Would an Olympic diver jump into a body of water without first accessing their surroundings and, most importantly, deciding how they plan to hit the water? Of course not! At least, not if they want to protect themselves and their career.
In many ways, your email list is your greatest asset. Email is consistently ranked number one among marketing activities with a whopping 2,900% ROI. Whether you're a B2C business sending transactional emails or a B2B business guiding leads and prospects through the buyer's journey with nurturing campaigns, email is where the rubber meets the road. But running a successful email marketing campaign takes planning and knowledge of how to maximize your engagement.
Did you know that only 3% of buyers are active buyers? Active buyers are ready to purchase and are searching for the company that can best meet their needs.
That means that 97% of buyers are passive buyers. They're in the early stages of the buyer's journey and still investigating solutions to their problems. That's why it is crucial that companies produce helpful content that positions them a resource for prospective buyers in this early stage, and that guides buyers through the subsequent stages of the buyer's journey.
Marcus Sheridan of The Sales Lion claims that 70% of people who contact a company already know they’re going to do business with them. That’s because they’ve done their research online prior to contact; even if they’re looking for a financial advisor. Therefore, having an effective, optimized online presence is required in order to compete these days.