Email Marketing Essentials: Strategies for effective campaigns
Small businesses have a lot of options when it comes to marketing, but which ones are going to be the most cost effective and give the best return on investment? We have a lot of opinions on this from years of experience, but the simple answer is, every business is different. One thing is the same for every business, though… We are in a digital age and email marketing is FREE, so why not try it out for your business?!? If you've been contemplating diving into the world of email marketing for your small business, you're in the right place. In this guide, we'll unpack the top 9 things you need to know about email marketing to propel your business to new heights.
Find Your Audience And Get Them On Your Email List
If you are going to make a go of email marketing, it's important to have people to talk to. This can be a list of your past clients/customers, as well as potential future customers, but how do you get them signed up to receive emails from you? The first thing I would do is put a sign up link on your website, maybe even a popup, where they can opt-in to emails or even get a discount or free ebook for signing up. Another great way to get people on your email list is to put a sign up on your social media. You can also do enter-to-wins at events to get people to sign up. There are so many ways to do this, but the most important thing to remember is that you only want to send emails to people that want to get them, otherwise, you will have low open rates and engagement, and won't be able to make exact adjustments based on your analytics. You don't have to wait until you have a substantial amount of subscribers. As soon as you have an audience, get started!
Not All Email Marketing Platforms Are Created Equally
DO YOUR RESEARCH before you pick an email marketing platform! There are so many great ones out there and an equal amount of duds. There are specific platforms for specific industries and there are ones that will work for anyone. Some cost monthly and some are free, so that is something to take into account as well. We recommend doing your research online as well as with other trusted colleagues in your field. An email platform that is easy for you to use will make it so you are way more likely to send emails!
If You Don't Have Anything To Say, Don't Say Anything At All
It's just like your parents taught you about not having anything nice to say… We only send emails when we have something to share that will be of value to our subscribers. If you send a lot of nothing, people will stop opening your emails. If you are always adding value in the form of education, discounts or entertaining content, your subscribers won't have any choice but to engage with your emails!
Finding The Right Frequency For Sending Emails
Finding the right frequency for your email campaigns can be a delicate balance. Too many emails may lead to subscriber fatigue and unsubscribes, while too few may result in a lack of engagement. We don't want to call anyone out, but is anyone subscribed to Victoria's Secret? They are known to send an email basically every other day. When you get that many emails from a company, it's impossible to keep up and get value from each one, so you just stop reading any of them. Maybe when you're already in the store, you check to see if you have any coupons, but that is defeating the purpose. On the other hand, there are companies who send out 2 emails per year and they are also missing the mark. We recommend 1-4 emails per month. Maybe start with a monthly newsletter and then analyze your audience's response. Pay attention to open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates to gauge the ideal frequency for your particular audience. If you make it to 2-4 emails per month and still have a great open rate and low unsubscribe rates, I think you are probably in your sweet spot!
The Science Of Timing: When To Hit Send
Timing is everything in the world of email marketing. Experiment with different send times to discover when your audience is most active. Consider factors such as time zones and the nature of your business. Sending emails at optimal times can significantly impact open rates and engagement. I would start off by sending in the middle of the week between 9-10am (local time) and work from there.
Calls-To-Action & Subject Lines & Email Design, OH MY!
When you are drafting an email to send to your subscribers, there are 3 things to think about that make a huge difference when it comes to open rates and engagement. First is the subject line of your email. Think about subject lines that have grabbed your attention and made you open an email. How are you going to pique your subscribers' curiosity? It needs to be relevant to the email inside (no bate and switch) and it needs to not be too salesy or the message could go to spam. Think about using AI to help you come up with subject lines that will convert! Next is the design of the email. Capture attention with eye-catching visuals and a clean, organized layout that enhances readability. An attractive email will always grab more attention! Last, include a call-to-action that will guide your readers on the next steps of purchasing or contacting you. Be crystal clear with your CTA with statements like shop now, add to cart, try it out, join now, save 20%, book a call, etc. We want them to take another step from our email instead of deleting and moving on. If you focus on these 3 things, you will definitely see the engagement in your emails that you are looking for!
Mobile Optimization For Email Campaigns
Don't forget that we are in an era dominated by smartphones. It's crucial to ensure your emails are optimized for mobile devices. A significant portion of your audience will open emails on their phones, so make sure your content is visually appealing and easy to navigate on smaller screens. A responsive design will guarantee a seamless user experience, leading to higher conversion rates.
Segmentation For Relevance
Tailor your content to specific segments of your audience, ensuring each group receives content that resonates with their interests. This is something that is very important for my email marketing strategy as my services include website design, social media consulting/management, email marketing, Canva education and brand design. I have subscribers that I only send social media content to and others that get only Canva content. If I sent 2 emails per month about brand design to my email list that all signed up to get my social media ebook, I may get a new client, but I also may get 50 unsubscribes. It is great to cross promote your services to try and get past clients to use another service, but at the same time, be mindful of what your subscribers want to read.
Analytics Are The Key To Successful Email Marketing Campaigns
Regularly analyze your email campaign performance using analytics tools to refine and improve future campaigns. If you are seeing that the open rate was low (less than 20%), think about sending on a different day at a different time with a more intriguing subject line. If you had a good open rate and a low click-through rate, you might think about changing your call-to-action and see if that helps. There are plenty of analytics to check out and small changes to make to improve after each email sent. You can do this!
We all face unique challenges in our business journey. What hurdles are you currently experiencing with your email marketing efforts? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let's collectively brainstorm solutions. As you embark on your email marketing journey, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to unlock the full potential of your brand through personalized and effective email campaigns.
