The Unique Benefits of Email Lists

By Daniel Zolinski | July 5, 2023

Is an email list more effective than social media? The short answer is…it depends. It depends on what your personal or company goals are. If you’re looking to build your relationship with your customers, go by email. If you’re looking for brand recognition with potential customers, use social media. Today, we will cover the effectiveness and benefits of an email list as most have neglected it after the incredible use and demand of social media platforms.

Benefit 1: Direct Communication

Email provides a direct and personal channel of communication with your audience. Social media algorithms can limit your reach to your audience, but your reach will never be limited through an email. If you have a business promotion, a product discount, or an important piece of information for your audience, you can contact them through email without having to guess whether your social media audience saw your post.

Benefit 2: Targeted Marketing

An email list means you have a group of people who willingly expressed interest in your company or industry! This allows you to cater your messaging based on the subset of people who are interested. Further, creating segments in your email list will create more relevance in every email you send, which leads into Benefit 3:

Benefit 3: Relationship Building

When there is more relevance in the emails you send to your segmented audience, your messaging becomes more trusted, gives you more credibility, and increases the loyalty that your customers have to you. For example, if you send an email promoting a product at a discounted price, but the segment you’re sending to wants more information about the reliability of the product, there is no relevance and is a sure way for them to unsubscribe. Know your audience, build the relationship, and watch your engagement, conversions, and customer retention climb.

Benefit 4: Cost-Effectiveness

There will always be costs associated with any form of marketing you use if you want to improve your personal or company systems. Joe Kindness, creator of many internet businesses and now CEO of AgencyAnalytics, highlights that “Email marketing tends to have a significantly higher return than other channels, as it’s estimated that email generates $36 for every $1 spent – an astounding 3600% ROI.” Social media is around $2.80 for every $1 spent. If your business has a strict marketing budget, it’s highly recommended to utilize your email list.

Benefit 5: Ownership and Retargeting

Ownership over your audience means you have the luxury of contacting them whenever you desire, and your audience has the freedom to unsubscribe whenever they choose. Social media doesn’t allow for this. Yes, one can ‘block’ someone on social media to prevent any contact, but you can’t contact them easily. Yes, you can post pictures and videos, run ads, and send direct messages, but the algorithms of social media platforms constantly change, which means you must adjust your marketing efforts time and time again. An email marketing strategy allows you to repetitively retarget your exact audience without being at the mercy of any external platform or algorithm. Simply, you are in control.

If you want a direct line of communication, build a deeper relationship, and be in control of your audience, contact me at danielzolinski@smarterthought.com or Hotel Interactive Editor-in-Chief at dberman@hotelinteractive.com. For additional information and social media fun, follow BITAC Events on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and Hotel Interactive on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Let’s get those emails sent together!