Rumors of email marketing’s death have been greatly exaggerated. To be honest, I’m not sure where this idea started. How many times have you made an unplanned purchase because of a snazzy email landing in your inbox? If you say “zero,” then you either have amazing willpower, or you’re fibbing. Yes, there are those companies who give email marketing a bad name, but just like every other marketing tool, it’s something that can be used for good or evil. When used properly, email can give you a huge ROI for very little effort. So throw out everything you thought you knew about email marketing and learn how this easy tool can be used to boost your bookings.
Long Live Email Marketing
According to Constant Contact, email has been generating the highest ROI for marketers for the past 10 years. They also say it’s 40% more likely to garner you new customers than social media. Similarly, a message is five times more likely to be seen in an email than on Facebook. We could wax poetic about email marketing all day. The point is, email marketing is more effective than ever, and it’s not showing any sign of slowing down.
So why does email convert higher than social media and blogs? Again, we could go on about it all day, but here are a few of the top reasons:
Build a Connection
Sure, no one reading your email is going to assume that you’re sending it to them and only to them. Still, there’s something more personal about email when compared to blogs or social media. Instead of a webpage that just anyone can open, your reader has a message that landed in their inbox. As long as the email is timely, relevant to their needs, and well-designed, your customers will close your email feeling good about your brand. Even if they don’t book something right that moment or click through to your website, you’ve still left an impression on that. In a competitive market like the hospitality industry, that’s priceless.
Tell a Story
When it comes to telling a complete story, email is more flexible than blogs or social media. Blogs perform best when they deliver exactly what they were selling. If you’re opening a blog about restaurants and it suddenly starts talking about local theme parks, you’re probably going to click off, and Google is going to know that this blog is useless. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are best used to deliver short, snappy messages that are image-focused. Emails, on the other (third?) hand, allow you to give your reader more choices. You can promote your blog on the best restaurants, promote a room, and feature any upcoming local events all in the same message. Suddenly, you’ve painted a vibrant picture for your reader, and they’re now enticed to book a stay.
Experiment a Little
If you’ve ever agonized over which photo to use in your marketing materials, you’re not alone. You should hear some of the debates around the office about which emoji seems more inviting. Luckily, most email platforms (including the one we use) make it easy to perform A/B tests. You can easily narrow down the sort of content your audience prefers and create better, more effective emails with every test! Best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
So Where Do I Start?
I’m not going to lie — email marketing is a commitment. It’s not quite a “to have and to hold” level of commitment, but it’s something to which most business owners can’t devote hours a week. With so much potential revenue out there, you’ll need to enlist the help of some industry experts to maximize your efforts. Whether you’re a vacation rental, a hotel, or a bed and breakfast, we can help you meet your goals.
Get in touch with us and find out more about our services.