Social media is like the pretty new girl at school. Everyone’s rushing to be her friend, to make sure they get on her good side. But in your rush to woo the sexy new kid, don’t ignore that old queen bee of Internet marketing.

She may be a little older now, a little less au courant, but she can still deliver some serious returns. In some instances, it’s even (gasp!) more effective than social media. Why is email still so critical to your marketing success?

1. Cut through the noise. True, for many of us, our email inboxes are places of terror, where we peek at the number of unread items only to recoil in horror, but compare that to the constant deluge of content on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. In comparison, your email inbox looks like an oasis of calm. It’s the same way for your customers. Chances are better that you’ll be at least seen in an email inbox.

 

2. Target like a laser beam. On social media, you have to cast a wide net. If you post a coupon on your Facebook page, everyone will see it. If you share a tip on Twitter, it had better be relevant to a wide cross-section of the population. But in email, if you’ve built your lists smartly, you have an incredible ability to tailor offers and messaging to specific subsets of your customer set. Send specially designed emails that hit your clients’ pain points, and you’ll be surprised at how effective a narrow focus can be.

 

3. Be useful. In most cases, your email newsletter shouldn’t be just about selling something. Sure, that’s your ultimate goal, but you achieve that goal by offering useful information that entices readers to open your email…and sneaking in your sales pitch once your great information has earned you the right to do so. If you’re reconnecting with old customers, make them fall in love all over again and remember why they so enjoyed working with you in the past. If you’re wooing new customers, show them why they need you, need to keep opening those emails, clicking those links, and eventually pick up the phone and call you for help. Show who you are and what you offer. People respond to that honesty and that helpfulness.

Be on social media; it’s important. But don’t ignore our old friend email marketing. A strong, smart, targeted email marketing campaign can make your phones ring.

If you want to test what email marketing can do for you, sign up for a free trial of Constant Contact or AddressTwo.  Not sure which is a better fit for your business?  Give us a call.