Email marketing has stood the test of time as an effective and cost-effective marketing vehicle. But it’s more than a lone tactic.

In this post, we’ll look at four ways email can drive conversions on other media channels.

branding

Most email opens and clicks occur on mobile devices. The combination of the “From” line, subject line and preheader increases brand awareness. And that branding can improve your performance on other channels.

I’ve seen recipients respond to offers without even opening the email. Therefore, the presence of your brand in a subscriber’s mobile inbox can drive conversions without an email receiving attribution.

Unopened emails on mobile are a form of branding with a sender line (“Company ABC”), a subject line (this weekend only — 50% off in store), and a preheader (“Heading to 123 Main Street…”). ).

direct mail

Direct (physical) email is booming as the iOS privacy changes slowed the performance of online advertising. For many marketers, direct mail response rates are steady. But even a modest lift can generate new customers.

Carefully timed e-mail helps to arrive just before the physical mailer. In our tests with our clients, we’ve found an average of at least a 20% increase in total response rate when receiving a combination of mail and direct mail versus receiving either or both.

As a result, the most effective combination of the two is an “open the door” e-mail message, followed by direct mail, and finally an e-mail reminder.

Social media

Buyers’ channel preferences are difficult to predict. A customer who buys frequently by email may have clicked on her Instagram ad for the same offer. Alternatively, the buyer may have first seen the offer in an email, then in a paid search listing, and finally clicked on an ad in her Facebook feed to purchase the product.

In other words, the modern buying journey is made up of multiple touches and channels.

Through testing, we found that clicks and conversions from display ads and social media posts increased by up to 70% when combined with email messages to the same audience.

Promote in-store purchases

It may seem counterintuitive, but email can encourage shopping in physical locations.

For example, this email from cake shop The Bakerista offers the recipient 25% off their next order or “buy one, buy one more cupcake” in store.

This “I miss you” email offers online and offline incentives to encourage repeat customers.

test is the key

The combination of a fragmented digital landscape and an “always-on” mobile consumer complicates attribution. But even without recognition, email mostly plays a role.

If you use email to boost other channels, create multiple control groups to measure lift.

For example, 1/3 of your audience will receive only display ads, 1/3 will receive only emails, and 1/3 will receive both. This tactic establishes a baseline response index and overall lift when channels are combined.