The Future of Email and Mobile Marketing for Your Business

If you want to successfully make money online and run a business that lasts for years to come, you need to be focusing on your email marketing. Over the past 20 years, I’ve been able to see firsthand the massive power of email marketing and how it’s gone from it’s most simple form of “You’ve Got Mail” on AOL, to now being used for list building, automation and retargeting. At the same time, something even more amazing about email is that everyone is still using it.

Websites have changed, social media has changed and now mobile devices are taking over — but email is still one of the most important and effective ways to still communicate with one another today.

With all of this talk on email, let’s cover some of the best ways you should be using email data, collection and marketing within your own business — starting today!

Individual Email Marketing Outreach is Dead

As a blogger and owner of many sites, I get a ton of emails every day from random people with the same requests — asking if they can guest post on my sites or if I would like content to post. In most cases, no — I’m not interested, and it’s usually very clear in these emails that they are automated and sent out in a mass scale. It gets annoying, but that’s how the industry is. However, what you do need to know, is that it works!

When it comes to email marketing and any type of outreach, it’s all about the numbers. If you send out enough emails and ask for something to enough people, you are eventually going to get some replies and even a few who are interested.

In the past, this was a huge pain. You would need to compile a list of names and emails, then manually send out an email to each person. Sure, it was more personal and probably worked better, but it was also tedious and extremely time-consuming.

Now, there are better options in place. One such solution is called Mailshake, which makes the process of promoting content, building relationships, and generating leads a whole lot easier. Instead of needing to do all of that manual work, a solution like Mailshake allows you to import user data, create automatic follow-ups when someone replies, allows for calendar optimization to make sure your emails are sent out at the best times and of course built-in personalization. If you are actively promoting any type of content or looking to build new relationships through cold email marketing, this is a tool you should definitely keep an eye on.

Website to Email to Mobile Device

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, we’ve seen some massive transitions over the past decade when it comes to how content is created and delivered on the internet today. Email is still one of the best ways to get your message delivered, but when you start playing around with mobile devices, things can really start getting exciting.

Desktop traffic is on a downward spiral, while tablet and mobile viewing continue to rise. What does this mean for site owners who rely on desktop and search traffic? Simple… make sure your sites are optimized and responsive for viewing on all devices, but also have a plan in place to engage with your mobile audience as well.

A common problem for many brands and online businesses is getting their site visitors and customers to actually download their mobile applications. This is usually a process of the user visiting a website, maybe putting in their email and needing to click the download link, then getting distracted and lost in the application store — all leading to fewer application downloads and sales for the company.

A better solution is through the use of text messaging and collecting a user’s mobile address, then sending them a direct download to the app right to their phone. Keep in mind, a person’s mobile device number is very important to them, but when they want something of value and are looking for instant gratification, they are more than willing to give it up — especially when it’s from a brand or service they trust.

Creating Opt-In Subscribe Forms for Desktop and Mobile

We already know the importance of collecting emails through the use of popup windows and subscribe forms on our sites. However, when it comes to email collection through mobile devices and tablets, it’s not so easy. There are a few different reasons for this, such as Google penalties for sites using too many or too obtrusive popups and layovers, and also how they can annoy a mobile device user when they are trying to read or access content.

In either case, the option for not using a subscribe form on your site or for your mobile traffic is not acceptable. One of the best options out there for accomplishing this is OptinMonster. Not only do they have the hottest application on the market for increasing email signups and engagement on your site, they also have built-in popup windows and layovers built specifically for mobile devices as well — all while also being compliant with Google terms and conditions.

Email Marketing is Still the Future for Your Business

No matter where you might currently be with your existing business, email marketing should still be a major focusing point. More than 70% of the people that visit your site for the first time are going to leave and never come back. This is just the way the numbers work… and the only way to keep them coming back for more is by grabbing their email address, mobile number or getting them to download your app. Be sure to implement each of these strategies into your business model and marketing efforts today so you aren’t left in the dust behind your competition who already has such practices already in place.