The average American business person receives 121 emails a day.
That means you have to find a way to stand out among the crowd.
Well don’t worry! We’ve created the ultimate guide to creating an email marketing campaign just for you.
Check it out below.
First, Choose Your Email Marketing Service
When creating your email marketing campaign, you’ve got to start with your email marketing provider. If your company already uses an automation platform like Infusionsoft or Hubspot, those include an email builder.
If not, there are countless reliable providers out there, including MailChimp, Constant Contact, and Hatchbuck. A service like this is great because it includes design templates, a place to store your database, and analytical tools.
The other good news is that these services provide various pricing levels, some even having a free version. No matter your marketing budget, there’s an email marketing provider out there that will work for you.
Secondly, Assemble Your Database
Now in all honesty, this is easier said than done. That’s because it can take some time to grow your list. But now’s the perfect time to get started.
If you think about it, an email marketing campaign is worthless if you don’t have people to send your emails to.
Well, how can you start assembling an email list? It’s simple: ask for email addresses. The best place to do this is on your website. Add in subscription forms on various pages and in various ways.
One of the most important places to have a form is on your home page. This is usually the page that receives the most traffic, so why not capitalize on it?
Also remember to convey the value a potential customer will receive by subscribing to your emails. Assure them that you won’t spam them (and then follow up on that promise).
Instead, inform them of the valuable content they’ll receive in exchange for their email address. Some ideas include a weekly newsletter, industry trend reports, and product updates.
Another effective strategy is to immediately give them something in exchange for signing up for your emails. This could be a free downloadable e-book related to your industry or even a chance to enter a contest.
Craft Engaging Subject Lines
Now let’s discuss the actual content of your emails.
You’ve got to start with the subject line. Why? It’s the first thing your readers see. As an email arrives in their inbox, the subject line has to intrigue them enough to open the email.
If not, you’ve already lost them. The truth about subject lines is that there’s no magic way to make sure they work. However, there are some general guidelines for success.
First, keep them short. You want your reader to be able to read the whole thing quickly with out a … at the end. Also, don’t be afraid to be funny or to create some intrigue.
It’s a great idea to check out what other people have found successful when it comes to subject lines. In fact, check out Digital Marketer’s guide to the 101 best subject lines. It’s full of actionable examples.
Design Time
Now that you have your email list and subject lines figured out, the next step in your email marketing campaign is the actual design of your emails.
The biggest thing to remember here is that your emails should be on brand with the rest of your company. Use the same colors and fonts that you use on your website and maintain a similar tone in your copy.
Also make sure your emails are organized and free of grammatical or spelling errors. Strongly consider using images in your emails. Images help catch your reader’s attention from the start and encourage them to keep reading.
However, when it comes down to it, your copy is the most important part of your email. Write it and then have someone else look over it to give you pointers and tips.
And make sure to create content that’s compelling. This could be through creating a sense of urgency, by using an unexpected play on words, or by utilizing alliteration, just to name a few.
Basically, spend time on the words you write. Your message needs to be clear and strong.
An Essential Email Marketing Campaign Element: A Call to Action
Imagine this scenario.
You’ve crafted an engaging email and your reader is totally convinced that they want to buy your product or service, but there’s no button or link to click. They have no way to take that next step.
In other words, you’ve totally lost out on a customer.
That’s why it’s so imperative that you include a strong, clear call to action (CTA) in every email.
Use action-oriented words and describe the benefit your reader will receive if they purchase. And include more than one link in every email. Remember, though, that unless it’s a newsletter, your CTAs should all lead to the same landing page.
Always Analyze and Optimize
One of the reasons email marketing is so popular is because of the metrics you have access to.
Here are just a few:
Open Rates
Traditionally with direct mail, there was no way to see how many people opened your marketing materials. But with email, you can see this figure for every correspondence you send. Test different subject lines to see how your open rates are affected.
Bounces
What’s a bounce? When it comes to emails, there are two types. A hard bounce is when an email address invalid or no longer active. A soft bounce happens when an inbox is temporarily full. To overcome these, consider including a note in each email to let readers know to update you if they change their email address.
Click Through Rate (CTR)
Click through rates demonstrate the percentage of people who clicked on a link in your email. In other words, it’s the percentage of people who read your copy and decide to follow your CTA, which is your ultimate goal. Test different CTAs, including words and button colors, to see what performs best for you.
Now What?
Now that you have all this email marketing campaign information, what’s next?
Simply start implementing these ideas in your business.
Have questions? Feel free to contact us.
And if you’re interested in furthering your marketing skills, look at our various training programs.