How Important is Email for Your Search Engine Marketing Strategy in 2017?

At present, social media marketing may seem more relevant. However, according to experts, search engine optimization is gradually getting back to emails again. In fact, veteran digital marketers opine that email remains the reliable marketing option for good return on investment (ROI). Considering these trends, it can be safely said that emails are making a comeback in 2017 and will probably become even more important in the upcoming years.

While it is nice to innovate and try out new things, there is a certain amount of risk associated with bypassing the proven methods. While new things may be highly effective, the value of old practices is already established. Thus, while you decide to show your marketing prowess on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat, it would be unwise to ignore email completely.

 

Here are a few factors that you must take a note of:

1) Email sizes up against social media quite admirably:

Email is in no way against social media marketing, but it certainly does hold its own ground quite well. According to MailMunch’s survey, there is still a sizable chunk of Internet marketers who believe that email outperforms social media in certain ways. While Facebook is busy and Pinterest is beautiful, there is still some allure in good old email conversations that social media channels have not been able to overpower. A look at the stats of email vs. social media marketing will make the picture become even clearer. Besides, it must be admitted that compiling an email list is easier and less time-consuming. Stakeholders of many companies still find using emails for communication more familiar and satisfying. About 60% people check their emails in the morning, before moving to Facebook updates. Email has more than 3% click-through rate (CTR) and provides better ROI of more than 20%.

2) The importance of email for SEO:

Truth be told, emails outperform other SEO techniques like PPC and content marketing. It is probably the most cost effective way to market products or services or to communicate with potential customers and reach business goals. While around 205 billion emails are sent and accessed every day now, by 2019, the number is expected to go beyond 240 million. From SEO perspective, these figures are huge! The better your reach is, the better your prospect is.

3) The balance between email and social media marketing:

However, as stated earlier, you can go on with both the new and the old. In fact, the smart thing to do would be to strike a balance between email and social media marketing. Even though it may not be accurately measurable as far as direct ROI is concerned, social media is still best for sharing your best content with a huge number of people instantly. You should also note that your email and newsletter campaign may not be as impactful as you are hoping if you have not yet strengthened the groundwork through sharp social media campaigns. Social identifies the prospects and emails engage them.

It should never be social against email if you are aiming for impressive rankings with search engine marketing. In social media, users expect more news and entertainment while email is best for sending out offers, discussing and closing deals. Both these marketing channels are worth capitalizing on.

 

Tips to design better email marketing strategies:

Now that you know that it would not be a good idea to develop a digital marketing strategy without incorporating email, it is time to take a quick look at a few tried and tested tips for creating a sharp email marketing campaign.

• Use customer data to personalize the content of the emails as much as you can. Address the prospective and existing customers with their names and not with a ‘Sir/Ma’am,’ or worse, ‘Dear valued customer.’ Suggest products/services to them based on purchase history or search history. Remember, this is not just a casual message that you are sending out; it ties into the overall customer experience.
• Almost 50% of emails are opened because of the subject line. So, get it right! Also, be particular about using a reply-to email address instead of a no-reply one. Nobody wants to see an email address that clearly shows the sender is not interested in getting a reply.
• Use your real email signature to convince the client that it is you who is ending the email and it is not a system-generated email. If you require any information from the client, be upfront about it.
• Categorize your target audience by industry, company size, sales cycle, interests, browsing history and whatever else applies. Do not send the same message to everyone. One solution does not work for all.
• Make sure your email has a responsive design and can be accessed via a variety of mobile devices. Most emails are read on smartphones nowadays.

 

As it is evident from the points above that emails continue to deliver desired results. However, email marketing has evolved quite a bit as has SEO as a whole. It is certainly not what it used to be a decade or so back. Sending out mass emails to everyone does not work anymore. The same email does not appeal to everyone. Now is the time to update your SEO strategy as far as emails are concerned and see how you can send out customized messages to targeted prospects. Of course, these messages should be tailored for multiple devices, especially mobile devices.

You need to be open to changes. SEO is a domain where practices change constantly. You must try new techniques and see what works for you. When you have figured out what works for you, work on ways to automate it via triggered emails. You will reap the benefits when your target audience becomes more responsive. This way your campaign’s performance will improve significantly, ultimately aiding your business’ growth.