You’ve probably heard of email marketing. You send out bulk email messages to people who have signed up to be on your list. You try to entice them to click a link in your email or visit a particular website.
Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. When you build a list of email subscribers, you have the option of sending them specialized, one-off emails. These are known as drip campaigns. You can use these kinds of emails to promote special offers, upcoming events, and more.
But perhaps the most effective use of email marketing is for marketing a product or service, and then following up with people who have expressed interest in your product or service. This is known as an email marketing campaign. At the end of the day, you’ll have a group of people who are interested in what you have to offer, and you’ll be able to send them marketing material to continue nurturing the conversation.
How Email Marketing Works
When someone signs up to receive your emails, you’ll have their email address. This means you can send them regular informational emails or one-off promotional emails. You can also use email platforms like HubSpot and Infusionsoft to create automated campaigns that send out a steady stream of emails based on a list of triggers, keywords, or interest groups. You can get really fancy and set up automated emails that pause for a few seconds before sending out your next batch of marketing material. This seems like it would be a hassle to keep doing manually, but the advantages of building a database of contacts are endless.
Why You Should Try Email Marketing
Email marketing is an incredibly effective way to get the word out about your product or service. You can target interested parties with specific offers, and you can measure the success of your campaign easily. There’s a wide variety of tools available to help you measure the effectiveness of your email marketing, from basic analytics to more advanced tools that can help you identify individual customers, segment your audience, and track the entire lifecycle of a lead. To learn more, check out the digital marketing section of your local library. Or you can buy the best guide to email marketing available today—it’s worth it.
The Top Examples of Email Marketing
To get you inspired, here are a few solid examples of successful email marketing campaigns from around the web.
The New York Times
The New York Times is one of the most well-known and reputable news publications in the world. They’ve been around for more than a century and have been responsible for some of the greatest news stories of all time. And did we mention they’re widely available in all the right places? If you’re a fan of The New York Times, then you can be sure that they’ll run a story that’ll get you lots of attention. They’ll even put a related link in their headlines—what genius!
In 2018, The New York Times sent out a special one-off email to fans that promoted their partnership with HBO on a story about Game of Thrones. The email offered fans access to an exclusive giveaway if they signed up for the newsletter. It also included a link to get instant access to the giveaway, along with an affiliate link to buy the product (Game of Thrones branded goods) if they made a purchase after clicking the link. The giveaway ended up being the opportunity to win a signed portrait of author George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. And guess what? The giveaway helped the NYT generate $500,000 in revenue.
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed is another well-known publication with a huge audience. The viral success of content like “10 Rules for Life” and “Geeky Game Theory” (among others) proves that the platform is capable of viral content. And that’s exactly what they use to promote their products. Users discover content on the platform, build their own personal profiles, and then receive curated content based on their interests. This content, known as ‘curated stories’, can be promoted through various digital marketing tactics, including email marketing. In an example from 2018, BuzzFeed sent out an email promoting their ‘curated stories’ section, along with a discounted offer for Summer Camp.
Elle
If you’re a fan of fashion and you love exploring the latest trends, then you’ll enjoy Elle. The millennial-focused fashion publication has been responsible for many a trend moment, from streetwear fashion to bag culture. And did we mention that they’re constantly expanding their platforms and adding new content types?
In 2018, Elle promoted their upcoming Holiday Gift Guide and offered fans the chance to win a £25,000 shopping spree. To enter, fans had to subscribe to the fashion magazine’s newsletter and then respond with the best gift ideas they could for women. The publication is careful to point out that this is an ‘enterprise competition’ and that they’ll be choosing a prize winner based on the quality of their suggestions. The entry period ran from 1st November to 15th December. And what did Elle choose as the grand prize? A £25,000 shopping spree, which they delivered in person at the offices of the magazine. The winner was announced in the following month’s issue, with a grateful thanks to Elle for the prize package (which included gifts for the whole family).
You can use email marketing to get the word out about your product or service and then follow up with people who have expressed interest in what you have to offer. Email marketing is a proven way to generate sales and grow your business, and the best part is that you can start with very little effort and money. Use the examples above to get you started, and if we missed any important ones, let us know so we can add them to this list.