There’s been a lot of hype about #hashtags, likes and followers, with some social media ‘gurus’ even trying to claim that email’s use-by has expired, but don’t be fooled, email has a lot of good years left in it yet!

Email is a powerful channel for acquisition and retention, plus it enables you to reach an extended audience. Remember that these people have opted to receive your communications, so that’s commercial gold right there.

Email is still one of the most cost-effective marketing channels, with an Australian average of $22.78 ROI for every dollar spent in 2018¹, but with less than 20% of Australian businesses actually tracking their ROI it means a) returns could actually be higher than what’s being reported and b) if you have a strong email strategy and measure it’s success you’ll be ahead of the game!

So what are the top 3 reasons for investing in email, and if you’re not already communicating with your customers this way, why should you be making it a priority?

1. Tell your story

This is your company’s chance to tell the full story without trying to sell, though increased sales will be the silver lining! If they’ve subscribed and trusted you with their personal info and precious in-box space, then they want to get to know you and learn more about what your company can offer. With quality content that engages, informs and inspires action, you can lead the discussion and tell stories that matter to a targeted audience.

2. It’s a two-way conversation

Email lets you listen to your customers. You can start by telling your subscribers what you think they want to hear about, then it’s important to use their actions, responses or comments to personalise and improve your messages. Just watching the engagement in every email campaign will give you an insight into your audience, but take it further, find out what your subscribers value, what are their goals or frustrations. Having this greater understanding and being able to talk to them like friends will see even greater returns.

3. Perseverance pays off

In real time you will see immediate email results, but over longer periods you’ll generate performance data that will enable you to optimise your campaigns by tweaking the design, content, subject lines, calls to action, landing pages, segmentation etc. This is the key to keeping an active and engaged subscriber list that will pay off in the long run.

Research tells us that people are over 3 times more likely to make a purchase due to email rather than social media. Facebook has around 2.23 billion monthly active users in 2018, whereas email is expected to reach 3.8 billion users by end of this year.

The marketing landscape is constantly changing, at a rapid pace, so today email matters more than ever. Email gives you a chance to keep up with contemporary challenges. It enables you to find your company’s voice and amplify your messages, without suffering big losses if you miss the mark. Most importantly, it builds trust and enhances your brand’s reputation in an environment where your audience is willing to interact.

¹ The Australian Email Benchmark Report 2018 – The Orchard in partnership with Smart Company.

Photo by William Iven on Unsplash