Are you looking to generate more leads or sales?
If so, you should consider implementing an email marketing strategy.
What is an email marketing strategy?
But what Is an email marketing strategy, you ask? An email marketing strategy is a strategy utilized by marketers to build relationships and trust with their target audience by engaging in two-way communication through the use of email marketing campaigns. An effective marketing strategy will help you reach your audience, nurture relationships, and initiate conversations that will help you grow your relationship with your customers. According to HubSpot, email use worldwide tops 3 billion users and is one of the main ways we have conversations and communicate in all the different sectors of our lives. So, what are you waiting for?
With a large number of tools and cloud software programs available, email marketing has become more effective and efficient. Building an email marketing campaign is easier than ever, but still requires prep work. Yes, I know, gathering a targeted email list is tedious, frustrating, and beyond annoying, but, the time and effort dedicated to collecting this list of contacts will be well worth the frustration in the long run. Let me tell you why…
Consumers prefer email
Consumers prefer email. Whether you are a small or large company, you are likely working with a marketing budget. Email marketing can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be as there are many free programs out there for generating newsletters such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Sendinblue. We all know that social media is a popular way for companies to communicate with their audience, but email marketing is much more useful than social media. This is because email marketing allows businesses to reach out to their leads and customers directly, which increases the chances of conversion. According to Optinmonster, 60% of users prefer email as a channel for promos compared to 20% of users who prefer social media. Because email marketing is so cost-efficient, marketers get more for their spend, which allows for a more significant return on investment (ROI).
Implementing an email marketing strategy
Step 1: Create a Targeted audience list
As mentioned above, we all know how aggravating, and frustrating building an audience list can be, but there are many CRM software programs available for various costs that can streamline this process for you. This step is crucial to creating an effective strategy because it is necessary to select qualified contacts who are interested in receiving your content and segment them into categories. Segmentation allows you to reach the appropriate audience, with the right message, at the right time. For example, if you are a real estate agent, you might segment your target audience by buyers, sellers, past clients, and potential clients.
First and foremost, when building your email contacts database, it is essential to receive consent from your email recipients. Obtaining permission from your database is very important and will prevent a significant drop in opt-outs when sending your emails. If you email a group of people who are uninterested in receiving your content and information, they will choose to opt-out of their subscription to your emails. Just as you do when you receive an unwanted email. In contrast, when you obtain permission from your database to send them emails or they have personally opted in to receive your content, you have the advantage of offering these viewers information of value, which prevents them from opting out.
Step 2: Personalize your content
The personalization of your email campaigns is essential to build relationships with your target audience. By personalization, I don’t mean the act of including your customer’s name in the email; I’m talking about taking the initiative to send them content that is relevant to their interests. Referring back to the above real estate segmentation, if I am a potential client looking to sell my home, I likely will not be interested in receiving content about homes for sale. Unless, of course, they are homes in my neighborhood, which would help me in determining an appropriate list price for my property. This is where personalization kicks in. Knowing your audience and utilizing a contact database allows marketers to study and analyze the behaviors of their contacts to know what information to send them. When a highly personalized experience is developed, so is your relationship with your customers and your chances of conversion increase.
Step 3: Analyze your data
It is vital to analyze and track your email marketing metrics. Analyzing your marketing metrics allows marketers the opportunity to optimize their efforts and improve their tactics. These metrics provide us with the needed information to enhance our deliverability and target the right audience, with the right content, at the right time. We are also able to determine what strategies are working and which ones are not working. We are able to perfect our timing, design content that is attractive to our audience, adjust our goals, promotions, segmentation, and target the right audience by understanding their likes and dislikes. Your content is only effective if it is reaching the appropriate audience.
As you can see, email marketing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If you haven’t already done so, its time to jump on the bandwagon and implement your strategy today! Don’t let your frustration with email marketing prevent you from implementing an effective email strategy to enhance your business. If you need some help, contact us for a consultation to see how we can assist you with your email marketing efforts or leave your questions in a comment below, and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
