The 5 Basics of Email Marketing

Published 8/10/23

By Kaylee Cameron

 

 

It sounds intimidating. Picking the right marketing strategy is crucial when there is limited time and resources as a small business. But there’s a reason why it was popular years ago and it’s still popular today: email marketing still remains the most efficient way to promote your business. Even with rising popularity in platforms like social media promotion and Google ads, email marketing sits above the rest in both ease and return on investment (ROI). Among the many reasons to choose it:

• Email is the #1 used communication channel
• 4 billion people use email worldwide
• 99 percent of consumers check their email on a daily basis
• Extremely customizable
• More personal than other forms of marketing
• Email converts better converts better than social and search traffic
• 49 percent of American consumers want weekly brand emails
• Email is the preferred way to receive brand updates over social media
• 93 percent of marketers say email is their top content distribution channel
• You own your list/leads compared to other marketing methods
• Order value from emails is at least three times higher than social media
• Email is 40 times more effective than social media for customer acquisition
• ROI is a whopping 4400% (over four times higher than any other marketing strategy)

The best part? Email marketing is easy. By taking five simple steps, your business will have a starting point, strategy, and audience in no time.

1. CHOOSING YOUR METHOD

Because of its popularity, there is no shortage of email marketing programs to choose from. These will help you run the most efficient and professional email marketing campaigns according to your needs:

• MailChimp: best for all-in-one marketing
• ConstantContact: best for beginners and startups
• HubSpot: best for pairing with text campaigns
• Drip: best for e-commerce
• Zoho Campaigns: best for fully-integrated business suite
• Campaigner: best for experienced marketers
• ConvertKit: best for bloggers, influencers, and paid subscriptions
• AWeber: best for integrating with websites

2. BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE

If you’re just starting your email marketing journey, you most likely don’t have a large list of names and emails. And that’s okay! Not only do you want to start collecting leads, but you also want to ensure they are the right leads. This means shying away from purchasing email lists. You can start small: think of your current relationships, business contacts you email regularly or even family and friends.

To consistently see growth in your email list, first evaluate your business type. If it’s a retail store, consider setting a sign-up sheet next to the register or offering a discount on their next purchase. But, let’s say your business is instead more online-focused through social media platforms and/or a website. First, create posts encouraging your followers to sign up. Next, place opt-in forms on your website (think headers, landing pages or pop-ups). You can also create gated content in exchange for their name and email.

The best way to effectively generate leads is through offering an incentive. Clearly communicate what they should expect from your email campaigns and what they will gain immediately (such as 10 percent off or important marketing strategies they should implement now).

3. DETERMINING YOUR GOALS

In the growth stage of building an email marketing strategy and campaign, it can be hard to determine what needs to be done in order for your audience to respond to a specific CTA (call to action). But, by understanding what your marketing goals are ahead of time, it will get you to those goals more efficiently. Start by identifying what type or types of campaign your business will run. There are many types of email marketing campaigns, but these are suggestions for those starting out:

• Welcome email: best for automated emails when a consumer first signs up explaining what they’ll gain from your emails
• Newsletter: best for consistently updating your audience
• Promotional: best for notifying your audience of a sale or new item/service available
• Abandoned cart: best for ecommerce businesses that want to recapture a lost purchase/lead
• Post-purchase drip: best for recommending relevant items or a discount on a customer’s next order (converting from a one-time customer to repeat customer)
• Feedback/testimonial: best for startups to build credibility on Google, Yelp and other review services

4. WRITING YOUR VALUE

Though emailing gives you more space for written communication, this doesn’t mean it should be crowded. Keep emails clean and concise. Have a clear strategy as to why that email will benefit the audience you’re sending them to and what call to action you’d like them to act on.

To begin, use a “from name” that a reader will instantly recognize. This will help reduce your emails being wrongly designated as spam, and will also help in building brand trust. It’s also important to write a personalized subject line. In fact, personalizing your subject lines boosts open rates by 50 percent! By including “you,” “we,” “sale,” “special,” “new/news” and other customized wording, it stands out of a user’s inbox. Remember to keep it short and interesting without using all caps text or too many special characters. Highlight the value of opening your email by considering what your customers want to hear from you, not what you want to say to them.

Next, it’s time to write your email! As mentioned before, there should be one focus of the email. They should also avoid cluttering or irrelevant writing, otherwise you risk losing their attention. Think of a cover letter for a job application: clear, simple and to the point. Keep that same mindset when writing an email. Only give them information relating to your CTA, removing anything and everything that distracts from the action step.

A good CTA creates a sense of urgency for the reader and has a clear, easy way of taking the next step. Keep these things in mind as you craft a CTA:

• Use strong verbs
• Provoke emotion
• Use contextual/personalized strategies
• Keep it short and to the point (five to ten words at most)
• Use contrasting colors to stand out from other content
• Ensure type is large and easily legible
• Use a tone suitable for your audience (some younger audiences may like more authentic, casual copy while others prefer a professional voice)

 

5. STANDING OUT

The final step of creating an email marketing campaign is design (psst - you don’t have to be a graphic designer). Keep things simple - most email programs will have templates, but even those should be modified to fit your brand’s guidelines and personality. Ensure your brand has a clear personality that shines through without a reader having to search for it. It should be present in every part of the email and fit the target audience well. Take typography, color palettes and logo usage into account as well. Other tips for designing an enticing and professional email include:

• Use a mobile-friendly template (68% of emails are opened via mobile devices)
• Format for easy reading, such as. white space, shorter sentences and emphasis on specific words
• Utilize visual communication through imagery and icons
• Develop a strong color pallet (following your branding) with pops of bright color or color gradients
• Try embedding an animated gif or video
• Download and use legible and modern typography
• Add a footer to the end of the email with social media and website links
• In your footer, include an unsubscribe link (this is not optional and will keep you in compliance with federal law)

Email marketing can be difficult or simple depending on the preparation before you dive in. Take a few steps back and dedicate time to understanding your audience, brand personality and email marketing strategy. Then, don’t be afraid to dive in with these tips in mind and you’ll see engagement in no time!