Email marketing refers to the practice of using email to send messages to potential or current customers with the goal of promoting products or services, building relationships, or generating sales leads. It involves creating and sending targeted emails to specific groups of people based on their interests, behaviors, or demographic information. The purpose of email marketing is to engage with customers, build brand awareness, increase conversion rates, and ultimately drive revenue for businesses.
Email marketing may seem old school, but I’m here to tell you it is still one of the most effective digital marketing channels out there. With high ROI, excellent engagement rates, and inexpensive implementation, email should be a cornerstone of your overall strategy.
In this post, I’ll share the proven email marketing tactics and strategies I’ve learned over my 10 years in the industry. Whether you’re new to email or looking to improve your existing efforts, this guide has you covered. Let’s dive in!
What Is The Importance of Building an Email List?
The foundation of any successful email marketing effort is your subscriber list. All the clever copy and beautiful templates in the world won’t help if you don’t have an engaged audience to send those emails to.
There are several ways to build your email list:
– Website opt-in forms – Place email signup forms in strategic locations on your site. Offer a compelling lead magnet like a discount or exclusive content in exchange for emails.
– Lead generation offers – Give away an ebook, checklist, or other gated asset in exchange for email signups. Promote through paid ads or organic social channels.
– Social media followings – Promote your email list on social platforms and retarget followers with email signup ads.
As you build your list, be sure to segment contacts appropriately. Organize by demographics, interests, purchase history, etc. Proper segmentation allows you to personalize content effectively.
How To Craft Effective Email Content
Now that you have subscribers, it’s time to engage them with valuable email content.
There are several types of email to use:
– Promotional – Offer sales, deals, product launches
– Educational – Share tips, how-tos, guides
– Transactional – Order confirmations, shipping updates
– Retention – Win back inactive subscribers, surveys
No matter the email’s purpose, the subject line is critical. Spend time testing different subject lines to determine what drives the highest open rates. Some of my best-performing subjects include questions, urgency, social proof, and curiosity triggers.
Personalization is also key for email content. Segment your lists and customize content with subscriber names, location details, purchase history, etc. The more tailored your message, the better the results.
Email Design Best Practices
Don’t let poor design ruin your email’s potential. Follow these best practices:
– Clear layout – Easy to scan text, appealing visual hierarchy, uncluttered presentation.
– Mobile responsiveness – Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile. Use responsive templates.
– Effective calls to action – Compelling CTAs that stand out and inspire clicks.
Look at emails from top brands to get design inspiration. Take notes on what engages you as a subscriber. Apply those lessons to your own email layouts.
Here are a few more quick design tips:
– Limit text density
– Use generous white space
– Make key info scannable
– Keep important elements “above the fold”
– Limit images/columns on mobile
Email Automation and Workflows
One email marketing mistake I see all the time is sending one-off emails with no follow-up or continuity. Leverage automation and pre-set workflows to enhance results.
Examples include:
– Welcome sequences – Drip new subscribers valuable info over a series of 3-5 emails.
– Cart abandonment – Win back customers who didn’t complete a purchase.