and appeal of your content, and forwarding rates, which signal the value and shareability of your emails.

If you’re using a platform like HubSpot or Mailchimp to send your emails, you’ll have plenty of data at your fingertips! These insights can be extremely valuable, so we highly recommend investing in an email marketing platform if you haven’t already.

But the journey to optimization doesn't end with observation. The real magic happens when you start experimenting. A/B testing is your laboratory, where you can mix and match subject lines, email layouts, and calls to action to discover the perfect formula. This is your chance to be a mad scientist in the marketing lab — testing hypotheses, making adjustments, and sometimes stumbling upon breakthroughs that significantly enhance your engagement rates.

Embrace creativity in your experiments. The smallest changes, like tweaking the wording of your subject line or altering the placement of your call to action, can lead to surprising improvements in performance.

So, Is Email Marketing Still Effective in 2024?

Ah, the age-old question: has email marketing gone the way of the dodo, or can email marketing fuel your overall inbound strategy? You’ve probably guessed that if we dedicated a whole article to the subject, it has to be relevant and worth talking about. We’ve already explored some of the reasons email marketing is still effective, but what does the actual data say?

• Around 58% of people check their email first thing in the morning, compared to just 14% of people who check social media.
• People spend an average of 10 seconds reading brand emails — which can be all that you need to grab their attention and generate new leads.
• About 60% of consumers say they’ve made a purchase because of a marketing email, which goes to show that if your strategy is strong enough, it can get you the conversions you want.

All this to say: people are checking their emails! So don’t waste this opportunity to get your content in front of some eager eyes.

Email Marketing: The Inbound Strategy Powerhouse

Email marketing isn’t about following a formula or ticking boxes on a checklist. It requires some creative brainstorming, backed by concrete numbers. So as you work towards improving your email marketing strategy, don’t be afraid to trial new ideas, embrace the power of storytelling, and above all, put your audience front and center.

Happy emailing, friends!

Interested in learning how we can help you elevate your email marketing strategy? Get in touch today!

FAQs

How Much Does Email Marketing Cost? Budget-Friendly or Bank-Breaker?

Contrary to popular belief, email marketing doesn’t burn a hole through your wallet. With a plethora of affordable (and even free) tools at your disposal, there’s no excuse not to give it a whirl. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a Fortune 500 company, there’s a solution out there to fit every budget.

And let’s not forget the ROI potential — with an average return of $36 for every dollar spent, email marketing is an investment that can pay off big time.

What is the Average Open Rate for Email Marketing?

You’re not going to like this answer, but the honest truth is that there’s no definitive number. Open rates vary wildly by industry, with some sectors like childcare and faith-based organizations seeing open rates as high as 50% while others, like tech and manufacturing hovering below the 30% mark. Keep in mind that these rates are also constantly fluctuating over time.

So, how do you stack up? Regularly peek at your industry average and focus on implementing those tips we gave you earlier to ensure your emails are hitting the mark every time.

How Many Emails to Send Per Week? How Many Marketing Emails is Too Many?

Again, this will depend on the type of organization you’re in, but as a general rule of thumb, 1-3 times per week is a reliable number across the board. The best cadence for you will take some further research on your end. Start by understanding your audience — are they hungry for daily updates, or do they prefer a weekly digest? Try your hand at different frequencies and monitor engagement metrics to gauge their response and settle on the best deployment schedule. The right number will balance frequency with engagement.