Why Email Marketing Works

Why Email Marketing Works

By Frank Marafiote, President
Emerge Communications

Research shows that email marketing and newsletter programs work! The reasons are simple: 

1) You need to be there when your prospect is ready to buy. A newsletter or email marketing program keeps your brand in front of your prospects on an on-going basis. When the time comes to buy, your company will be in the right place at the right time -- and will make the sale.

2) Prospects go through different stages before making a purchase -- and you can guide them every step of the way. Prospects go through need recognition, information search, and evaluation stages before making a purchase. Your email marketing program or newsletter can provide helpful information -- and keep your brand front and center -- during each step along the way. 

3) Prospects need constant reminders that you are "out there" and have the products or services that will meet their needs. Reaching a prospect just once or twice is not enough. Given all the ad "clutter" consumers face, it's easy for them to forget what they've seen or read. An effective email marketing or newsletter program gives your prospects numerous opportunities to see and respond to your message.

4) Prospects buy from people they know and trust. Unless you're selling a generic commodity, prospects want to feel good about who they are buying from. If they don't like you or haven't learned to trust you, they are less likely to buy. Sending them helpful, useful information helps them to get to know you and trust you. Because you are in touch with them on a regular basis, they learn that they can rely on you.

5) Relationships benefit buyers and sellers. Companies usually think in terms of building customer relationships because they benefit the company --and, they do. But there's another side to those relationships. Prospects also want to build relationships with companies because it makes repeat purchases easier, less stressful, and less risky. They also want to feel that they made a good decision when they bought from you the first time.

Your on-going email marketing and newsletter program helps to build and maintain that relationship. In the future when your customer is ready to buy again, you'll make the sale, not a competitor.  And when it comes to getting referrals, a satisfied customer who feels a connection to you and your business will feel good about recommending your company to friends, family members, or other businesses.

Email marketing programs and newsletters are effective because they satisfy a prospect's basic needs for timely information and on-going reassurance.  

Frank Marafiote, MBA, is the president of Emerge Communications, a marketing planning and public relations consulting firm located in Gilford, NH. He has more than 25 years experience providing marketing, advertising, and public relations services to small and home-based businesses, non-profit organizations, and large organizations in industries as diverse as health care and financial services. 

Frank is also an adjunct marketing instructor for Southern New Hampshire University, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in marketing, advertising, and strategic planning.