The Art of Digital Marketing

Chapter 5Email Marketing

An Introduction

In a constantly evolving digital landscape, tools and platforms come and go. Email, however, has remained a steadfast and dependable channel with 3.2 billion email accounts worldwide. That's three times more than the number of Facebook and Twitter accounts combined, and if optimized correctly, an email marketing campaign can be all-powerful, driving better returns on investment and higher levels of engagement. The fact that you can dispense with printing flyers, save trees, and be an email marketing pro? Well, those are just added bonuses!

Definition

Like many of the specialties within digital marketing, the key to a powerful email marketing strategy is structure.

Formal definition of email marketing: A structured, systematic process that is one of the most successful channels for delivering highly relevant marketing communications to targeted subscribers.

Informal definition of email marketing: Instant inbox gratification!

Process

So what makes email marketing so valuable, besides its ability to establish brand visibility in the eyes that matter most (those of your customers, just in case you weren't sure!)? Like every other digital marketing specialty, the success of email is based upon a rigorous, consistent process. The Digital Marketing Institute's 3i principles underpin a general methodology that incorporates every field of digital marketing, and email is no exception.

1. Initiate. Start with the customer and work towards ...