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Email Marketing

Email Marketing 101: Everything You Need To Know About Email Marketing For Your Small Business

It’s no secret that the Internet is one of the most powerful tools that entrepreneurs can take advantage of. In particular, email marketing is a tactic that most businesses should utilize.

But, not everyone knows how to go about it, or the benefits it provides. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about small business email marketing. 

Know Your Audience

Before you can properly communicate with your audience, you’ll need to properly define who you’re speaking to. A major attribute of effective email marketing is a feeling of personalization in the email you’re sending.

For example, let’s assume you own a company that sells athletic apparel for men and women. You’ll likely benefit from changing your message’s tone and copy depending on whether the recipient is male or female.

While messages about store-wide sales can be universal, promoting discounted apparel for either gender will likely need to be worded differently. 

The better you understand the person you’re speaking too, the better your results will be.

The Subject Line

As you may expect, your subject line will often determine whether or not the recipient will even open the email. So, you’re going to need to put some time and effort into crafting the perfect one for your message.

A general tactic is to create a sense of urgency so that readers feel compelled to see the rest of the message. Phrases like ‘ends soon’ or ‘don’t miss out’ are common ways you can convey that your offer requires them to take action in the near future.

Similarly, showing the value they’ll receive can encourage a response. A subject line of an email that the aforementioned apparel company would send might be something like ‘30% off All Clothing This Weekend! Ends Saturday 3/14!’

This subject line is straightforward and immediately tells readers why they should open it.

The Copy

When it comes to copy for email marketing, simplicity is key. Oftentimes, you’ll find that most marketing emails have only one line per paragraph. This is done in order to make the message as straightforward and easy to read as possible.

A call to action (CTA) is also crucial since readers are far more likely to act how you intend them to if you guide them toward doing so. When possible, incorporate CTA buttons (ones with bright colors are a plus) that your readers can click in order to take advantage of your offer.

Utilizing Small Business Email Marketing Can Seem Difficult

But it doesn’t have to be.

With the above information about small business email marketing in mind, you’ll be well on your way to generating leads and increasing conversions like never before.

Want to learn more about how we can help? Feel free to get in touch with us today to see what we can do.

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Email Marketing

The 5 Most Important Email Marketing Ideas of 2017

Online marketing is not the same as it used to be. What was once as simple as having a website with a few ads is now a wide world of opportunities and tactics.

Although PPC and SEO have entered the market, there is a tool practically as old as the internet still making waves – email marketing.

Using the right email marketing ideas can increase your brand loyalty and overall online sales.

It doesn’t matter if you are just getting the hang of using email strategies or if you’ve been at it for a while, you need to know what’s working in 2017 and where the trends are headed.

Here are the top five email marketing tricks to use in your campaign.

1. Make the Call-to-Action Loud and Clear

This is the number one rule for all companies across all industries.

Do not waste your time – or your readers’ time – if you don’t have a clear point in mind. The call to action should be simple to understand, and there should only be one per email.

This makes it as effective as possible. It allows you to have a direct method of reaching your goals, because you aren’t busy trying to campaign multiple things at once.

Keep one call-to-action simple and engaging. Your readers will get the hint.

2. Use a Responsive Template

As the internet has improved, so have the devices by which we access it.

Make sure your email template can automatically adapt between desktops, smartphones, and tablets. This ensures everything looks as intended, no matter how your consumer is reading an email.

Do not underestimate the power of design. A well-organized template speaks volumes to your professionalism and how much you care about the consumer.

Put your best design foot forward. Think of a responsive template as the visual insurance for your email marketing ideas.

3. Add an Emoji

One of the best ways to make sure your email gets attention out of everything else in someone’s inbox is to add an emoji.

Using the right emoji adds character to your email.

It makes the subject line more appealing and feels genuine as well. The value of this is worth noting because a misleading subject line can actually negatively affect your bounce rates.

Thus, adding an emoji as a visual to your subject gains interest and trust. It’s a win-win, wink-wink.

4. Go Through Your List on a Regular Basis

Do you know who your email marketing audience really is?

Not just your target audience, but the people who are already signed up.

Do an audit of your email list regularly. This can help you weed out the people who used a fake email or stopped using what they now consider an old address.

It can also give you an idea of consumer segments.

Segmenting your email marketing ideas to different groups makes your campaigns much more powerful. It allows you to make everything as relevant as possible, whether for the people who want coupons or those who like reading about company news and special events.

Divide and conquer your list and watch as open and click-through rates improve.

5. Personalize and Test Every Email

Personalizing is a must when it comes to email marketing.

Even something as simple as adding the recipient’s first name can be the hook that keeps them reading. It shows you aren’t just another promotion or spam email, and that you care to provide quality service.

To ensure the best service possible, test your emails.

Testing is the checkpoint to make sure your personalization efforts are working, and everything else looks in order, too.

Also, test for sending at different times of day and different days of the week. This will offer more specific insights on the best opportunities to reach your audience.

Start Using 2017’s Best Email Marketing Ideas

Stop waiting to connect with your consumers and start reaching them with the best email marketing ideas of the year.

The right email marketing campaign can be the difference between meeting your margins and making impressive sales leaps.

Your performance opportunities are on the other end of the screen. Meet your consumers where they are to get to where you want your company to be.

Contact us today to get started.

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Email Marketing

Don’t Blast Out Emails, You’re Shoving Your Customers Away

I was reading an article on email marketing on the Aweber blog titled 6 Ways to Connect with Customers through Email. The tips were good and very foundational. If you get a second, go check them out.

The advice that stuck out to me was way #5, talk to one person instead of thousands. How many times do we receive salesy, almost generic emails and quickly delete them?

Worse yet, how many times have we sent emails like that not thinking about how we react to emails with that tone? Do we somehow think that our email is different, we’re special?

The author recommends writing the mass email as if you were writing to only one person. Think about it, are all your mass emails really for every one on your list? Probably not. Write to that one person and your message will hit your targets as the message connects with them.

If you would like to learn more about email marketing, get the free What to Write Guide on our Do It Yourself Marketing Resources page.