Social media is still a top marketing option, but some companies are overlooking the relatively low overhead email marketing option. Here’s why it’s wise to invest in email marketing instead of social media. 

Is Social Media Marketing More Beneficial than Email Marketing? 

Social media algorithms are making it more challenging to gain traction on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But, despite these challenges, content marketing is still a major need for any company looking to grow and serve their existing client base. 

So how is a company supposed to reach clients and grow? The answer: a solid email marketing strategy.

“Email marketing gives you the ability to communicate with a highly-segmented audience,” says Jeanne Sager, senior brand and community engagement specialist at Teachstarter.com “It enables a brand to speak directly to the consumer using the messaging that's personalized and specific to their needs. While social media can be highly effective at drawing in new customers at the top of your funnel, Email marketing allows you to move your leads down the funnel and bring them closer to conversion.” 

It may feel counterintuitive to add more Email when we already get so much, but think of all the really great news organizations, celebrities, and brands you love and think of how nice a personalized, curated message from them each week might be. That’s the joy and beauty of the best newsletters. 

Good newsletters understand what clients want to see, which questions they need answered, and what problems they need solved—then, the email newsletter gives the recipient what they need. They offer thought-provoking content and exciting opportunities while also subtly marketing or promoting a service or product related to the email topic or theme. There is a reason quality emails  have become so popular and that reason is simple: People love great content. 

So why should you choose Email marketing over social media? Here are seven reasons: 

1. Email Marking is a Great Return on Investment

According to Mailchimp, the average open rate of a marketing Email is about 23 percent. The average click-through rate approaches 3 percent. Meanwhile, the average click-through for a paid ad on Facebook is less than one percent. The average Facebook cost per click across all industries is $0.42. Both are ideal, but if you are creating your own Emails and only have the budget for one strategy, clearly Email marketing gets a better return. 

2. Email Is More Enticing

It’s human nature. Think of the times you are scrolling through Facebook and you come across  what is clearly a paid ad and sponsored post. Even when the product or service is something that might interest you, the fact that it’s a paid ad may make you less likely to click. Email feels personal and if you can strike the right note of a friendly chat with a lot of value add, you will earn even more subscribers.  

3. It Will be Seen

As long as your newsletter stays out of spam boxes, it will be seen. If you catch their eye even once, chances are they will look again the next week and the next until you have an audience. 

4. It Stands the Test of Time

Social media platforms go in and out of favor and they change algorithms constantly. You may feel you have things under control with your social media marketing plan one day and the next, algorithms change and you are back to where you started. It can feel like an endless game of Chutes and Ladders. Email marketing is a building tool, one you can rely on as different social media platforms fall in and out of favor. 

5. It Builds Relationships

When you send an Email that connects, you are speaking directly to your potential customer and their name is in your database. If you ask for feedback, as many good newsletters do, you are also able to directly correspond with potential clients. They can tell you what they like, what works for them, and what they would like to see in future newsletters. It’s much more personal than social media marketing and offers an opportunity to learn and grow and change to better serve your clients. 

6. It Positions You as the Authority

By creating unique content that you own and then sharing it in a great newsletter, you are telling clients that you are the expert in your field, whatever your field may be. Content can be anything whether it’s an article, video, infographic, or podcast, if you create it, you are the expert. When you share that content in a newsletter and it creates value, you not only sell your product, but you also become the authority. 

7. Email Marketing Drives Sales

Instagram and the like are very important for branding, but Email marketing is where the sales come in. A successful marketing plan will often utilize both, but discount Email at your own peril. It’s a very important tool and one we should all be using to the best of our ability. 

Summing it Up: Email is Ideal

Whether you’re a small business, nonprofit, budding startup, or an established brand with decades of experience, email marketing is one of the best ways you can establish trust, build connection, and increase retention with your audience. Social media is another useful tool to engage your audience, but it lacks the long-term benefit that email marketing has: creating a community of people and their contact information that you and your business can always access. Unlike social media, email marketing allows you to “own” your contact information, without being beholden to the algorithm of a social media platform. Email marketing allows you to develop a library of content that is useful, informative, and interesting to your audience—it’s all in all a fantastic marketing tool to build your business.