
Email is still one of the top channels for marketing a business. Used correctly, it can be an effective and inexpensive way to drive sales and leads, grow brand engagement, increase customer loyalty, promote events, grow your fanbase and conduct research. Whereas communicating with fans on social media relies on the social platform’s algorithm, if you grow your own email database you control how and when you communicate to it. This article explores practical pointers for getting started and tips for improving your email marketing strategy.
First, choose which email service provider you will use. There are many email marketing platforms available where you can store data, design templates, create, send and track your campaigns. One of the most popular is MailChimp - it’s free, easy to use and integrates well with web builders like WordPress, Shopify and Squarespace. Others include Drip, dotmailer, Constant Contact - take a look to see which has the features and interface that appeal most to you.
As well as promoting your products, services, promotions and events, emails should give people information that is valuable to them and not purely focus on sales messages. You can offer tips, advice, news and stories that align with your brand values.
Emails should be sent at regular frequencies (but not so often that you are bombarding) and it’s a good idea to create a content plan for the year so that you can organise your time and plan send outs around events and promotions.
Events and promos | Content ideas | |
---|---|---|
January | New Year | Healthy recipes |
February | Valentine's Day / New menu launch | Interview with chef about new menu |
March | Free bottle of wine | Book a meal for two or more in March and get a free bottle of house red / white |
Take a look at these different small businesses to see how they use email marketing.
Dan runs an ecommerce business called Mount Hope selling handmade leather notebooks.
Find out moreMount Hope send out a monthly email that focuses on how the notebooks are made, the materials used, charities they support and profiles with pictures of customers that use the notebooks for interesting reasons like sketching, poetry and songwriting.
CloseToni runs an Italian street food stall called Pizza Pie.
Find out moreEvery Monday morning Pizza Pie sends an email to its customers with a lunchtime special offer for the week that’s exclusive to the database, they also confirm the week’s opening times, locations and the ‘pizza pie of the week.’
ClosePavan is a PR freelancer for hotels.
Find out morePavan sends out a monthly email that features her top five hospitality industry news stories from the last month, the top five hotel job vacancies and a short case study of one of her latest clients with the press and results she achieved for them.
CloseJemima runs an online shop business selling wedding rings called Eternally Yours.
Find out moreEternally Yours produces a seasonal wedding ideas online brochure four times a year, available for download when you sign up. The catalogue features latest wedding trends and other partner wedding suppliers as well as the latest Eternally Yours rings. The other suppliers also share the catalogue. It then follows up with bi-weekly sales and latest collection emails to the subscribers whose weddings are still up and coming.
CloseData capture and communications with customers should be a priority for all businesses. Even if you’re really busy you should make sure you are asking people if they want to hear from you so that you have a strategy in place should things ever get quieter.
Here are some suggestions as to how you can grow your email database:
Make sign up options prominent on your website by adding them to the header, blog and including a pop-up. You can offer an incentive of a competition, discount or free resource. Ensure the email addresses collected are automatically stored in your email software system.
If you attend events or have a physical store then have data capture cards or a device with a tool like this Mailchimp app to collect emails.
Partner with similar brands to drive new customers to your site or to sign up. For example, collaborate with a brand with a similar target market to offer a competition and share the sign ups.
Make sure your emails include social sharing and ‘forward to a friend’ buttons so your current database can push the content out to their friend.
Include sign up links in the signature of your own emails (and give them a reason to sign up). When obtaining, storing and using email addresses and other data, it’s really important that you comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. It states that people must give permission to have their data used for the purpose you intend to use it (and you must keep record proof of this). It must be stored securely and they must be able to see a copy of their data or have it removed in a timely fashion if they request.
Any marketing that you do should be tracked and measured so you know if it’s giving you a return on investment and which content is working best. Any data is better than none so start now, keep it simple and start small. Your email service provider will have reporting tools that will provide you with a wide range of stats, the top line being:
For tracking user behaviour on your website beyond the click and purchase, you can tag the links in your email campaigns with Google Analytics (presuming your website is already using Google Analytics). You’ll be able to compare how your email campaigns stack up against your other referral channels (for example, other websites, Facebook, search engines).
Automation means that certain campaigns can be automatically sent out so your marketing can tick along in the background without you having to constantly manage it. They can be set up in your email service provider and will offer additional revenue opportunities and will help to eliminate repetitive tasks. Personalise your automated emails so that you’re saving time without compromising on creativity.
You’ve chosen your service provider, you’ve started a calendar for content, events and tracking and you’re ready to get started. Here are a few more really useful resources and tools to teach you more and help you with brilliant marketing emails…
Your business will process data everyday including email addresses and other customer information. It’s extremely valuable to you so you must keep it safe and you’re legally obliged to keep it secure.
Read moreBranding should be consistent across all your marketing channels. It should appeal to your target audience, represent your personality and be easily recognisable.
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