11 Alternatives to Email Marketing for Reaching Customers

To explore effective alternatives to email marketing, we asked founders and marketing directors to share their personal experiences. From utilizing targeted social media advertising to embracing podcasting for engagement, here are eleven specific strategies these experts recommend.

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Utilize Targeted Social Media Advertising

My recommendation is to use social media platforms, particularly targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram. These platforms let you zero in on specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, making your marketing efforts highly efficient. 

From my experience, the ability to create visually engaging ads that appear directly in users’ feeds helps to capture attention more effectively than traditional email marketing. Social media ads also offer interactive elements, like polls and videos, that can engage customers in ways email often can’t.

I’ve found that combining organic social media content with paid ads creates a powerful synergy. It helps build brand awareness and drive traffic. By sharing valuable content and engaging directly with our audience, we establish a strong online presence. We amplify our reach with targeted ads, ensuring that our message gets in front of the right people. This strategy boosts engagement and helps in building a loyal customer base without relying solely on email campaigns.

Josh Bluman, Co-Founder, Hoppy Copy

Leverage LinkedIn Sales Navigator

I’m in the B2B space. There are a lot of people like me who use email for cold outbound in this industry. And to be fair, email is really good at reaching large amounts of decision-makers quickly. But it can often (and I mean OFTEN) err on the side of “spray and pray” spam tactics. I don’t think it’s done well by most cold email users. Open rates are atrocious. You’re always fighting spam filters. And with Gmail and Yahoo changes, it’s become harder than ever to reach your audience. 

The alternative I use to cold outbound email is LinkedIn Sales Navigator paired with an automation software that sends connection requests for me. Although smaller in scale, it allows me to enjoy a 20-40% connection rate compared to low email numbers. After I connect, I look for opportunities to start conversations. If I see an opportunity to help them, I ask to get on a call to show them some. 

There’s an art and science to this approach, but it does get me high-quality leads. Plus, these people will often see my content in their feeds. Connecting with new people grows my network. Creating content allows me to stay in touch with valuable insights. This two-pronged approach wins me new business every month—and I don’t have to piss off a bunch of strangers.

Justin Vajko, Founder & CEO, Dialog

Adopt SMS Marketing Strategies

SMS marketing is most similar to email in that it’s direct, digital communication. It averages better click-through rates and is easier to turn around than email, but also has fewer characters per message, different message rates for different countries, requires explicit consent, and quiet hours. 

Kar Lo, Email Marketing Specialist, Lo & Co. Marketing

Implement Direct-Mail Marketing Campaigns

With email inboxes becoming overly crowded, it’s up to marketers to “cut through the clutter” and grab their customers’ attention in unique and memorable ways.

One interesting strategy that we have implemented involves direct-mail marketing. Our shipping team includes small, educational inserts and tri-folds in every shipping box that leaves our warehouse. Not only is this incredibly cost-effective, but it also alerts customers of newly launched products, useful services, and active promotions we offer.

My best advice for this strategy is to ensure every direct-mail piece you send has a trackable element within its design. For instance, create a trackable QR code that customers can scan, a trackable phone number they can call, or even a campaign-specific promotional code they can redeem online. This way, your team can attribute new sales to your direct marketing campaign.

Direct mail is not dead! In my experience, educational shipping inserts can be an effective marketing touchpoint to keep our brand top-of-mind. Inserts also present easy upselling opportunities, such as encouraging customers to use a discount code for their next purchase.

Meaghan Maybee, Marketing Communications Specialist, pc/nametag

Engage Through Community Initiatives

This may seem a little far-fetched at first glance, but the most successful brands out there will tell you just how important community engagement is to their success. While we pay equal attention to the list of marketing and advertising channels that bring immediate results, we’ve also learned how crucial it is to engage with the community and build a long-standing relationship with our customers. 

The best part is how simple it is to accomplish this online. All it takes is to create a space for customers to interact and share, line up incentives to promote engagement, and follow through on trends to keep things fresh and lively. These measures not only increased our marketing reach but also provided us with valuable feedback and insights.

Raymond Anto, Founder, Congruen

Create Informative YouTube Videos

I’ve found that YouTube videos have been an incredibly effective alternative to email marketing for reaching our clients and potential clients. We created a YouTube channel to provide visual, easy-to-understand information about mesothelioma, asbestos exposure, and the legal process. Our videos cover a wide range of topics, from explaining how to file a mesothelioma claim to showcasing client testimonials and attorney profiles. We also produce short, animated explainer videos that break down complex legal concepts into digestible information. 

This approach has been particularly successful because it allows us to connect with our audience in a more personal and engaging way. Many people prefer visual content, and our videos help demystify the legal process for those dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis. We’ve seen a significant increase in engagement since launching our YouTube channel. Our videos have garnered thousands of views, and we’ve noticed an increase in website traffic from YouTube referrals. Many new clients have mentioned that they found our firm through our informative videos. 

An unexpected benefit has been the improved trust and rapport we’ve built with potential clients. By putting faces to our firm’s name and showcasing our expertise in a more relatable format, we’ve been able to establish a stronger connection before the first consultation. By leveraging YouTube’s platform, we’ve expanded our reach beyond our email list and positioned our firm as a go-to resource for mesothelioma-related information. This strategy has not only helped us attract new clients but also provided valuable support to the broader mesothelioma community.

Johnny Cargill, Marketing Director, The Lanier Law Firm

Collaborate With Influencers

Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful alternative to traditional email marketing. By collaborating with influencers who resonate with my target audience, I have been able to amplify my brand’s visibility and credibility. For instance, I partnered with a popular wedding planner who showcased my artificial bouquets in a styled shoot. The engagement and reach were significantly higher than what I typically achieve through email campaigns, leading to a noticeable increase in website traffic and sales. This approach not only allowed me to connect with potential customers authentically but also fostered a community around my brand, enhancing customer loyalty and trust.

Ketie Zhang, Founder, Ketie Story

Host Interactive Webinars

An alternative to email marketing that can be a real game-changer is hosting webinars or live online events. In my experience, these platforms offer a unique opportunity to engage with customers in a more interactive and personal way. 

For instance, I once hosted a live Q&A session about a new product launch. Not only did it allow us to showcase our expertise, but it also provided immediate value to attendees by answering their questions in real-time. This strategy really helped us build trust with our community while also generating leads. 

My tip: use webinars to connect with your audience, offer valuable insights, and create a sense of engagement that goes beyond traditional marketing methods.

Cameron King, Marketing & Comms Business Partner, Meallmore Ltd

Personalize Video Marketing

The rate at which videos are consumed today makes video marketing one of the most lucrative marketing alternatives. We’ve always found our video marketing campaigns to be highly engaging, with great recall value and the ability to create an emotional connection. In addition to being a great draw for customers, our marketing team also found techniques such as personalization and segment-targeting to improve their engagement and reach even further. Even something as simple as video testimonials shared through the right channels had a far greater impact on our marketing effort than an all-out email campaign.

Abraham Samuel, Co-founder, Boost My Domain

Harness Organic Social Media Content

Organic social media content is an especially powerful way to reach customers because the message doesn’t have to come from you—it comes from friends and neighbors that your customers can trust. This is particularly important in our business; we don’t get many repeat customers, and people are always hesitant to spend a lot of money on a moving service they haven’t fully vetted. Personal recommendations help us overcome this obstacle. 

Nick Valentino, VP of Market Operations, Bellhop

Embrace Podcasting for Engagement

A very good alternative to email marketing that we’ve embraced is podcasting. It has allowed us to engage with our audience in a more personal and dynamic way, whether they’re commuting or working out. By discussing relevant topics, interviewing industry experts, and sharing insider stories, we not only entertain but also educate our listeners. Promoting episodes through social media and our website significantly boosts our reach, helping us establish our brand as a thought leader in the field.

Omër Güven, Co-Founder & CEO, Fintalent

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