The growth of social media’s presence in marketing is obvious, and businesses are becoming increasingly concerned with their online brand, as they should be. But because social media is now the new big thing, a basic method of marketing is getting pushed to the side — email, whose place in a well-rounded marketing mix should not be doubted nor ignored.

Here’s why email still works so well:

1. It’s personal.  Receiving an email address from a customer is a sign of trust. They are interested enough to receive more from your business, and they trust you not to abuse that privilege. While the same argument can be made of social media, it is much easier to ignore a Facebook post than a personal email. Therefore, businesses have a responsibility to deliver only relevant communications.

2. It can be segmented. One of the main reasons email is well-suited for content delivery is because businesses can split up their lists based on buyer personas. They can then tailor communications to those personas, unlike the broad brush of social media. And if businesses include behavioral data as well as personalization tactics, email becomes an even more powerful means of marketing.

3. It can be put in the customer’s hands. The power of choosing both content and frequency creates a loyal bond while leading to engagement. This level of control given to the customer is really only possible through email.

While most businesses are using email in some capacity, many are not maximizing its value. This isn’t to say it should take precedent over social media—the two can work simultaneously to further promote business. For example, Facebook provides numerous options for businesses to grow their email lists as well as connect to consumers through both email and social media.

It is easy to push for direct response messages to marketing strategies as well. However, businesses need to think about how to use email simply for brand awareness to reach its fullest capability. A foundation of information about subscribers can be established through things like a welcome series and birthday messages.

Bottom line, email has been around longer than social media and it’s still proving its worth—it is not going anywhere. Every business would be wise to take advantage of this resource in their marketing strategy.

Contact Creative Spot at 614-280-9280 or at info@creativespot.com to discuss which options are best for your brand and to develop an interactive marketing strategy.