Does anyone actually need more email? Rhetorical question. With inboxes getting more crowded by the minute, email marketing still ranks at one of the highest converting forms of digital media around. Higher than social media. Higher than paid campaigns. And certainly higher than doing nothing at all.
Yet many businesses shy away from growing their email marketing. Or maybe you have a list but get overwhelmed with the idea to maintain it. No matter where you are in your journey to the inbox, you want to follow these 4 tips on getting started.
Find the platform that fits your needs
When it comes to picking the email service provider (ESP) that’s going to work best for you and your business, you’ll want to determine, long term what the goal of your email will be. For example, if you’re an ecommerce business, you’ll want to pick an ESP that speaks with your selling platform, whether that’s through a plug-in or API. This will make allow automated sends such as shipping updates be sent to your client on a triggered basis. However, if you’re looking for a little less personalized, there are options there as well. Some of the more popular ESPs include MailChimp, ConstantContact, Active Campaign, MailerLite and ExactTarget. Prices can vary based on the amount of sends you plan, list size, and scope of customer integration so you’ll want to determine both your long and short term goals for your email marketing.
Pick the perfect subject line
What’s going to get your customers to open up that email you are dying for them to see? Is it a one-time annual sale they don’t want to miss out on or other equally amazing content? That’s great, but they aren’t going to see it unless they are compelled to open it. So now what. Well, first thing is first. You have to know your target audience. What’s going to resonate with them – something a little cool and laid back with emojis or straight to the point? You’ll want to make sure you’re not using spam-filtering words and lay low on exclamation point usage (I’m guilty of this one, myself) or you won’t even end up in an inbox. Limit your subject line to 50 characters and don’t ignore the pre-header – that’s your chance to elaborate more on your subject line.
Write for your audience
Your content should be intended for your target audience. Don’t try and cast a wide net to reach every single woman or man in the US. Instead, focus on the age group, gender, and tone to construct your message. Does your audience prefer flashy visuals? Do they respond better to text? The language you use should be as if you’re writing a personal email to them – a friend, someone you trust, someone you want to hear from. This builds and establishes trust and well, if you’re a business owner, is going to get conversions for you.
Watch for trends with your sends
If you’re not going to check your send reports and data on open and click through rates, how are you going to know what emails perform well or don’t? Watch for trends like spikes in web traffic or increased conversions. Then, ride off those trends!
Even if you don’t own a business and want to start an email marketing campaign, this is an amazing way to brand yourself! So get out there, sign up for an email service provider, and make 2018 the year you stop shying away from having your voice heard!
