| | | | The Pros and Cons of Email Marketing
by Dawn Varga
Updated July 27, 2024 Original article from May 25, 2023
Email marketing remains one of the most effective marketing channels, even beating out social media. In fact, emails tend to have higher engagement rates than social media posts, with an average open rate of around 20% compared to social media's 0.5%. And, email marketing often has a higher return on investment (ROI) than social media.On average, email marketing earns $36 for every dollar spent, while paid social media marketing earns $2.80. But the best marketing strategy is to use both in conjuntion with each other. (Open AI, 2024). | | | | Here are 5 PROs and 5 CONs of email marketing:
The PROs - Affordable with high ROI - In comparison to pay-per-click advertising and other paid ads, email marketing is a low-cost way to reach consumers. Bulk email blast campaigns are easy to create and can be very cost-effective. Because of the cost-effecitveness, email marketing is one of the highest ROI marketing channels for businesses.
- Personalization - The ability to personalize your marketing at scale allows businesses to communicate with consumers on a first-name basis. And personalized emails significantly increase email open rates and conversions, allowing you to build relationships and trust in your business.
- Increased web traffic and lead generation - Email marketing can significantly increase the number of visitors to your website. Using strategically placed calls-to-action links in your email campagins can generate quality leads fro business.
- Educate, entertain, promote - You can use email campaigns for a variety of purposes. You can educate potential customers about the benefits of your offerings and build brand loyalty. You can entertain your audience and provide interesting content to maintain their interest. And you can continually promote your products and services to current customers and stay top of mind.
- Large reach - Email has one of the largest audiences in the world. 88% of people in the United States use and check their email every day.
The CONs - Undelivered and spam emails - With the advances in email technology come some disadvantages for the sender. Spam filters and other settings may prevent your email from ever reaching some users. And while keeping your email list up-to-date can take time, doing so will prevent undelivered emails in the future.
- Lots of competition - Email marketing is extremely competitive. There are many companies trying to catch the attention of one customer. You neeed to figure out how to stand out and engage consumer interest.
- Good design and copywriting skills are a necessity - You must ensure that the email design you create will look good and be readable on all types of devices (computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc.) And, your copywriting should be a high level in order to engage and convert consumers.
- Need a large audience to see a big ROI - It's all about the stats! You will need a large audience to get open and click-through rates to a level that will provide meaningful leads and sales for your business.
- Unsubscribing is easy - Providing an unsubscribe link or button in mass email marketing is a requirement. This again puts the pressure on you to provide useful and engaging content to keep your subscribers on your list.
----------------------
Need help creating engaging email campaigns? OnTarget Digital Services offers effective Email Marketing solutions that fit any size business and any size budget. For more info, call us at (951) 394-1952, visit our website, or email us at info@ontargetdigitalservices.com | | | CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF OUR OTHER DIGITAL SOLUTIONS! | | | | |
Grilled Pizza
When you've run out of summer dinner ideas, grilled pizza is the only way to go!
Ingredients:
FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH (MAKES 2 PIZZAS):
- 1 1/4-oz. packet active dry yeast
- 2 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 c. warm water (90 to 100°)
- 4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for the surface
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
| | | | FOR THE CAPRESE-STYLE PIZZA WITH BURRATA (TOPPINGS FOR 1 PIZZA):- 1 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes
- 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. flaky sea salt, plus more to garnish
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, plus more leaves to garnish
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more to garnish
- 1/2 c. homemade pizza sauce or jarred marinara sauce
- 1 c. shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1 4-oz. piece burrata cheese
| | FOR THE ARUGULA-PROSCIUTTO PIZZA (TOPPINGS FOR 1 PIZZA):- 2 c. arugula
- 1/4 c. shaved parmesan cheese
- 1/4 c. thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 c. shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 6 slices prosciutto, halved cross-wise
| | | | Directions: - For the pizza dough: Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water (90 to 100°) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to combine and then let sit until bubbles have formed on the top, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt. Mix on low speed using a dough hook until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix until everything is well incorporated and the dough is sticky, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Drizzle the top of the dough and down the sides of the bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Use a rubber spatula to flip the dough to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough in half and form into tight rounds. To form a nice round, gently flatten one piece of dough onto the countertop in a circle and fold all the edges into the center. Flip it over and gently pull the round against the counter to form a taut ball. Set it aside on a lightly floured sheet tray. Repeat with the second dough ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. (If you're not ready to make pizza, place the rounds on a lightly floured baking sheet with enough space for them to rise and expand. Cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the covered dough balls for up to 3 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before proceeding.)
- Preheat a grill (charcoal or gas) to high heat (450˚ to 500°), with the coals or flames only under one half of the grill (indirect heat).
- Place a piece 14-inch piece of foil on top of an upside-down half-sheet pan. Lightly rub the foil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- On a well-floured surface, press 1 piece of dough into an 8-inch round with a 1-inch outer lip. Carefully lift the dough with your hands cupping the lip to keep from flattening it. Working quickly, rotate the edge of the dough through your hands in a clockwise motion, allowing gravity to stretch the dough into an oval shape. Place the dough back onto the floured surface and stretch it into an oval about 10 inches wide and 14 inches long. Transfer it to the prepared foil. (Be sure to keep the original bottom side of the dough, on the bottom.) Brush just the outer lip with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Using the upside-down baking sheet as a pizza peel, transfer the pizza, with the foil, to the preheated grill, over direct heat (the side with the coals or flame). Cover and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom is starting to brown and the edge of the crust is puffed. Lift one edge of the pizza from the foil with a spatula while you use tongs to pull the foil out from under the pizza. Flip the crust and cook over the coals or flame, about 2 minutes more (directly on the grill grates) until the top is browned. Flip the pizza and transfer to a cooling rack.
- For the Caprese-style pizza with burrata: Combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Spread the pizza sauce on the grilled crust and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Return the pizza to the grill over indirect heat (the side with no coals or flame). Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and top with the tomato mixture. Cut the piece of burrata into 8 pieces and space them evenly over the pizza. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with more sea salt and basil leaves, if you like.
- For the arugula-prosciutto pizza: In a medium bowl, combine the arugula, parmesan, red onion, lemon juice, salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix gently to combine. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the crust. Sprinkle with the garlic then mozzarella cheese. Return the pizza to the grill over indirect heat (the side with no coals or flame). Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and top with the arugula mixture. Drape the pieces of prosciutto evenly over the pizza.
| | | 10 Effective Email Marketing Strategies In 2024
By Sweta on Forbes.com Updated July 18. 2024
Effective email marketing is crucial for engaging and retaining customers. Email marketing offers a direct and personal way to connect with customers, in a place most people visit every day—their inbox. This article will explore 10 dynamic email marketing strategies, each offering unique benefits for businesses looking to enhance their communication and conversion rates.
In the following sections, you’ll discover strategies ranging from segmentation and personalization to integrating social media efforts, all designed to elevate your email marketing game. Let’s dive in.
What Is Email Marketing?Email marketing is a digital communication strategy where businesses send emails to a list of subscribers to promote products, share news or provide valuable content. It’s a personalized, cost-effective way to reach customers, build relationships and drive sales.
This direct marketing channel allows for targeted messaging, customer engagement and measurable results, making it a crucial tool in modern business marketing strategies. Why Email Marketing Is ImportantEmail marketing is known for its impressive return on investment (ROI). Due to its ability to deliver personalized content tailored to individual preferences and behaviors, it can drive conversions and sales more effectively than other marketing channels such as social media platforms.
Email marketing serves multiple purposes for a business. It’s a tool for nurturing customer relationships, providing regular touchpoints that keep your brand top-of-mind. Whether through newsletters, promotional offers or informative content, email allows for consistent and targeted communication with your audience.
It’s also a fantastic way to gather feedback and insights directly from your customers, helping you refine your products and services. Let us now delve into specific email marketing strategies. 10 Effective Email Marketing Strategies (With Examples) | | | | | | | | | | OnTarget Digital Services, LLC is a proud member of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, the RV Women's Alliance, the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the Corona Chamber of Commerce | | | | | Contact Info
OnTarget Digital Services, LLC Canyon Lake, California Call or Text: (951) 394-1952 Email: info@ontargetdigitalservices.com Website: www.ontargetdigitalservices.com | | | | | | | |