Amid Budget Cuts, Email Prevails as Preferred Brand Communications According to New Study

With over two-thirds of marketing budgets reduced in the second half of 2023, marketers under pressure to build trust and prove ROI look to email marketing as a primary marketing channel

LONDON: New research from Exclaimer, the leading email signature management software, reveals that 68% of marketers have experienced a reduction in their budgets by at least 5% for the second half of 2023.

To understand how marketing leaders are utilizing their budgets to connect with their audiences, and what consumer audiences are looking for from brands, Exclaimer partnered with Censuswide to survey over 100 senior and mid-level marketers and 1,000 consumers across the United States.

Trust is in the email

Heading into 2024, marketers are most interested in exploring organic social media (75%), influencer marketing (74%), and email signatures (59%) to reach their target audiences. However, the research shows that consumers prefer to communicate with brands via email over social media, with 52% preferring emails followed by 15% preferring text messaging. It is crucial marketers take this into account when developing their strategies to connect with consumers, as the results show the more popular social option may not actually be the most effective in engaging with consumers.

While marketers may be prioritizing exploring social and influencer strategies over email, when it comes to where their investment dollars are going, email marketing is the priority channel (78%), followed by social media (66%) and SEO / content marketing (56%). Marketers are also aware of how important all of the content within the email is — including the sign off at the end. In fact, 89% of marketers have considered utilizing email signatures as a marketing tool and 68% already actively use them. This is much to consumers' delight, as more than half (58%) say a professional, branded email signature makes them trust an email from a business or brand.

Measuring success

With so many marketers experiencing cuts in their budgets, it’s more important than ever to demonstrate ROI on the activity marketers decide to progress with. Positively, over half (62%) of marketing leaders surveyed hope to generate at least 16% of revenue through email signatures alone, and 91% expect to generate leads from it for the rest of the year.

It seems that brands are aware of the fact that email signatures are good for business too, with 94% of marketers stating that consistent branded signatures have a positive impact on email engagement rates and 40% hoping to generate 20% or more of revenue from email signatures.

Whether marketers choose to use email signatures within their email marketing, social media, influencer relations or anything else, according to Exclaimer’s research the metrics that marketers bosses value the most are conversion rates and click-through rates.

How brands can successfully connect with consumers

Though the data shows marketers are aware of the impact email signatures have on brand engagement, there are still 32% of marketers who have not yet begun utilizing them as a marketing tool. However, with over two-thirds of surveyed marketers having experienced recent budget cuts, it is imperative to identify the most effective ways to use the budgets still available and work smarter to maximize the impact of existing channels. For those who have not yet explored leveraging email signatures to connect with consumers and drive growth, here are some tips to find success and avoid getting lost in crowded inboxes:

● The information displayed in your email signature matters: Use professional branded email signatures that include contact information, promotional information, and social media links.

● Contact information is key: 70% of consumers feel frustrated when a business or brand’s contact information is not included in their email signature and this can lead to disinterest from the consumer.

● No need for subscription links: When looking at what consumers care most about being included in a brand’s email signature, subscription links were at the bottom of the list with only 25% of consumer respondents requesting that be included.

● Take the age gap into consideration: Younger consumers feel differently than older consumers do about email communication. Older respondents share that branded signatures don’t make them feel a particular way while younger respondents feel more confident that the brand is legitimate if they have a professional or branded signature. Additionally, younger respondents aged 18-34 care more about social media / website links (61%) being included than respondents 55 and older do (19%).

“As we start thinking about plans for 2024, it’s crucial that marketers review what is working and not working with marketing spend in the second half of the year. There is another quarter to go and with so many experiencing budget cuts, it’s imperative we understand what our audience is looking for and ensure our tactics are meeting their needs,” said Exclaimer’s Chief Marketing Officer, Carol Howley. “Our research shows that email signatures are a powerful channel that consumers really relate to. By implementing email signatures into an email marketing strategy, marketers can boost their audience engagement, making the most of the channel they connect with. After all, it’s about working smarter, not harder.”