Email Marketing Success in 4 Simple Steps

marketing Sep 05, 2020

Do you have a plan for your email list?

Email marketing is the most effective way to nurture and convert leads into clients. You get to show up in the inboxes of people who have already expressed interest in what you have to offer. That’s why they signed up for your list in the first place!

Getting started with email marketing is easier than you might think. If creating a marketing strategy to reach out to your list seems overwhelming, keep reading! We have four simple steps to get you on your way to an engaged and converting email list.

Choose an email service provider (ESP).

There are so many options out there. Some questions to ask yourself are: How many subscribers do you have? How often do you want to reach out to them? Will you need systems to handle auto-responders and complex funnels?

Choosing an ESP that suits your needs will provide you with a tool to create high-quality emails that appeal to your audience. Most ESPs will come with templates, offering the simplicity of drag-and-drop design. Some popular options are MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, and ActiveCampaign. Compare their different features and decide what’s best for your needs.

Use valuable lead magnets to gain a captive audience.

A lead magnet is simply something awesome that your audience is willing to hand over their email address to get. It could be a printable, a how-to guide, a free trial, or anything else that shows the value you can bring. It gives people the chance to get something for free by opting into your email list.

The key to an effective lead magnet is making it targeted to specifically attract your ideal client. You don’t want to flood your email list with people who subscribed for a freebie but have no interest in anything else you offer.

So get comfortable in your ideal client’s shoes. Think about what she needs. How does your offer solve her problem? Now think of what small taste of that solution you can package as a lead magnet. It will be like a sample of the success she can expect from taking the next step toward working with you.

Once you have your lead magnet ready to roll, make it visible! Your website header, sidebar, or even a well-placed pop-up will put your opt-in front and center for your potential clients. Try different positioning and adjust when you need to.

Continue providing meaningful content to your subscribers.

Once you’ve hooked your readers with an awesome lead magnet, you have a responsibility to them! You’ve shown you have something of value. Now it’s time to deliver.

Keep the majority of your emails value-focused. This means keep sending out content that speaks to your audience, gives them something actionable, and engages them. You want them to keep opening those emails and responding to your calls to action (more on that in a minute). You can gain their trust by “overdelivering” in your free content. Then when you do send sales emails, they already know what they stand to gain from buying. A good general rule to keep in mind is 80% value-driven content and 20% sales.

So how do you make sure your emails get opened? What if you’ve poured all this time into writing heartfelt, nurturing emails and your analytics show no one’s even reading them? Or no one is clicking through to your website or offer? Try these tips to raise those rates.

Test your subject line.

A dull or confusing subject line will not convince anyone to take the next step and read your email. Make your subject enticing by keeping short (3-5 words). Include emojis and numbers. These tend to catch attention. And avoid spammy or over-salesy words like “discount” or “cash.” You definitely don’t want to wind up in the spam folder!

Coschedule has a great tool you can use to test out your subject lines. It will give you tips to increase your open rates. Check it out here: https://coschedule.com/email-subject-line-tester

Keep it short and sweet.

People are busy. Chances are if you write a long email, you’ll lose most of your readers before they reach the end. But if your readers come to expect your messages to be short, quippy, and informative, they will keep opening your emails!

Also keep in mind that most people check their email on their phones. Make sure you use a format that is easy to read on mobile screens.

Decide on a frequency that works for you and your readers.

There is no set rule on how often you should email your list. In fact, it may vary depending on what you have going on in your business. If you are launching a product, you might send emails every day for a week, and several times on the day your launch closes.

Regular nurturing emails might go out once or twice a week. Think about what your audience might expect and be able to handle.

Once you have a frequency in mind, develop an editorial calendar to plan out the content you will send. This way you won’t be stuck staring at that blinking cursor the night before you need to hit send on your next email. Remember, your content should bring value, but it should also be part of a funnel that is bringing your readers closer to becoming buyers. The purpose of your email marketing strategy is conversions.

Always have a call-to-action.

Having a call-to-action, or CTA, is what makes your email marketing worthwhile. Your readers need a clear way to engage with you. Ask them to book a call, click through to your website, or respond to a question. Every time you send out an email, include a CTA to keep communication flowing. Even if it’s a lighthearted midweek meme, you can ask your readers to share their own laughs on your social channels. Every CTA is an opportunity to build relationships.

Email marketing is an essential part of your growing business. Don’t let it overwhelm you! Just make a plan and start building your loyal following with consistency and value.