Email marketing is both inexpensive and effective, and there’s no denying that many businesses rely on the medium to gain new and return customers. However, while email marketing is generally cost-free, finding the right tools to manage an effective campaign can set you back. In this article, we’ll examine the costs associated with creating and launching an email marketing campaign, as well as the benefits that a robust strategy can bring to your business.
Creating the Campaign
Before you begin your email marketing journey, you’ll first need to consider the tools you need to create the perfect campaign. It is recommended that you use a drag and drop email campaign builder, as these will make the process of creating a campaign simple and streamlined. You’ll also want to purchase a domain name for your campaign (e.g., [email protected] ), and consider signing up for a free email account from a reputable provider such as Gmail, hotmail, or yahoo.
Aside from technical equipment, you’ll also need to consider the personnel you need to run the campaign. For example, do you need someone to design the email templates to be used in the campaign, or can you use an off-the-shelf template? Another thing to consider is whether you need a person to build out the email lists for your campaign, or can you use a tool to do this automatically?.
The Benefits Of A Robust Email Marketing Strategy
Now that you have a campaign ready to launch, you can begin to reap the benefits of an email marketing strategy. When an email reaches the right audience and they take the time to act on it, you’ll see an increase in sales and brand awareness, as well as a boost to your bottom line.
With email marketing, you can target individuals based on their interests. You may send your emails to people who have signed up for your blog’s email list, or to people who have expressed an interest in your product (e.g., hiring managers at large corporations). You can also take the opportunity to introduce your product or service to a new audience, while reminding existing fans about important dates and details about your campaign.
As a consumer, you may receive emails from brands or businesses you’re not sure you want to engage with. But as a marketer, you know exactly what you’re getting into – and you have the ability to filter emails based on your interests. In this way, you ensure you only communicate with people who are genuinely interested in your product or service, and that you don’t end up with unwanted emails in your inbox.
Launching The Campaign
Once you have a robust strategy in place, it’s time to launch your email marketing campaign. As mentioned, you’ll need a tool to make this process simple and streamlined, and for that you can use a SaaS (Software As A Service) platform, like MailChimp, to manage and track your email marketing. As a SaaS provider, they offer an array of tools to make your life easier, allowing you to focus on growing your business, rather than complex tasks like building email lists or analyzing campaign performance.
Once you have your SaaS tool set up, it’s time to begin marketing your product or service through email. To start, you’ll want to import your email lists from your old platform, or build new lists using tools like MailChimp’s double opt-in feature. This way, you ensure that you’re only sending emails to people who have shown interest in your product or service, and you can begin to see the benefits of a well-executed email marketing campaign.
Why It’s Important to Track Campaign Performance
Now that you’re a few days into your email marketing campaign, you can begin to see the benefits. Whether you’re seeing an increase in web traffic, sales, or both, it’s important to keep track of these numbers to determine whether or not your strategy is working. The good news is there are many different tools available to help you monitor and track the performance of your campaign.
For example, you can use a tool like Google Analytics to track the traffic originating from your different channels (i.e., email, social media, and web traffic), and then overlay this data onto a dashboard that can be viewed from any device. You can then analyze the performance of each channel and determine which one is bringing you the most business – a skill that comes in handy as you learn to manage, measure, and optimize your different marketing channels.
Managing a successful email marketing campaign doesn’t necessarily require specialized skill sets – it just requires dedication and the willingness to learn. By breaking down the process into small, manageable steps, you’ll be able to determine the effectiveness of your strategy sooner than you know it.