You are probably familiar with email marketing already. You receive and send emails to your customers and probably have many of those emails - sent by other businesses - in your inbox right now waiting for you.
Email marketing is quite an “old” communication channel that became popular only in the 90s as a way to market products and services.
Since then, email marketing has continued to evolve and adapt to new technology and how people behave when they shop or look for information online.
In this blog post, we are going to answer the questions: what is email marketing, how to get started with email marketing and we are going to talk about the different tools there are to do it.
Some stats to get us started: according to Statista, the number of global email users in 2019 was 3.9 billion, and by 2024 it is expected to reach 4.48 billion!
As you can see, email marketing is a communication channel we need to pay attention to. Email marketing works!
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a marketing and communication channel that involves creating and sending emails to a list of subscribers. It is a way to communicate with your customers and potential customers through email, build relationships, share information about your business, and promote your products or services.
Email marketing is also a way for your business to stay top-of-mind so that the next time your potential customer looks for a similar service or product to the one you offer, they will think of you and your business first.
But that's not all: unlike social media, email marketing is a platform that you "own". You own your list of email contacts and have complete control over your messaging strategy and frequency. It is not affected by the ever-changing algorithms just like in the case of social media platforms. It is an effective way to reach your audience right on their home computer, mobile phones and work computers.
How to get started with email marketing
There are many parts to email marketing. First, you need a way to capture emails to build your email list. And this is ongoing, it is something we do all the time. For this, you will need to have a form where people can enter their names and email address. Many tools do this and that you can integrate into your website.
All you need to do is sign up with an email marketing provider. Here are four popular options: Mailchimp, MailerLite, Hubspot and ActiveCampaign.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a great user-friendly choice for beginners. It offers a free version, automation features, and easy integration with other platforms. It also has landing pages and even simple websites that you can build from templates.
MailerLite
Another user-friendly platform, MailerLite offers a free plan with a generous subscriber limit. It has a drag-and-drop editor, automation workflows, and customizable sign-up forms, making it a great choice for small businesses and solopreneurs.
ActiveCampaign
Designed for more advanced users, ActiveCampaign provides robust automation capabilities and in-depth customer tracking. It allows you to create complex workflows, segment your audience, and deliver highly targeted messages, ensuring maximum engagement.
Hubspot
HubSpot is another powerful tool for online marketing. It is also a customer relationship management (CRM) tool and a tool for sales. It has a free version that includes a chatbot for websites. However, it may seem complex for beginners.
All these tools have email templates, automation and other email marketing tools you can use to email your subscribers.
Second, you need a reason for people to subscribe. Sometimes people just sign up for your newsletter, depending on what you offer. Oftentimes, you will need a lead magnet or a “freebie” to invite them to your email list. Think of it as an invitation ticket to be part of your community of followers.
Third, you need a strategy. What do you want to achieve with your email marketing strategy? Do you want to promote your products or services? Do you want to create a community of like-minded people? Do you want to promote an article, podcast or video you just created? Or perhaps, you want to promote someone else’s products or services.
Whatever your strategy, it will dictate the type of message you will have in each email and the frequency with which you will send the emails to your audience.
Here are 5 tips to get started with email marketing:
- Define your goals, what is it that you want to achieve with your email list? Some ideas could be: to promote your services, to get to know your audience, to create a community of like-minded people, etc.
- Decide what you will offer your potential subscribers in exchange for their email addresses. Will it be a checklist, an ebook, or something else they might be asking for?
- Select the tool that fits your business best, you can always change it if you are no longer happy with it or if your business needs something else. Mailchimp and MailerLite are great to start with.
- Start building your list. Add a lead capture form to your website and create a thank you message that the subscribers will receive once they subscribe to your list.
- Decide how frequently you want to send emails, and what topics you will cover and send your first email!
One of the great things about email marketing is that it can be automated. Automation tools enable you to send emails automatically according to certain triggers or events, such as when someone subscribes to your mailing list or when they complete a purchase on your website. Automating things like welcome emails and newsletter subscriptions can save you a lot of time in the long run. But this is a topic for a future blog post.
It is never too early to send your first successful email marketing campaign, no matter how small your email list is. As your business evolves and grows, so do you and your voice will change over time.
Email marketing can be a powerful tool for building strong relationships and driving business success. To make the most of it, use creativity and be consistent in delivering valuable content.
If you need help getting started with email marketing and setting up your strategy, book a call with me and let’s map out the plan of action!
