Email marketing is a marketing strategy that involves sending emails to a list of subscribers to promote products, services, or content .
Many people think it's a rarely used digital channel, but they don't realize it's still one of the most effective tools for connecting with your target audience, generating leads, and increasing sales.
The key is finding the key (pun intended) to create successful email marketing campaigns , taking into account the different factors involved. Therefore, here we give you the keys to learning how to do email marketing like a pro and ensure your campaigns are successful.
Why is email marketing important?
The first thing you should know is that email marketing offers you several benefits as a brand or company, such as those below:
- High return on investment (ROI) : When done right, email marketing has one of the best returns on investment of all digital marketing strategies.
- Precise segmentation : You can segment your subscriber list based on various criteria, such as interests, demographics, or behavior, to send more relevant and personalized emails.
- Measurement and analysis : You can (and should) measure and analyze the performance of your campaigns to optimize them and improve results.
- Long-lasting relationships : Thanks to email marketing, you'll build lasting relationships with your subscribers and build their loyalty to your brand.
How to do email marketing?
In any email marketing strategy, you must follow the steps below.
1. Define your goals
What do you want to achieve with your email marketing? Do you want to increase sales, generate leads, or simply stay in touch with your target audience ? Defining your objectives will help you create an effective strategy.
For example, a campaign to generate as much traffic as possible to your website will not be the same as one to promote a specific product or service to very specific subscribers.
2. Create a subscriber list
Your subscriber list is arguably the most important component of your email marketing strategy. You can build a subscriber list by offering a "lead magnet" (exclusive content) in exchange for their email address, or by importing an existing list.
3. Segment your subscriber list
Once you have your subscriber list, segmenting it will help you send more relevant and personalized emails to each user group. You can segment your list by interests, demographics, behavior , or any other criteria that works for you.
4. Create engaging content
The content of your emails (called your newsletter) is what will get your subscribers to open and read them. Create engaging and interesting content that's relevant to your target audience . Here's how to create the best newsletter .
5. Design professional emails
The content matters, but so does the format. That is, your newsletter design should be attractive and easy to read (for example, use a color scheme that doesn't jar visually). Use professional email templates and make sure your emails look good on all devices, especially mobile.
6. Choose an email marketing service provider
This email marketing tool will help you manage your subscriber list, create and send emails , and analyze the results of your campaigns. Below, we'll discuss the main email marketing tools used by digital marketing agencies.
7. Measure and analyze your results
It's important to measure and analyze the performance of your email marketing campaigns to optimize and improve your results if you're not meeting the goals set in step one. Monitor metrics such as open rate, reading time, click-through rate, and conversion rate—the most relevant KPIs for this digital channel.
8. Comply with spam laws
Make sure you comply with all applicable spam laws in your country or region. This includes obtaining subscribers' consent to receive emails from you and providing an easy way to unsubscribe.
Email marketing tools
The number of email marketing tools available is quite large, so we've listed the most commonly used ones here. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, so choosing one or another will depend on your needs, expectations, and budget .
- Mailchimp : Perhaps the most popular tool, it offers all the necessary features, including campaign creation, automation, segmentation, and results analysis.
- Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): A comprehensive tool that offers email marketing, SMS marketing, automation, and analytics.
- ActiveCampaign : It also offers advanced email marketing features, as well as the ability to integrate a CRM.
- Klaviyo : It's less well-known than the previous ones, but it's a tool that's gaining increasing popularity, especially among Shopify experts, thanks to its seamless integration with this ecommerce CMS.
What types of emails can you send?
If you're not sure what type of content to send via email, here are some great suggestions:
Welcome emails
These emails are sent immediately after the user subscribes to your newsletter. They serve to welcome the user and provide a more detailed introduction to your brand or company , with the goal of creating a positive image and encouraging engagement.
Newsletters
Inform your subscribers of the latest news about your brand, products, or industry . This way, you'll keep your audience up-to-date.
Lead nurturing
This type of content typically consists of a chain of several emails to specific users who might be interested in a product or service.
They are used to convince and convert these communications into sales . For lead nurturing, proper database segmentation is essential.
Dedicated emails
You can also use email to communicate with specific users, selected based on criteria such as recent purchases, new subscribers, inactive subscribers, etc. Depending on the segmentation, the purpose of the email will vary.
Surveys
Did you know that your customers' opinions are the best way to convince subscribers who haven't yet purchased? That's why it's important to ask them to review your products or fill out a satisfaction survey . This information will also help you improve your products based on your (potential) customers' expectations.
We help you with your email marketing strategy
Don't have the tools you need for email marketing? Don't have email design skills? Don't have time because you're too busy running your brick-and-mortar business?
In any case, your best option is to delegate this strategy to an email marketing agency like Maktagg , where we have been helping our clients increase their sales through email for almost ten years.
Fill out the form in less than a minute and tell us more!