Email Marketing is still one of the most widely used channels of digital marketing worldwide. In fact, a study by statista indicated that in 2023, 82% of marketers are robustly using email marketing at the core of their strategy. Email, albeit often overlooked, has stood the test of time.
With 4.14 billion users worldwide and an expected industry revenue of 10 billion dollars this year, it would be unwise for both small businesses and large corporations not to take advantage of this huge resource.
What’s unique about email is its exceptionally high return on investment (ROI) given a large fraction of subscribers are people who have already showed particular interest in your business.
Additionally, email is a great way to integrate most of your business’ moving parts. It’s a great way to drive traffic to your website, track customer behavior and communicate new products, offers and campaigns.
In this article, you will learn, in a step-by-step format, the fundamental basics that you need to know to get you started on your own email marketing journey.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is the use of email services by businesses, companies and organizations to promote their products and services to their target market.
Emails can be sent out manually, although the entire process can be automated.
How your business can benefit from email marketing
Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for a while, email marketing can be a great way to grow your brand and increase your revenue.
a) High return on investment (ROI)
Email opens businesses to a world of endless possibilities and great margins. On average, 319.6 billion emails are exchanged every day.
During a 2020 survey carried out among marketers worldwide, it was found that for every U.S dollars invested in email marketing, brands earned 36 U.s dollars.
Among the presented industries, the ROI was highest in the retail, ecommerce and the consumer goods sector, with 45 dollars per one dollar spent.
b) More personal
Email marketing allows a business to segment its customers according to different factors, which makes it easy to personalize the content communicated in individual emails.
You can personalize your email list depending on;
Demographics
Geographic area
Email engagement
Past purchase date
Total purchase amount (for example, your repeat customers can be a segment
The more personal your emails feel to your customer, the more engagement you derive from your campaigns.
c) Data
We have all heard the phrase; “Data is the new oil” and this is true for most businesses, but with customers growing wary of data privacy threats and as third-party cookies are phased out, email has remained as one of the most direct ways that entities can obtain information about their market consensually and cheaply.
Consequently, your marketing decisions come from an informed point of view.
Getting started
1. Build your email list
The first step in email marketing is to build your email list. This can be done by creating an opt-in form. An opt-in form is a sign-up form that allows your customers to add their emails.
To boost your opt-in rate, you can offer incentives, often referred to as lead magnets, such as an ebook or free course, in exchange for someone's email address. Your sign-up form can be added to your website or social media pages.
It's important to ensure that you have permission to email your subscribers and that they have opted-in to receive your emails.
2. Choose an email marketing service provider
Once you have a list of subscribers, you'll need an email marketing service provider to manage your email campaigns. There are many providers to choose from, such as Mailchimp, HubSpot, Constant Contact, and Aweber.
Look for a provider that fits your budget and offers the features you need, such as automation, analytics, and templates.
3. Create valuable content
Your emails should offer value to your subscribers. This can be in the form of educational content, promotions, or helpful tips.
Make sure your content is relevant to your audience and aligns with your brand's messaging.
As far as relevance goes, you should tailor the content of your emails to fit the purpose of the communication. There are four types of emails i.e.
Newsletters: A quite common form of one-off emails sent to your email list or a segment of it with the intention of raising brand awareness, educating, creating engagement and driving revenue. They can be used to send promotions, feature success stories, announce a new product, or share content marketing pieces.
Transactional: These are one-time emails sent to a customer responding to a transaction made. For example, an email confirming a sign-up or a password reset email. Most of these are automated using your email marketing service provider.
Behavioral: These are targeted and are based on behaviors of your customers. They include abandoned cart email and product recommendations.
Once you have all these in place, it’s time to work on a comprehensive, but easy-to-understand content calendar.
Your content calendar guides what you post when. For example, newsletters might be monthly, weekly, bi-weekly, but preferably not more. Your content calendar will also help you to achieve the next task in line.
4. Personalize your emails
Personalization is key to making your subscribers feel valued. Use your subscribers' names in your emails and segment your list based on their interests and behaviors.
This will allow you to send targeted messages that are more likely to resonate with your subscribers.
5. Use eye-catching designs
Your emails should be visually appealing and easy to read. Use eye-catching designs and keep your emails simple and clean.
Make sure your emails are optimized for mobile devices, as many people read emails on their phones.
6. Test and analyze
Testing and analyzing your email campaigns is crucial to improving their effectiveness. A/B test different subject lines, email designs, and calls-to-action to see what works best for your audience.
Use analytics to track your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
A/B testing is an important concept because it lets you send out two versions of the same email, but with one different aspect.
To do the test, split your audience into two groups. One half receives the first version, and the other half gets the second. Then, you wait and see which version generated the most engagement.
7. Follow email marketing best practices
There are several best practices to follow when it comes to email marketing. These include avoiding spam trigger words, providing an easy opt-out option, and complying with GDPR and CAN-SPAM regulations.
In conclusion, email marketing can be a powerful tool for growing your business and connecting with your audience.
By following these steps, you can create effective email campaigns that resonate with your subscribers and drive results. Remember to always focus on providing value, personalizing your messages, and following best practices.
Good luck with your email marketing journey!
