You’ve probably noticed that email marketing is becoming an ever-more-popular way to connect with customers and build a community. The digital marketing agency HubSpot blogged about the exponential growth in email marketing activity in 2019 and also noted the increased level of sophistication of today’s email campaigns.
Emails today can be more effective than ever before. They can include carefully designed subject lines, pertinent content that builds on what the recipient has already seen, offers that are relevant and convenient, and delivery at the right time.
What’s more, customers can and often do participate in email marketing via social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
So, if you’re an established business with a substantial customer base, why not consider trying to implement an email marketing program for your company? You can use various platforms like HubSpot to get started and then scale your efforts as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t.
Start With a Vision In Mind
To get the most out of email marketing, you need to start with a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve. This is particularly important for businesses that have never done any type of email marketing before. The digital marketing company MarketingCharts blogged:
“Your subject line should reflect what you’re trying to achieve and indicate the motivation behind the email. The tone and language used in the subject line and throughout the email should match what the customer might be experiencing. This will help the reader easily identify with you and your brand.”
To achieve this, you need to set specific goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term. For example, if you want to increase sales by 10% in the next six months, you might set a goal of sending out 20 emails versus 30. If you’re looking to gain new customers, you might want to set a goal of getting 20 orders versus 15.
Understand The Different Types Of Email Openers
The type of email opener you use can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your campaign. When choosing an opener, you need to consider several factors including click-through rates, engagement, and conversion. A short email with a straightforward subject line that simply gives the email recipient the details on what they’re receiving is usually the way to go.
However, if you’re looking to grow your email list or just want to ensure that your customers get the most out of your campaign, you might want to consider using a themed opener. A themed opener will often include a compelling offer that is both relevant and convenient for your customer base. For example, if you sell kitchen appliances, you might want to use the occasion of an upcoming holiday to send out an email with a themed opener.
To generate more interest, you can use humor in your subject line or first few sentences of the email to attract the attention of your audience. However, you need to use your own judgement in this area and should avoid using humor in the body of your email.
The Importance Of Timing
One of the most important things to consider when sending out an email is the timing. To generate the greatest response, you need to send out your email at the right time. There are several tools that can help you pinpoint the optimal time to send out your email.
In general, you want to avoid sending your email too soon after your last communication with the customer. Waiting a couple of days before sending out your campaign can help ensure that the customer is still thinking about what they received and is also fresh in their minds. Therefore, if you’ve emailed them recently, they’re more likely to respond to your call to action in the next couple of days.
Getting Started With Email Marketing Is Easy
Getting started with email marketing isn’t as difficult as you might think. With most email marketing platforms, you can get set up within minutes, and then you can start sending out emails to your customers and gathering their emails in one place. Some platforms even allow you to send a test email to try out the service without having to commit to a larger budget or project plan. This is particularly useful for businesses that want to do a little to medium-sized experiment with email marketing.
The Bottom Line
From the start, your goal with email marketing should be to build a relationship with your customers and establish yourself as a reliable option for them. To achieve this, you need to get started with a clear goal in mind and then use the tools available to you to make your marketing as effective as possible. Follow these eight steps and you’ll be well on your way to an effective email marketing campaign that will help your business grow.