“…as reported by the BBC, 82% use the web often to check and reply to their emails!”

The world of digital media is notoriously fast paced, and whilst many marketers and businesses alike are always on the lookout for new trends, often it is the old favourites that garner great results. Take email marketing, there are tons of articles analysing whether this now marketing classic still works, and with the latest findings from the Office for National Statistics proclaiming email as the most common internet activity in Britain, we are pleased to report that it still does!

More people than ever use the web for email

According to the very same survey and as reported by the BBC, 82% use the web often to check and reply to their emails, a figure that has grown by 3% since just last year. Despite its popularity and continuous promotion as the top, and most affordable and effective, way to promote products and services, social networking trailed behind in third place whilst using the web for finding information came second.

The power of email marketing is often underestimated but with these facts and figures now in the limelight and the internet habits of the great British public revealed, many businesses may be looking to up their email marketing activities, and start or refine their campaigns for a more targeted approach. It’s not just consumers that use email, another study (this time conducted by HubSpot) found that 86% of professionals prefer to use email to communicate for business purposes, which is great news for B2B brands. Using the internet on mobile devices was also reportedly on the rise and will continue to grow as businesses and search engines make mobile friendly websites and dedicated apps more of a priority.

So where does this leave you?

Tapping into this growing group of people who are using the internet to primarily manage their email accounts couldn’t be easier. Devising an email marketing campaign that really works however isn’t such a simple task if you don’t have the right knowledge and experience.

Whilst email marketing will no doubt be a mainstay, there are a number of best practices that should be called upon to ensure any email communication you send as a business doesn’t fall on deaf ears. As with any marketing activity, planning makes perfect when it comes to your email marketing campaign and starting preparations with a clear objective in mind is important. Are emails meant to inspire repeat business or reach out to new customers? Or perhaps sales isn’t your main focus – is increasing loyalty and brand awareness where it’s at?

Once the main aim of your campaign has been established, it’s time to craft an email worthy of your customer’s attention, not a message destined for the spam box. To avoid being labelled a ‘spammer’, make sure emails are collected from subscribers who have opted in to receive emails from your company. In addition to this, make it clear who you are in every email you send; clear, consistent branding works well alongside making contact information available, including any links to social media accounts. Don’t send too many emails either, this will only leave recipients rushing to unsubscribe.

Automation of email sending, email content personalisation, mobile friendly templates and carefully crafted calls to action are other things to consider during email campaign planning.

Need help with your email marketing activities? Let us take the whole process off your hands. Get in touch with us today – don’t forget to hit ‘share’ before you go!