You may have heard of the power of email, but what is email marketing and why does it work?
Of all digital communication, email is one of the oldest forms of digital communication and one of the most consistent at driving results. Today you’re going to learn the answer to the question: What is email marketing and why does it work?
Yes, there are other newer ways to communicate with your customers and audience. Social media, live chat, and many other methods of communication are available. Email remains the king of marketing channels, with a user base of over 4 billion people.
Additionally, email marketing has an ROI of $36 for every dollar spent, meaning it deserves a place in every marketer’s toolbox.
Email marketing is still ranked as the most effective marketing channel, beating out social media, SEO, and affiliate marketing. Why? Even with all the buzz surrounding new channels, why is the dinosaur of technology still one of the most effective marketing strategies?
Despite the rise of social, people use email more than other platforms. After all, what’s the good of marketing to someone if they’re not there?
It has been proven that most people are using email and the number is growing every year. Think about where you spend most of your day, in the office.
Number Of Email Users Worldwide
Email marketing is effective because so many people use email, it also gives you control over your contacts, and your reach will not be affected by look-a-like AI influence.
That’s why building a successful email marketing campaign is more important than ever.
The problem is that most people don’t know how to do it correctly. You probably have seen them in your email box.
Our goal in this post is to guide you through the best tips and strategies for executing impactful email marketing campaigns. Who doesn’t like and want free information?
What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is the act of sending commercial or promotional messages to people in mass quantities. It typically is to generate sales or leads and it may contain advertising.
Let’s get into some of the detail behind this powerful aspect of your marketing mix…
Remember: You’re a Guest in Their Inbox
People are inundated with interruptions, pitches, and advertisements everywhere they look. Though you might think your email is special. To the reader, your email is one in a million—and not in a good way.
The best thing you can do is keep up with where you are and use good manners. Getting into someone’s inbox is like being invited to their home for dinner. If they allow the dog to sit at the table, you pat the pup and sit down too.
The same applies to email marketing, so before we begin, I want to remind you to be on your best behaviour at all times and remember… you’re a guest in their inbox.
Now, let’s talk about how to build your email marketing strategy from the ground up.
Why Does Email Marketing Work?
Email marketing is one of the top-performing strategies, in no small part because it’s fairly intuitive and often automated.
Simply put, an effective email marketing campaign requires three essential elements:
1. An Email List
For you to pull off successful email campaigns, you need an active email list. This is a database of email contacts who have explicitly given permission and expressed interest in receiving marketing communications from your brand.
There are many avenues in your marketing mix that will assist in growing your list, an easy one would be to have gated pieces of content on your website. You request some information for an exchange of some valuable content or resource.
2. An Email Service Provider
An email service provider (ESP), also known as an email marketing platform, is software that helps manage your email list. It also helps design and execute automated email marketing campaigns.
An ESP has tools that allow you to automate actions based on predefined triggers, personalise interactions with your audience and monitor your conversions and engagement.
This is where TouchBasePro comes in!
3. Clearly Defined Goals
You can use email marketing to achieve many business goals. For example, you can use email marketing to:
- Drive sales
- Brand awareness campaigns
- Lead nurturing
- Keep customers engaged
- Increase customer loyalty and lifetime value
To execute an effective email marketing campaign, your email list, ESP, and goals must align. Then, you can get to work.
Email Marketing Strategy
To succeed with email marketing, you must be strategic in the way you design your campaigns. Here are some of the best email marketing strategies you can employ.
One Objective
Design each campaign and email to focus on one objective. Trying to kill two (or more) birds with one stone doesn’t work with email marketing. It only confuses your audience and reduces your conversion rates.
Use the Right List Building Strategies
The success of your email marketing campaigns depends on the quality of your email list. To build such a list, you must use list-building strategies designed to attract your target audience.
Define Your Segments
Effective email marketing campaigns start with list segmentation. Use the data you have about your subscribers to group them. Focus on more personalized campaigns.
Design an Efficient Workflow
After segmenting your email list, it’s time to design a workflow. Use automation to make life easy and take your subscribers through the buyer’s journey.
Determine the Right Triggers
Once you’ve designed your workflow, determine the triggers that will set off the following email in the sequence. Examples of triggers can include customers opening your email, clicking on a link, or not opening it at all within a predetermined time frame.
Practice Good Email List Hygiene
Cleaning out inactive subscribers and email addresses that are no longer in use will ensure you have a good sender reputation. It’s all about getting to the inbox.
Track the Right KPIs
Email marketing is more than sending your subscribers a couple of emails. It also entails tracking the performance of your campaigns. To do so, you must define and track the right KPIs. Using this data will inform and guide your next campaign!
Conclusion
Email marketing done right can yield good returns and has an impact on your day-to-day marketing mix. Knowing how and when can create resistance, so partner with an agency that will take the frustration away from you.
At TouchBasePro, we strive on being email experts. So get in touch and think about how easy we can make your email marketing for you.
What is email marketing and how does it work? You now have the answer!
Blog written by Tobias Correia