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As brands of all sizes work to understand and conduct business in the uncertain atmosphere of an ongoing global pandemic, marketers have been putting in the hours and the research to figure out which methods of customer outreach are the best options for the money. Budgets are being slashed all over, and it can seem sometimes like email marketing efforts in particular are ripe for the chopping block. But instead of cutting email efforts, businesses of all sizes are actually prioritizing email over other channels, according to several recent studies--most notably one by Chief Marketer. This development is no surprise to us at Site Impact, of course; but it’s worth diving into the numbers and looking into why brands are steering increasingly towards email as a top engagement tool.
First, it’s important to note the actual findings of studies concerning the most desirable or most strongly invested digital marketing channels, according to the people making the decisions. Email marketing takes the top three for 39% of marketers surveyed in a recent Chief Marketer study, compared to 28% prior to Covid-19. In another finding, 40% of marketers have begun seeing email as one of their largest sources of B2C engagement, up from 29% of marketers who felt that way prior to the pandemic. Email marketing overtook search and word of mouth advertising to hit the top three alongside social, which is really saying something for how brands are feeling about the channel in the new reality we’ve been plunged into. With businesses of all kinds slashing marketing budgets, it seems as though email is still given the priority--especially since part of that budget cutting is for things like live, in-person events which are a much dicier proposition now.
Of course, for those of us in the email marketing industry, the takeaway is very promising: brands of varying sizes intend to prioritize email over some other channels, even in light of cut and diminished marketing budgets. But more broadly, this is indicative of trends in digital marketing that bear looking into: in response to the pandemic and all its various alarms and uncertainties, people still consider email a trusted channel through which to receive information from brands. This may seem like something of an obvious observation, but it does mean that even once the crisis has eventually been brought more fully under control (whether that happens this year, next year, or sometime after), consumers will still be placing a high premium on email as a trusted channel--and brands will continue to need email marketing services.
The study released by Chief Marketer isn’t the only indication of the way the wind is blowing; instead it’s the latest in a series of proofs that email marketing is a major mainstay that brands of all sizes are looking to hold onto even as they cut budgets down to make up for lost business opportunities during the lockdown, and an unsteady reopening process. As several states eye the possibility of going once more into quarantine status, it will continue to be a preferred method for businesses to keep in touch with consumers and business buyers alike. Contact Site Impact to hear how we can help keep your email campaigns performing at the highest level through any crisis.
