Even as social users reportedly scour popular sites for sales and discounts from businesses, it seems emails could be the most effective digital platform for offering consumers promotions. The results of a recent survey from cross-channel commerce solutions provider CrossView indicate marketers may see stronger results from retail promotions sent via email than other online channels.
As part of the survey, CrossView found more than 50 shoppers across four states who were shopping because of recently received promotional offers. More than one-quarter of these consumers (27 percent) said they were acting on promotional emails. Notably, none of the shoppers said they were driven to the stores by promotions delivered via social media.
Among a broader segment of consumers, CrossView found that the majority (37 percent) said they would want to receive promotional offers via email. Once again, social sites – often considered the up-and-coming channel for consumer communication – had a weak showing; just 9 percent of respondents said social media was their preferred platform for receiving promotions, ranking nearly last.
In addition to promotional offers, respondents indicated they would be interested in being emailed new product information (39 percent), store opening/closing notices (16 percent) and discounts or coupons (12 percent).
This news may come in handy for a number of businesses planning to boost budgets on email lead generation this year. A report from CSO Insights says 62 percent of marketers believe email is their best tool for lead gen, with 94 percent of respondents claiming they will increase or maintain their email marketing budgets this year.
