Whether you’re an experienced marketer or just starting out, you’ve probably heard of email marketing. But do you really know what it means?
You may think of email marketing when you get an email from a company you’ve done business with or an email that comes with a special discount or exclusive offer. But did you know that you can use email marketing to communicate with your existing customers and potential new customers?
Let’s explore how you can use email marketing to grow your business.
The Four Most Basic Email Marketing Techniques
If you’re new to email marketing, it may be difficult to know which strategy to use. There are four basic email marketing techniques that you can use to get the best results from your campaigns.
The first is to simply send out emails with offers or discounts that are relevant to your target audience. For example, if you’re selling shoes, you might want to send out an email with a special discount for a limited time. Or if you’re running an eCommerce store, you might want to send out an email with an interesting article about fashion trends or style tips.
The second technique is to segment your email campaigns based on actions or events that your customers or potential customers have taken. So if you notice that someone has visited your website or ordered a product from you before, you can use that information to send them email content that is tailored to their interests. For example, if you notice that someone has been browsing your website a lot or bought a product from you in the past, you can tailor your emails to include information about these interests. (See also: Anatomy Of A Perfect Email)
The third technique is to use email to follow up with customers after they’ve made a purchase. Did they forget to commit to something they requested in your last email? Did they have a question about their order that you haven’t been able to answer? Use email to follow up with customers after they’ve made a purchase, and you’ll grow your repeat business and increase your revenue.
The last technique is to use email to communicate with customers about new products, offers, and marketing material. This is also known as “lots of communication,” because you’ll often send out multiple emails per day. However, it’s not always the best approach. Sometimes a single email will do, especially if you’re trying to keep your emails short and sweet.
The One Major Difference Between Direct Mail and Email Marketing
One major difference between direct mail marketing and email marketing is that with direct mail, you’ll often physically send out a letter or package. This is also known as “brick and mortar” marketing, due to the fact that you’ll often have a storefront where people can go and make a purchase. So with direct mail, you’re basically advertising your product or service in a physical space.
With email marketing, you’ll often just send out an email message. This makes it a lot easier to set up and send out campaigns, as you’ll simply need an email address to do so. And because email is more convenient for customers, you’ll often see more people respond to marketing emails than physical mailers.
Why Should You Care What Email Marketing Platform You Use?
So you’ve decided to go with a specific email marketing platform to organize and send your email campaigns. But why should you care what email marketing platform you use? After all, you’ll only be using it to send out emails, right?
Email marketing platforms vary widely in terms of features and functionality, which can make a world of difference when it comes to your email campaigns. For example, you may decide that you prefer using Mailchimp, which is one of the most popular platforms, or you might choose to use HubSpot, which has a lot of robust features.
If you’re looking for a minimal platform with fewer features, you might decide to use PureEmail or MailChimp. If you’re looking for a more robust solution, you might opt for HubSpot or Marketo. You can also try out Draft, which is a free email marketing tool that lets you create and send out email campaigns almost effortlessly.
How Does Email Marketing Work?
In order to understand how email marketing works, let’s rewind a bit and discuss internet marketing in general.
Depending on where you are in the world, the internet may be accessible via different connections or speeds. For example, in North America, the internet tends to be much faster than in Europe, so if you decide to market your products or services online, you’ll want to make sure that you’re prepared for the speeds at which the internet operates in your region.
When a customer or potential customer lands on your website, this is typically known as a “click-through.” Did you get a click-through from a potential customer to one of your social media accounts? If you’re using an email marketing platform, you’ll be able to track these click-throughs. So if you notice that someone clicked on one of your social media accounts after visiting your website, you’ll know that they came from your website and not your social media accounts, which is why you want to track these clicks. (And remember, you can also use third-party software to track your social media accounts.)
Now that you know how the internet works, let’s discuss email marketing.
When a customer or potential customer lands on your email marketing platform and decides to read your email, this is typically known as an “open.” Did someone open your email and read all of the content within it, or did they simply scan the email and get the gist of what you had to say? After they’ve read your email, they may either respond or click a link to continue on to another part of your website. If they choose the latter, this will be known as a “click-through.”
Did you get an email from someone that decided to open your email and has been actively engaged with you since then? If so, you may consider this person to be a “warm lead.” Did you get an email from a potential customer who was initially interested in your product but then lost interest after you revealed too much information about the product? If so, you may consider this person to be a “cold lead.”
When you build a business that operates exclusively online, it can be difficult to know how engaged your customers are with your company. This is especially problematic if you’re looking to grow your business through marketing and sales online, as you won’t be able to determine how well your marketing campaign is doing without actually talking to your customers.
Luckily, there are email marketing platforms that can help you figure that out. Did someone subscribe to your YouTube channel after viewing one of your product demos? Did someone follow your Instagram account and see a lot of your product imagery? Did you get an order for a product you featured on your blog? These are all examples of your customers engaging with your content, which you can then use to determine the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. (See also: How To Measure The Success Of Your Marketing Campaign)
How Do I Start An Email Marketing Campaign?
So you’ve decided to get started with email marketing and signed up with a reputable company. But now what? How do I create an email marketing campaign?
You can use your brand’s email marketing platform to create email campaigns. But before you do, you’ll need to do a few things.
1. Select an email marketing platform that’s right for your business.
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to decide between a minimal email marketing platform and a more robust one. If you’re just getting started, go for the former. It’s easier to use and has fewer features, which may make it simpler for you to get your email campaigns setup and running. However, as your business grows, you may want to consider upgrading to a more robust solution, which will make your life as a marketer much easier.
2. Create a template.
Since you’ll be sending out the same content to many people, you may want to consider creating a template. A template is simply a pre-made email that you can use as a starting point for all of your email campaigns. So if you decide that you prefer to use a pure email marketing platform, you may want to consider using a pre-made email template as a starting point for all of your emails. (You can also create a new email template specifically for a campaign that you’re running.)