The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we operate and conduct business as a whole. This is true for most businesses across varied industries. With harsher lockdown restrictions your business might be restricted from selling certain products or offering certain services. As we try and adjust to the ever-changing regulations and find a new normal you might be wondering whether you should keep sending email marketing campaigns to your audience.

If your business is unable to operate as per normal, you may be thinking of cutting costs to reduce your overheads or pausing some of your marketing activities. We look at the reasons why this isn’t necessarily the right approach.

Retention is much more cost-effective than acquisition

Did you know that it can cost 5 times more to acquire customers than to retain them? Source: Investp If you’ve been working on acquiring new customers, you’ll know that acquisition can be extremely costly. Not sending emails to your audience can cause you to lose them, which means you’ll have a harder job of retaining customers in the future. This means increased costs and extra stress to grow your business. Retention on the other hand can lead to higher returns on your initial acquisition investment and create stability in terms of your bottom line.

MAIL BLAZE TIP: Instead of focusing on what you can’t deliver or do right now, encourage your subscribers to keep ordering your products or to pre-book your services now so that they are first in line when your business can operate as per normal again.

Use email as a brand-building opportunity

Harsh lockdowns won’t be around forever. Sending regular company updates will ensure that your brand stays top of mind. Communicating through this difficult time can help you improve your brand visibility and show a different side to your business.

MAIL BLAZE TIP: Share more personal behind-the-scenes content of your business - or even highlight how this lockdown period is affecting your business or brand. This will create more brand affinity and strengthen your position in the market. You could also remind your audience about your values, vision, how the business started and why.

Don’t let your competitors steal your thunder

While you might decide to not email your audience during this time, your competitors may decide to stay in touch with their audience. Leaving gaps in communication can be detrimental to your business and lead to you losing market share if you’re not top of mind. Set yourself apart from your competitors by staying in touch with your customers.

MAIL BLAZE TIP: Thank your customers for their support and create content that shows how much you appreciate them. You could also inform customers about what you are doing to enhance your offer while you are unable to operate, which will create excitement for when you return.

Captive audience due to more time spent at home

Email is a very personal form of communication. HBR states that professionals check their emails on average 15 times per day. That equates to someone checking their email every 37 minutes. Email as a marketing channel presents you with a very highly active audience. With more people spending time at home and not having to commute, employees are spending more time online. It’s safe to assume they're spending more time checking their inboxes too.

Use this time to up your content game

If one of the areas you’ve been wanting to focus on is creating more content to distribute to a wider audience- now is the time. Not only will these assets serve you well to create awareness of your brand, but you’ll also be able to repurpose some of this content for your email marketing campaign. Win-win! Send more traffic to your website through your email marketing efforts. You’ll be able to set yourself apart through the knowledge and content you share and keep engaging your audience.

Closing thoughts:

• We’re all in this together, make sure your customers know that you’re there for them during these turbulent times
• While we fight to flatten the curve, connecting with your audience is more important than ever
• Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect and create long-lasting relationships and brand affinity with your audience