Email marketing is alive and well and in constant use. Why? Because it is one of the most effective forms of marketing there is, in terms of cost, efficiency and conversion to sales.
91% of consumers check their email one per day. It’s accessible on everyone’s phones and tablets. One stat says over half of smartphone users view their phones immediately after waking up.
In fact, the Direct Marketing Associates says that the ROI on email marketing is a huge 4300%. It is a direct line to your customers, people you know and others who have all given you permission to send them emails.
Building a List
One of the keys to email marketing is your emailing list. A quality email list is a jewel to treasure. It takes time and effort to build.
5 Ways to Build your Email List
Start with the contacts you have – send an announcement to your contact list of friends, family, x-coworkers, etc. and offer them to subscribe
Make an enticing and irresistible offer – like and ebook, video series, coupons, guide, free mini-course, etc.
Get help from another list – negotiate a plug on someone else’s email list. Choose a company with a complimentary product or service and offer to help their customers.
Network and collection Business Cards – use the cards you already have, and always solicit for more.
Use Social Media – Reach out on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin offering value to people that sign up. Linkedin Groups are a really great way to network. Checkout Linkedinfluence to leverage the business booming power of Linkedin
Learn how to Build A Profitable List Of Responsive Buyers.
Spam
Getting permission is crucial. You can’t just add names to your list. Sending commercial emails without that permission is spam. Your mail server can become blacklisted if you get enough reports of spam.
Single Opt in – Customers provided you their email, then they are on your list right away
Double Opt in – Customers provide you their email, then they are sent a verification link and are required to verify their email before they are added to your list.
Both these options are used, however the double opt in provides proof of registry should you get blacklisted for spam.
What to Send
Email marketing is simply sending emails to people that keeps your brand in front of them. But, and this is really important, the content of your emails cannot be just one sales pitch after another. Effective email marketing is driven by quality content. If all you send are sales pitches, your emails will just get deleted and you will cause ire in your readership. But deliver quality content that is useful to your readers and/or that is fun to read, and you will keep your brand in front of your customers and they will come back to you again and again.
The trend is towards simpler emails, leading folks to click your link and visit your site…so it’s to generate traffic. The days of sending elaborate html emails are gone. Plain text emails that create interest, or deliver something of value are very effective.
When to Send
You want to make people look forward to your emails. Set up a schedule so that people know when they are coming. Don’t overdo it. An email every day is too much. Two to four times a month is a better bet. There are exceptions, like when having a sale, or an email series/drip campaign. Emailing daily during a big sale is useful to people, so they don’t miss it, or get to see the different deals over the sale.
For series or drip campaigns, daily emails are encouraged to keep new subscribers engaged and educated while they are interested in your product or service.
Getting the Most out of Emails:
Managing contacts and emails is a daunting task without software. Try these Email Programs:
With these services, you can:
Manage your Lists – automatically build lists from your optin forms and allow users to manage their subscription preferences
Get key metrics for your email – like delivery, open, and clickthrough rates. It’s critical to know if you’re emails are even being read, or better yet, which ones are being read. Clickthrough rates will show you whether or not people are clicking the links in your email
Setup drip campaigns – where an email sequence is automatically delivered based on a trigger, like a new signup. These sequences are very powerful to deliver value to your potential customers, and also highlight your products and services.
Hot Email Marketing Tips
