Social media seems to be the latest focus in digital marketing, and for good reason – it’s only becoming more and more popular, and there are tons of consumers who spend a lot of time on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. However, when it comes to the best channel for marketing your dealership and showcasing your RV products and specials, email wins. While the use of various social media platforms may be sporadic, and often dependent on other factors (amount of free time, for example), email is reliable. People aren’t deleting their email accounts anytime soon, and most people check their emails every day.
Effective marketing is all about putting yourself in front of the customer, and making sure your products are seen. No matter how great your Facebook post looks or how good of a deal your dealership is offering to social media followers – it won’t matter if the right audience isn’t present in those places. While it’s possible to miss many members of your target audience on social media, nearly all of your potential customers have an email inbox. These prospects are also more likely to be engaging with email on a daily basis, increasing your dealership’s chance to get through to them.
Email marketing has three major benefits:
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It’s convenient. People can check their emails on smartphones and other mobile devices, so they don’t even have to be sitting at a computer. Those emails are available to them all day, every day. It’s also easy for recipients to flag or bookmark your email for later – something that’s not so simple to do on social media.
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It’s expected. Sales tactics via social media posts may be frowned upon – that’s where people go for entertainment! But promotional messages, special offers, and other sales-focused content is commonly found in emails. Even if people aren’t interested, they are much less likely to be bothered. An email isn’t as invasive as a sales call, and it’s more personal than a social media post.
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It’s professional. Email is the preferred method of communication for nearly all generations. It’s also more formal than social media, making it the more appropriate channel for delivering dealership announcements.
According to Exact Target Research, 58% of people check email as their first online platform of the day, compared to 11% who check Facebook first. MarketingProfs Research found that 77% of consumers prefer email for promotional messages, and emails convert three times better than the same types of messages on social media platforms.
Email may seem predictable or old-fashioned, but it works. Retailers should absolutely engage on social media, as consumers expect to see them there too, but email marketing continues to drive the best results. Diversifying your dealership’s digital strategy is wise – but you can’t argue with the best return on investment, and that comes with email marketing. Gain legitimate leads and new customers by landing in your perfect prospect’s inbox.