8 Pros And Cons Of Content Vs eMail Marketing For eLearning Companies
Knowing how to effectively allocate your marketing resources can be challenging. Which strategies will offer the best return on your investment? How can you build a loyal online following and reach your target audience? Are promotional emails really worth the time and effort, or should you opt for a content marketing approach? Here are 8 points to consider when weighing the pros and cons of content vs email marketing for your eLearning company.
1. Fast Results Vs Long-Term Gains
eMail marketing usually leads to an influx of interest almost immediately. The email is sent to your entire mailing list at once. Thus, people are likely to click on the embedded links right away and cause a site visitor spike. However, content marketing typically yields more gradual, long-term gains. Readers may find the articles or posts weeks or months after you’ve published. Content marketing also has the potential to attract new clients or customers who aren’t on your mailing list.
2. Outbound Vs Inbound
Do you want to directly reach out to customers or let them come to you? eMail marketing involves contacting prospects one-by-one. Even if you use automated emailing software, you’re still initiating the communication. This helps you target prospects who have already shown interest in your products or services. On the other hand, a complete content marketing strategy allows prospects to come to you. They seek out the information you provide and decide whether they’d like to follow up, which eliminates some of the sales pressure.
3. Overall Cost
eMail newsletters or promos take time to create, especially if you include multimedia and visual elements. You must develop a new email for each new product or service, which requires additional resources. Not to mention, you only reach those who are already on your subscriber list. A single piece of content marketing has the ability to reach an unlimited number of prospects. For example, a well-written article can bring in new customers for years to come. As such, content marketing tends to be more cost-effective. You may need to allocate time and resources to create the article or guide, but it has the power to continually offer a return on your investment.
4. Audience Interest
Content marketing attracts readers who are already looking for the information you provide. Especially if you use targeted keywords to attract the right crowd. However, prospects in your email marketing list may not necessarily be interested in your newest products or services. In fact, the emails may become more a nuisance than an opportunity to generate new business. Particularly when customers or clients on your subscriber list have already fulfilled their needs. For example, they’ve completed the eLearning course design process and have all the eLearning authoring tools required.
5. Building Your Subscriber Base
eMail marketing capitalizes on your existing subscriber base, while content marketing helps you build the aforementioned list. Readers who come across your online content are already looking for those key tips or topics. Thus, they are more likely to provide their contact details to receive additional information. The key is to give them enough incentive to sign up. For example, a free eBook that features insider secrets, or a monthly newsletter that offers free advice. Every piece of content that you publish should contain a subscriber call to action. That way you can steadily build your list and build a better rapport with prospects.
6. Value-Added Content
Effective content gives site visitors the information they need to solve a problem or achieve a goal. Your primary goal is to increase your conversions, but it’s also essential to offer your readers value-added content. They are more likely to become loyal customers if you consistently provide helpful advice and accurate information. Keep in mind that it’s all about building trust with your prospects, as well as showcasing your unique eLearning expertise to enhance credibility and your brand image.
7. Level Of Audience Engagement
For the most part, eMail marketing is a one-way street. Your eLearning company sends emails to everyone on your mailing list. People have the option to click on the links or simply click away. Some may not even open the email in the first place. Conversely, content marketing allows you to interact with your customers and clients organically. They read the article on your eLearning blog, leave a comment, and you have the chance to communicate with them directly. In the case of Facebook or Twitter posts, followers can quickly share their opinions or thoughts to spark a full-fledged online discussion. Other readers also have the ability to interact with the original post and their peers. Therefore, content marketing involves a higher degree of audience engagement and participation.
8. SEO Efforts
eMails are generally only seen by people on your subscriber list. As such, they won’t do much to further your SEO efforts. On the other hand, content marketing is geared toward improving your search engine rankings, especially if you take the time to research targeted keywords and integrate them into your content organically. This helps your eLearning company stand out from the competition and drives new visitors to your site. People looking for ideas or tips in your eLearning niche are more likely to find your value-added content.
Content marketing offers you the ability to continually drum up business for your eLearning organization. However, it’s also wise to actively build a subscriber list to stay in touch with customers and clients. This allows you to maintain an open line of communication so that they can learn more about your latest products or services. You can even embed article or video links into your emails to deploy a hybrid marketing strategy.
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