What is email marketing?
Email marketing is the most effective way to communicate with your entire client list at once. You can promote sales, new company information, new products or services, or email marketing newsletters to educate your audience. It takes time to build a robust email list, but once you have a few subscribers, you can save time by sending an important message to everyone in bulk.
If you’ve ever opened your email to a slew of company newsletters, you have seen firsthand how effective different types of email marketing can be. Especially close to a holiday, you’ll find an uptick in communication on sales and promotions. Sometimes you’ll wonder how you got on a company’s list in the first place – perhaps forgetting that you’ve opted-in at some point. That is why permission-based email marketing is essential to building client relationships and trust.
How do I build an email marketing list?
Building an email marketing list takes time. People sign up for mailing lists when they see value in what they get in return. Offering a free download or other information as an incentive is an excellent way to get people to opt-in for more. Add a pop-up or call to action on your website. Make it easy for website visitors to sign up and send a welcome email outlining what they can expect.
Here are some ways to ensure your email marketing list is filled with quality connections and leads:
- Don’t assume that everyone wants to be on your email list. Always ask for double confirmation to decrease the risk of your communications ending up in a spam or junk folder. You can choose this dual opt-in option when connecting your website to a mailing list.
- Only offer valuable content and information. If you want people to take your communications seriously, helpful information will get you higher click-throughs and keep user interest high.
- Ask your subscribers to give you feedback on the content and information they want more of. That way, you can segment your audience and continue providing the right news and information.
Is email marketing still profitable?
Email marketing can be profitable if done correctly. You can quickly sell products and services through email campaigns. Not all emails should be sales-driven; you don’t want to come across as inauthentic or spammy. If you build relationships with your subscribers, sales will happen naturally when you offer new products or services.
Build confidence with email marketing templates.
If you’re starting to build email marketing into your overall digital marketing strategy, using software like Mailchimp or Flodesk will help you build a solid foundation. Using their built-in templates, you can create visually appealing campaigns that are well laid out and user-friendly. Once you have an idea of the kind of content your subscribers want more of, you can tailor your newsletters better. Until then, templates are a great starting point.
Think of email marketing as a tool to increase brand awareness, keep your customers engaged, and continue to build relationships off of mediums like social media. In an instance where social channels are down, or you need to reach all of your subscribers at once, email marketing is the most effective method of communication. It can take time to build a list but remember, if you’re offering quality content and information, your list will grow to a rich source of potential clients and a quality network.
For more information for business marketing online, check out our article on How to Create an Effective Social Media Marketing Plan.
