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.
- Grow an engaged email list :-
The first step in marketing your business with email is to regularly acquire email addresses from recipients who will engage with your emails (and who are likely to become paying customers down the line). Consider promoting your email in highly-visible areas on your website and social networks (e.g. in the navigation bar, footer, sidebar, and in your profiles). When writing messaging for this promotion, focus on the value that you provide in your emails and how your content will help your users.
Empower your recipients by providing a preference center on your email sign-up form. Maybe your recipients only want sales and promotional emails, maybe they enjoy your program so much they want to get all your communication, or perhaps they fall somewhere in between—allowing them to choose keeps them happy and engaged with your emails.
- Design with modular email templates :-
Modular templates consist of pre-coded design blocks that can easily be edited or swapped out depending on how much content you’d like to include. It’s also important that your email designs reflect your brand found on your website so that users have a consistent experience when they read your emails. Before you start sending emails to your subscriber list, it pays to spend some time on your email designs so they can be easily pulled together.
- Develop a consistent brand voice :-
Providing a valuable and seamless experience for your subscribers starts with an established and consistent brand voice. And just like your designs need to stay consistent with your brand, your copy and brand voice needs to come through in your emails.
The tone of your email copy should also mirror your website and anywhere else that your brand has a presence. Brand voice and personality will vary according to your industry and service. B2C brands may have more leeway in their casual and witty tone. B2B companies should try to maintain a warm, but coach-like tone so that recipients view your brand as a subject matter expert.
- Provide a stellar welcome email :-
Once somebody signs up for an email list, they should receive a welcome email shortly after. The more time that passes between the signup and the first email, the more likely a recipient is to forget, lose interest, or become confused by your emails.
Also, don’t forget to include a “thank you” in your welcome email. Handing over an email address in today’s times is a big step for many and showing them appreciation is a great way to get your relationship started on the right foot.
- Send promotional emails :-
Although it’s tempting to want to jump in and start sending promotional emails right away, make sure you iron out certain details and tactics (outlined above) before you really get deep into promotional emails. Download our Marketing and Transactional Best Practice Guide to ensure you’re up to speed on the nuances of marketing and transactional email and how to optimize both!
Once that’s set, here’s a list of the types of promotional emails you may want to send:
- Sales or discounts for your product or service
- Special events
- Social media promotional campaign
- A customer feature that showcases the value of our brand
- Product news
