With the rate (and ingenuity) with which technology and communication is constantly evolving, you’d be forgiven for thinking that social media, robo-calling, and chat bots would dethrone email, but think again.
Good old, reliable email remains the lifeline of our professional world and the king of lead generation and sales – slamming the competition when it comes to generating quality leads.
Here are five (very good) reasons why.
1. Huge user base
It’s simple math. With 4.1 billion email users worldwide in 2021, and an expected increase to 4.6 billion by 2025, and almost 319 billion emails sent and received every day (according to one of Radicati Group Email Market’s latest reports), email’s user base is simply much larger than any other platform. Compare it to Facebook, the largest social platform, and its 1.96 billion daily active users (approx.), and Twitter’s paltry 217 million; and then add it to the fact that unlike cold calling and text messages, emails have the potential for reaching an extended global audience too. It’s a no-brainer.
2. Primed prospects
Email users are more likely to be in a buying frame of mind when they open their inbox. Why? Unlike on social media, they expect to receive offers this way – they are already primed to receive and act on offers. With social platforms users are generally there to catch up with friends, browse content, and play games, so your message is more often than not crowded out by the latest hashtag (#) or cat beatboxing. With email, you can train your customers to expect offers from you and teach them about your value on a regular basis.
In addition to this, you can easily collect and store valuable customer data by using email. This information can then be used to create highly targeted, personalised forms of communication that help your business increase its conversion rates.
3. High attention ratio
Email users are 14 times more likely to see your message than those on social media – this has been researched, you don’t need to take our word for it. Email is designed to reach the exact subscriber you intend it to, at virtually no cost. Meanwhile, social media platforms can limit who sees your posts or ads, and make you pay for every click. Email is also non-invasive and persistent, giving you more face time with your prospects and a greater chance of getting your message across.
With emails, you can also follow-up with curated, personalised messages with just a few sentences and clicks. These follow-up emails help engage prospects, build relationships with current customers, and even track conversions.
4. Personal and professional
Emails are like letters on the internet, simulating a personal connection far better than reels, stories, status updates or tweets. They are also easy to automate and track, making them a more professional choice for building real business relationships.
Take it personally – email offers businesses the flexibility and control to customise their messages, and craft emails that are tailored to individual customer needs, preferences, and interests.
5. Advanced Automation
While social media marketing can be automated using online tools, much of the technology is still in beta compared to email. Email is a mature, robust option that offers an effective, intuitive and seemingly more natural way of building relationships with your current customers, and importantly with new prospects, at scale.
Don’t underestimate the power of email in your next sales and lead generation journey – it’s the digital age’s answer to cold calling (without demoralising your sales team).
David Lichtenstein is the co-founder and CEO of Superhuman Sales. Helping B2B businesses grow their leads, sales and revenue is what Superhuman Sales does best by using a targeted lead email generation approach.