If you open your e-mail right now, you might find a bunch of promotional offers from different brands – that’s the simplest way to recognize and define e-mail marketing. So, it’s a direct marketing method that allows companies to promote their products and/or services, increase sales, and update and improve their customer list. Its high return on investment (ROI) makes it crucial as a tool for companies’ overall inbound strategy. Although it may seem time-consuming (and effort-intensive) at first glance, e-mail marketing automation is an essential component when it comes to promotion.
In the long run, a well-crafted e-mail marketing strategy not only boosts conversion rates but also contributes to customer retention and building a community around the brand. As old as e-mail is as a form of digital communication, it’s just as effective as a marketing strategy. With a user base of over 4.5 billion users, e-mail retains its title as the king of marketing channels, surpassing social networks and affiliate marketing.
What is e-mail marketing and what are its benefits?
E-mail marketing is a marketing strategy that involves sending promotional messages to subscribers. It’s usually used to generate sales by sending promotional offers or discounts. It aims to increase the number of customers, increase traffic to a specific page, or achieve other specific objectives.
Among the benefits are:
- Customer trust: If a customer trusts enough to provide their e-mail address, it’s a first step towards loyalty, increasing the chances of engagement and sales.
- Direct communication with the audience: Through e-mail, you can communicate directly with your subscribers. Plus, most people check their e-mails several times a day, increasing the chances that the e-mail will be opened and read.
- Algorithm predictability: Unlike social platforms, where the algorithm and marketing strategies are constantly changing, e-mail has remained quite predictable over time.
- Easily quantifiable statistics: E-mail marketing provides more direct and detailed tracking of user actions, such as e-mail open rates and link clicks. Plus, there are fewer variables in e-mail marketing that can affect campaign performance, making the analysis and optimization process much simpler.
- Scalability: E-mail marketing campaigns can be easily expanded to a larger number of subscribers at relatively low costs.
Building the subscribers list
A subscriber list is a database of people who have agreed to receive e-mails. To build successful e-mail marketing campaigns, you need a list of valid e-mail addresses and ensure that users interact with the messages you send.
E-mail addresses should be checked and updated periodically to reduce bounce rates and maintain constant interaction with relevant subscribers. Periodically remove inactive subscribers and incorrect e-mail addresses. Consider sending a mail to subscribers who haven’t opened your e-mails to ask if they’re still interested in receiving e-mails.
There are several ways to create such a list. One of the simplest is to create an offer that catches the audience’s attention – such as a coupon they receive if they subscribe to the newsletter. Alternatively, you can offer a downloadable material (e-book/online resources) or host a webinar, which requires them to sign up with their e-mail.
E-mail Service Providers
An e-mail service provider is software that helps you manage your e-mail list. It also assists in creating and automatically sending e-mails. Using such a service allows you to create automated e-mails when the audience completes certain actions (reminders for wishlists, discounts on certain products), allowing you to personalize e-mails and interact better with potential customers.
To create a successful e-mail marketing campaign, the subscriber list, e-mail service provider, and campaign objectives need to align. The first step is to segment the list in which e-mails are found based on demographic data or subscriber actions. Then, create an e-mail or series of e-mails specifically designed to encourage consumers to do what you intend. Finally, use the e-mail service provider’s service to send e-mails and automatically monitor your campaign.
Here are some recommendations from us in this regard:
- MailerLite – offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers (12,000 e-mails per month), and for paid plans, costs start at around $20 per month, depending on the number of subscribers and desired features.
- GetResponse – It’s a platform that offers many features – including the ability to generate campaign ideas or e-mails with AI, but not for free. Prices start at around $16 per month and increase depending on the number of subscribers.
- Klaviyo – Klaviyo is more suitable for medium and large businesses due to its complex integrations with e-commerce platforms. It’s free for 500 e-mails/month, then prices start at $45 per month.
Content Strategies for E-mail Marketing
Creating a strategy is an extremely important step for any kind of online campaign, and e-mail marketing is no exception. From this point of view, there are a few aspects to consider, such as:
1. E-mail Frequency
Send e-mails periodically, regularly, to keep your subscribers engaged. Make sure you have a clear focus and concentrate on a single topic per e-mail. Otherwise, you could dramatically reduce conversion rates.
2. Campaign Performance:
Track campaign performance by analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs): open rate, click-through rate, unsubscribe rate, etc.
3. Content Itself: Consider some principles when creating content for e-mails:
- Design attractive, clean, minimalist e-mails that don’t distract from the e-mail’s main purpose.
- Focus on the benefits of the product, not necessarily its features.
- Ensure the text is grammatically correct.
- Include graphical elements to make the message more attractive.
- Be concise and to the point, present key points in a form that is easily accessible and understandable.
- Speak directly to your subscribers, use their names.
- Use catchy headlines, but avoid clickbaiting.
- Don’t forget about CTAs, usually at the top and bottom of the e-mail.
