⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

3 Reasons Email Campaigns Remain the Best Marketing Tool Mobile phones have made email inboxes portable, so that no one is ever really offline. Take advantage of that.

By Amy Osmond Cook

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ben Pipe Photography | Getty Images

I used to think that email marketing's days were numbered. But, as a recent study from marketing technology pioneer Zeta Global and market research firm The Relevancy Group found, there's even more value for email marketing today than in years past. Why? Mobile trends have brought new life and relevance to the dated technology.

With more and more consumers going mobile, they're now staying connected to their personal inboxes 24/7, wherever they go. This e-commerce study, surveying 1,000 U.S. adults, found that email marketing's value in the mobile era can be broken down to three major factors:

1. Everybody loves a bargain.

If you're like me, you're actually looking forward to the Ann Taylor email with a "hidden surprise" that translates to 70 percent off the sale price. Promotional email marketing is an effective way to drive engagement, especially around popular shopping holidays when consumer interest in making purchases is higher and an email's call to action can help tip a decision in a particular direction. Deals such as discounts and special offers are very helpful for consumers, signified by 62 percent of survey respondents saying these promotions have aided them in making shopping decisions.

Related: 8 Shopping Habits of Millennials All Retailers Need to Know About

Executed properly around relevant seasonal opportunities, online retailers can leverage timely, urgent demand in the market with offers for attractive deals to drive conversions. It's worth noting that offers for free shipping (41 percent) and "buy one, get one free" (37 percent) are the most attractive for consumers. Additionally, though everyone loves a deal, women (50 percent) respond more to discounts than men do (40 percent).

2. People are too busy (and impatient) to shop.

Last year, I did all of my Christmas shopping in one day. Husband, five kids, parents, sisters -- did it all in three hours. How? Online shopping is more convenient than ever before. Zeta estimates that nearly one-third of all consumers accomplish the bulk of their holiday shopping online. Furthermore, a majority of online shoppers (71 percent) were willing to complete purchases on whatever device is conveniently available when looking for a product, though 67 percent did say tablets are preferred.

Related: 8 Tablets for Business: the Pros and Cons

Ultimately, online shopping has become a significant method for consumers to conveniently make purchases, particularly among people between 27 and 45 years old, whom Zeta found are most likely to do the majority of their shopping online.

3. Mobile phones have revitalized email.

I look at email on my phone no less than 50 times per day. And I'm not alone. When looking at last year's holiday research, Zeta found that 34 percent of conversions came from mobile devices. With more people opening marketing emails via mobile and retailers seeing strong conversion rates tied to this trend, there is no doubt that the combination of mobile and email is delivering promotional messaging more effectively and providing retailers an additional edge in the maturing e-commerce space.

Related: 5 Ways to Be More Mobile-Friendly in 2017

Today, brands need to have relevant, impactful messages that resonate with individual consumers. With the resurgence of email marketing, it is possible to deliver the right message, using the right channel, at the right time more accurately than ever before.

Amy Osmond Cook

VP, Marketing & Creative Services, Simplus; Founder, Osmond Marketing

Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D., is the VP of marketing at Simplus, director of Simplus Creative Services, and founder of Osmond Marketing. She enjoys reading business books, playing the violin and trying new restaurants with her husband and five children. Follow her at @amyocook.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.