Lately I’ve been working with young entrepreneurs in their 20s and early 30s. I’ve been surprised that when I ask if they have an email list, their nose wrinkles and they say, “Email? Why would I need an email list?”
While it might seem a bit old fashioned compared to Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites, it’s important to have an email list for marketing purposes. Here are the top three reasons that convinced my clients:
1. Facebook is the devil.
OK not really, but many of my blogger friends are tearing their hair out because their Facebook reach is dropping, and Facebook used to be one of their primary sources of traffic to their website. So, while Facebook is still important, it can’t be the only method for communicating with your customers.
2. It’s free.
One of the reasons I love MailChimp (affiliate link) is because it’s free if you have fewer than 2,000 subscribers. You can even set up an automatic RSS campaign so that email subscribers get your blog updates. (When you are pressed for time, automatic is good!)
3. People still use email.
Last July, the Salesforce blog shared some great statistics: 77% of consumers prefer to receive permission-based marketing communications through email. 44% of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email. From personal experience, I have discovered that email is a great way to expand my reach as I often get replies to emails that were forwarded to other people in their organization.
What place does email have in your marketing mix? Any tips to share?