Email marketing is a pivotal part to advertising your business online… we have all learned that from the copius amounts of email flyers we each receive in our inboxes (or junk folders) every day. So how do you get started? Here are some quick tips that should give you a little idea as to how it will help your business, as well as a few tips on constructing your own email campaign. A great email marketing campaign is a wonderful supplement to a well rounded online marketing program.
Email Marketing – Why do it?
· It works! – People will respond when you reach out because people like to be engaged! If you have something an individual may take interest in, and you have that sacred email of theirs, they will want to hear from you. Remember that email marketing is an effective way to engage your customer.
· Direct advertising for your brand – Email marketing produces sales but it also keeps you fresh in the customer’s mind. Establishing your brand = becoming the go-to professional in your area of expertise.
· Share news, updates, tips etc. – To reiterate, people are highly protective of their email address (some have multiples; one for highly personal use, one for work, one for online shopping and gathering coupons, the list goes on.) When they hand over that email, they will be expecting something from you. This is the perfect opportunity to share tips and expert advice to them, let them know about how to access you through social media, and to ultimately develop a trusting relationship with them.
· It’s fun! – Email marketing allows you to flex your creative muscles. It’s an opportunity to get your voice out. A chance to practice your design skills. And last, a fun way to learn more about how your customer thinks and learn how to better appeal to them. It sounds weird, but it’s really pretty fun when you get into it!
Why go through an Email Marketing Service?
· Protect your personal email – One of the main concerns for companies when marketing via email is getting their email, or at worst, their email server black-listed. This is not usually the case unless you spam A LOT and OFTEN. Regardless, the benefits outweigh the cons to email marketing through an email service. Have them send it on your behalf!
· Starting up can be tricky – Email marketing can be a psychological game as much as it involves design, layout and written content. Companies like MailChimp (online email marketing service) offer a slew of interesting guides for appealing to customers. There are also rules to email marketing that nobody would know without looking into – and these services really like to help.
· Easy to Manage Contact Lists – I’m getting a headache just thinking about trying to email market to a decent number of individuals through Outlook or Gmail. People subscribe, unsubscribe, send your email to junk and more. Email marketing services like Constant Contact and MailChimp will track everything your readers do with your email and give you the info. As well, lists will update themselves when people unsubscribe etc.
· They’re Free! – Not entirely true, but unless you are sending out thousands of emails a month, you won’t have a problem.
General Safety Tips for Email Marketing (There are a lot of rules – One good rule of thumb… if you think something looks too much like a spammy ad, it may as well be)
· Spam language – DO YOU HATE BEING WRITTEN TO LIKE THIS? Spam blockers don’t like the yelling “tone” of all caps either and they will assign negative points to your email for it. Spam blockers have a number of these rules built in for blocking content. Examples include, but are not limited to: excessive exclamation point usage, use of red or green font, too much pricing talk, too much talk about “male enlargement” and the like, etc. The rules are really pretty extensive simply because spammers have become so crafty at avoiding spam blockers.
· Use the guides! – They’re there for a reason. Email marketing services are scared of spam too. If your email attracts too much bad attention, they can get in to trouble. They make these guides to help you avoid spam situations and to protect themselves.
· The Giant Image – Many companies send out flyers and ads that are made up of one giant image. Unless you need to showcase something visually, it’s better to avoid large images that take up a bulk of your email’s space. An email service like Outlook won’t even open an email image without approval. If you don’t think the recipient will have interest opening images from you, avoid it or your email is worthless.
· The Golden Rule – I think that the Golden Rule can be applied to many things in life. I think that email marketing is a perfect example. Think about it to yourself before you send that email. Don’t send someone an email that you wouldn’t want sent to yourself!
If you are looking to start advertising your business, email marketing is a great way to start. Give us a call today to get started! GOMarketing is the solution you need! (866) 736-1232