Is Email Marketing More Effective Than Social Media?
Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective forms of digital marketing. In fact, according to a report by Adobe and Epsilon, email marketing ROI is higher than any other digital channel. Email marketers achieve a return on investment (ROI) of $38 for every dollar spent on email marketing.
This is over three times the ROI of social media, which clocks in at $11 per dollar spent.
As technology continues to evolve, more businesses are turning to email marketing as a way to reach their target audience and drive conversions.
However, social media still makes up an essential part of any brand marketing strategy.
In this article, we’ll look at how email marketing and social media can work together to give your brand the best possible chance of success.
You own your email list, but you don’t own your social media following
There are a few things that are unique to email marketing. The biggest one is that you own your list.
This means that if you want to send out a newsletter to customers who have purchased from your store, you can do so without any restrictions.
You don’t need anyone’s permission or approval to send that email—you just need to be sure that you’re sending it to people who have opted in (that is, people who have given you their permission by opting into your mailing list).
On the other hand, social media is different. When you post something on Facebook or Instagram, there are rules about who can see it and when they can see it.
On top of that, social networks may change their algorithms, reducing your organic post’s reach and forcing you to pay for advertising if you want to reach your audience.
It’s easier to collect followers than it is to collect email addresses
A study by MailChimp showed that it is 5 times harder to collect email addresses than it is to collect followers on social media.
According to a recent study, 66% of people would rather follow a brand on social media than get their content via email.
Here are some of the challenges that come with collecting people’s emails:
- Getting their permission
- Getting them to trust you enough to share their contact information
- Getting them to use the email address you collected
Email has higher conversion rates
Email has higher conversion rates than any other marketing channel.
A study from the Harvard Business Review found that email has a conversion rate of 3.37%, which is significantly higher than social media (1.49%) and search engine marketing (0.38%).
But the real magic happens when you combine the power of email with other channels.
For example, according to a report from McKinsey, combining email and search engine marketing increases the number of new customers by 25%.
Email is people’s preferred channel for receiving promotional content
When asked what their preferred channel is for receiving promotional content, 59% of consumers said email, followed by direct mail at 19%, then texts at 5%.
According to a recent study by Campaigner, Americans spend more time on email than any other channel, with an average of 10 hours a day spent checking and reading emails.
That’s more than Facebook (6 hours), Twitter (4 hours), Instagram (3 hours), Pinterest (2 hours), and Snapchat (1 hour).
Read also: How Do You Make a Good Lead Magnet?
Social media generates brand awareness more effectively than email marketing
According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.
So it’s no wonder that social media marketing has become the most popular way for brands to increase their online presence.
Social media marketing is critical to any content marketing strategy because it helps you build a following and create awareness about your brand.
It also allows you to connect with your audience while they’re relaxed (i.e., not actively looking for information), which can build loyalty, increase brand loyalty and boost sales over time.
The benefits of building awareness via social media are numerous 👇
- It allows you to connect with customers on a personal level through social channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
- It helps you communicate directly with your target audience on platforms where they’re already spending time (so there’s less competition for attention)
- It can improve SEO rankings by helping search engines index more pages about your business or product
Social media can help you get the word out about your email marketing activity
Social media is an excellent tool for getting people to sign up for your email list because it lets you build relationships with people who are interested in what you’re selling.
When people follow you on social media accounts like Facebook or Twitter, they’re telling you that they want more from you. So why not give them something extra?
- Ask your followers to subscribe by adding a “subscribe” or “sign up” button on your social media posts.
- Give away a free gift in exchange for an email address (like a free e-book).
- Ask them if they want to be added to a newsletter that will be sent out once per week.
- Offer exclusive content that can only be accessed by signing up for an email subscription.
Read also: How long does it take to build an audience on social media?
Takeaway: Though it’s helpful to use both, email marketing is currently more effective than social media
With email marketing, you own your audience. When a person signs up for your email list, they allow you to send them relevant content. You control the frequency and timing of emails. With social media, you have no control over who sees your posts.
Email marketing has the advantage of being a direct, personal connection with your customers. You can send them information about their favorite products and services in real-time, and they’ll be able to respond immediately.
You can also control who gets what email—if someone purchases from you once, they might not need another reminder that you exist. But if they haven’t purchased yet, then an email will let them know about new products or promotions in a way that feels more like “hey, I’m thinking of you” than “I’m trying to sell you something.”
Social media is a great way to build relationships with potential customers on a more casual basis. Still, it takes longer for those relationships to develop into sales than they do through email marketing.
Both of these strategies used together can provide you with a solid way to build your business.