Email is consistently ranked as the most widely used application on the Internet. According to Epsilon International via the Econsultancy blog in June 2009:

Email is used more often than social media for personal communication. 79% of respondents use email as their main means of communication, only 10% use social networks.

Email has long been used as a form of marketing, but if you are new to the email marketing game, you may not be sure how to use it and what results you can expect. Here are our top five uses of email marketing:

1. Newsletters

You can create newsletters to send out to current and potential customers on a regular basis. Some companies opt for weekly, others monthly. If you’re really interested, you could even submit them daily (as long as the content is high-quality). Sending email newsletters is a very effective form of communication and helps to further enhance your brand. The more you can keep your name and logo in front of customers and prospects, the more likely you are to be at the top of the list when the customer wants to make a purchase.

Newsletters can contain a variety of information: new web pages you have added, new articles, changes in your business, new product lines, anything goes, as long as it is of value to the person to whom it is sent.

2 promotions

Many organizations like to use email marketing to send coupons / codes or to promote a special offer they have. Offering exclusive coupons to mailing list subscribers has also proven to be an effective way to grow your email marketing list. If people are already committed to your business, what better way to strengthen the relationship than by offering them your own special offers?

3. Invitation to the eventions

Email marketing is a great way to promote the events that you can host. Not only can you send emails to inform clients and prospects that you are hosting an event, but you can also use email to invite people directly. Email marketing tools are highly sophisticated and can be customized, making them great as an invitation tool. It also reduces the cost of printing and shipping traditional invitations.

4. Promote blog posts

If you create a regular blog, you can use email to promote each new blog post. Some people may prefer to receive a direct email containing your blog post, rather than having to visit your site directly. Alternatively, you can send a weekly or monthly email containing a summary of all your recent blog posts and use it as a way to drive traffic to your site.

5. Business updates / press releases

If you’ve launched a new product, hired a new staff member, or have any other type of newsworthy announcement, email marketing is a great way to communicate this to your mailing list. You can also use email marketing to send press releases in bulk to your list of journalists.

The main benefits of email marketing are:

• Speed
• Flexibility
• Low cost
• Ability to measure results

These benefits make it a useful tool for all businesses, large and small. The low cost of entry means that virtually anyone can get involved and start using it.