
What’s the best way to consistently reach people with your messaging? Creating an email series and email marketing might just be the key.
So, why email, and how can you make the most of your email series?
What are the Benefits of Email Marketing?
You’re already working hard on building out your website, dominating the SERP’s, and engaging with social media, so why should you make the extra effort to do email marketing as well?
Well, the answers are in the stats; email marketing gets great engagement and a brilliant ROI. A DMI study found that for every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses see an average return of $42. This is extremely impressive and reason enough to start email marketing.
However, perhaps just as important is the fact that you own the medium. When you build your email list you’re in control of it without the interference of an intermediary. This makes it an excellent way to consistently reach your subscribers and build relationships.
Building Your Email List
If you’re going to run a successful email marketing campaign, then you’ve first got to start building your email list.
It is possible to build a large email list, but if you just put a form on your website and hope people will fill out, then you’re probably going to find it won’t do the job. Instead, you’ve got to encourage people to sign up through calls to action, and give them an incentive to do so.
Tell people all the amazing things they can expect when they sign up for your communications. Another great option is to give people a free piece of content for signing up. This demonstrates the value you can offer when someone subscribes and is a great way to start the relationship.
You’ve got to actively build your email list, so find the techniques that attract your audience.
Creating Your Email Series
Once you’ve got a few subscribers in your list, then it’s time to start sending out some emails. However, it’s important you do this in a logical, coordinated manner in order to get the maximum impact.
Set Expectations
People are very protective of their inboxes, and rightfully so. We rely on email for many functions of our lives, and yet they always find a way of getting filled with junk.
What you’re writing isn’t spam, it’s something people have requested by filling out your contact form, but you’ve still got to take an extra step and set out expectations. Your first email should be sent out as soon as someone subscribes and describe exactly what you’re going to offer them.
Whether that’s a once a week newsletters, bi-weekly deals, or daily tips, once you’ve set the expectations, you’ve then got to the meet them.
Define Your Audience
Different people are looking for different things.
In order to create an effective email series, you’ve got to understand who you’re targeting with your message and what they want. This is one of the key aspects of any business writing, and it’s something you need to keep in mind even when writing something as (seemingly) simple as an email.
Define your target audience and make sure your messages are suited to the people you’re sending them to. People expect a high-level of personalisation in modern-day communication, and there are a number of ways you can achieve this which we will get to in a bit.
Offer Value
People haven’t allowed you into their inbox because they want you to achieve your goals. They’ve allowed you into their inbox because they believe you can offer them value.
These people have taken a leap of faith in you, that you’re not going to spam them, and they’re not going to give you much leeway when it comes to this. This means you need to be seen to put your goals aside (selling your products,) and have the reader’s best interests at heart.
The way you do this is through offering people something that is genuinely valuable to them – not to you. You will get your opportunity to work in your goals, but your central focus should be what you can provide for your subscriber.
Personalise
We said we would get back to personalisation and here we are!
Our ability to give people personalised communications has improved dramatically over recent years and it’s something consumers have come to expect. This goes further than using people’s names in your email; it means giving people the content they want to see.
Not everyone on your email list is going to want to see the same thing, but through your email service provider, you have great tools to help you personalise your messages. Segmenting people based on how they came to sign up for your list and how they respond to your emails is an easy way to give people the personalised content they’re looking for, and the best part is all of this can be automated.
Understand Your Goals
There’s no point putting together an email series if it’s not going to help you achieve your goals. While we want to offer our subscribers value, we also need to find ways of getting people to take the action we want them to take.
The great thing about email is you’ve got the ability to create multiple touchpoints with people and build towards your goals. First, you’ve got to understand exactly what you’re trying to achieve with each email though.
Your first contact with someone probably isn’t intended to get them to buy your product, instead, it might be to inform and help build the relationship. Each email in your series has a different purpose, so make sure you understand your goals with each communication you have with your subscribers.
Takeaways
Email marketing is a great opportunity to reach your most engaged customers, but it needs to be done in a coordinated, well organised way.
One of the key things to remember is that people have signed up for your communications to receive value, so this has to be one of your main priorities. If you’re not offering value and only pushing your own goals, then your emails are no better to people than the spam that fills their inbox.
However, you’ve got the expertise and creativity to entertain and inform your subscribers, so make sure you’re making the most of it. Create innovative email series that enhance your relationships with your customers and keeps them coming back time and time again.
If you need a little help crafting your email messages, or finding your target audience, then why not get in touch?
We specialise in creating the copy your audience wants to see (and read) and can help you achieve your business goals through email marketing. We’re always here to help.
Contact Us NOW to find out how your email marketing can make a difference.
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