If you’ve been skeptical about the power of email as a marketing tool, you might want to reconsider your position.

A 2018 report by Statista found that an average of 269 billion emails were sent each day in 2017, with that number projected to grow to more than 333 billion emails (with 4.3 active users) by 2022. And, according to a 2017 survey by Adobe, nearly 53 percent of email users check their mail more than 10 times a day.

With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that so many salespeople focus heavily on email as a marketing tool. But, just in case you still aren’t sold on why you need to email clients, keep reading for five compelling reasons that you can’t afford notto use email (along with a few free email marketing resources that will help you kick-start your own campaigns).

Email keeps you top of mind

Simply put: emailing clients is a great way to build relationships. While some marketers feel that they can get more accomplished with a client over the phone or in person, there are some real benefits to sending an email instead.

• Convenience. Emails can be opened when and where the client is ready, meaning you’re less likely to catch them at a bad time.
• Less aggressive. Some prospects won’t pick up a sales call, but they might be persuaded to open an email with a compelling subject line.
• Great for retention. Emails are a great way to stay in touch with past clients, especially around holidays and life milestones.

In short, emails offer not just an effective method for getting in touch with leads, but also a convenient way to keep in touch with your customers. And, when you let your clients know you’re thinking of them, they’re more likely to think of you and your business.

You can use more than just words

Of course, in order to truly stay top of mind with customers, you need to offer value. This is another area where email truly shines as a mode of communication. When you email a client, you aren’t limited to just words—you can send useful links, compelling images, and helpful documents.

To get an idea of how images, graphs, and other multimedia content might increase click-through rates on your emails, check out this 2019 report by Campaign Monitor.

If you’re looking for a way to really stand out in your email marketing, consider sending one of our digital magazines. They are one of the four digital marketing tools you get with our Digital Marketing Platform. They’re full of delicious recipes and shareable articles and best of all, they’re personally branded for you—reminding everyone you send it to of the immense value you offer.

The ROI is amazing

As with any other form of marketing, what you get out of email depends heavily on what you put into it. Having said that, there are two big reasons that businesspeople are so keen on email: it’s relatively inexpensive, and it gets results.

Digital marketers have been touting email’s ROI potential for years, and it has shown few signs of slowing down. A 2018 study from DMA found an ROI of £32.38, which translates to $42 for each dollar spent.

Of course, when you take a relationship-based approach to your marketing, your individual sales will almost always lead to repeat business and referrals in the future—which gives you all the more reason to start emailing clients today.

Younger consumers prefer emails

If you’re a real estate agent, financial advisor, or other service-based sales professional, millennials are one of your biggest target demographics, as they’re expected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025.

When it comes to millennials and email, the statistics speak for themselves. A 2017 survey from Adobe found that people age 18–34 check their email more than any other group. That same year, Campaign Monitor reported that 89% of millennials preferred to be emailed by retailers, compared to any other method of contact. In a 2018 study by Fluent, more than two-thirds of millennials claimed promotional emails had influenced at least a few of their purchasing decisions.

When you engage with your millennial prospects, keep in mind that you’re working to build a relationship that could span decades and generate quite a bit of business. That means spending a little bit more now on your email marketing could prove incredibly fruitful in the long run.

If you’re a real estate agent looking to connect with millennials, check out our free e-book.

It’s easy to get started

One of the best things about email marketing is that you can get started right away. It only takes a few minutes to compose and send a personal email to a client—asking them how they are and letting them know you’re available, should they need anything.

But of course, you’ll see greater results from your email campaigns when they’re more strategic. If you could use a little help with your email marketing, we’ve got a trio of free success guides designed to help you hit the ground running.

• How to Build, Grow, and Segment Your Mailing List
• The Starter Guide to Email Marketing
• How to Be Successful with Your Digital Edition

Now that have a better idea of just how effective email is and how to make it work for you, you can make it a cornerstone of your marketing efforts.