In an age where marketers are flocking towards Snapchat and VR campaigns, does the good, old-fashioned e-mail newsletter still have a place in your company? Believe it or not, the answer is a resounding “yes!”

This marketing channel has evolved with the times and is being used by many successful companies to generate leads and increase sales. As any digital marketing agency will tell you, there are many reasons why you should give it a shot.

Everyone still uses it

If you want to be seen, you need to use a channel that people often interact with. Before you answer “Facebook,” here’s a little statistic you might be surprised to know: according to research conducted by ExactTarget, 91% of all consumers in the country still use e-mail. Plus, thanks to the prevalence of smartphones, people don’t even need to log on to a desktop computer to do so—they can send and check e-mail wherever they may be.

Social media and e-mail are synergistic

Yes, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are great places to share your content, and you can even make sponsored posts to further broaden their reach. But social media is also a great way to encourage people to sign up for your mailing list.

For example, you can include an e-mail newsletter signup form in your articles. That way, you use social media to generate mass awareness for your content, and the people who click through can be given the option to join your mailing list. It also works the other way, as you can include social media links in your newsletters to encourage people to follow your social pages.

A great way to do promos

Of course, e-mail campaigns aren’t just useful for sharing the latest news about your company—you can also use it to inform your client base on your newest promos. According to a study conducted by the Nielsen company, 27% of US online shoppers sign up for newsletters in order to save money. Hence, you can use e-mail blasts to give your customer first dibs on sales and new products.

A survey from Loyalty360 also found that 59% of respondents would sign up for e-mail updates if a reward is being offered. As such, you can incentivize e-mail signups by offering a token gift or a virtual discount towards their first purchase. That way, they get a nice little something from you while you broaden your client database.

It’s a cost effective marketing channel

A joint study from Forrester Research and Shop.org found that 85% of U.S. retail companies see e-mail marketing as one of the best lead generation channels—and it’s not surprising why. After all, starting an e-mail campaign is considerably cheaper than launching a full-blown tri-media campaign. You don’t even need specialized software to create great e-mails, as there are now e-mail marketing services that offer beautiful templates that you just need to fill in.

While e-mail marketing is seen by some as “old school,” there’s no denying that it deserves a firm place in your overall marketing mix. With its reach and cost-efficiency, you’d be remiss in not taking full advantage of this tried-and-tested channel.

Sources:

Top 5 Reasons Why Email Marketing Still Works, Inc.com

Does Email Marketing Still Work? 5 Reasons Email is Still King, TheBalance.com