E-mail Marketing Guide: What is it and How Does it Work?

What is Email Marketing? 

One of the most effective marketing campaigns to use when it comes to advertising your business offers is through email! Email is a great way to reach your target audience and stream content as nearly everyone has an email address that they check daily! This makes it extremely accessible and offers a business the opportunity to remind customers of the offers that they may have and share news on the business! 

Email marketing is a digital marketing tool that allows a business to send commercial messages to those customers, or potential customers, that have opted to receive communication from your brand. Email marketing ranges in the types of email communication that you can send, but brands typically opt to send promotional content that may result in a sale. Email marketing campaigns help businesses form better connections with their audience, ensuring that they purchase from the brand as opposed to a competitor. 

Why Should You Use Email Marketing For Your Brand?

Email marketing can be incredibly beneficial and help your brand to form relationships with your customers through the content that you send them. Email marketing is a way to connect and interact in a unique way with those who are interested in learning more about your brand. While there are many advantages to using email marketing tools, as with any marketing strategy, there are also a few cons that you need to consider. These cons may be unique to certain businesses and there are ways to ensure that they do not impact the effectiveness of your strategy!

What are the Advantages of Email Marketing?

There are many reasons why including an email marketing campaign in your marketing strategy would be beneficial. The following are just a few of the benefits of email marketing strategy. 

• It is cost-effective: Email marketing campaigns are one of the most cost-effective marketing tactics to use! Once you have email marketing software and tools set up, you just need to produce the content that you want to release to your customers. 
• Allows for better targeting of customers: As your email lists can be sorted into different groups, you are able to devise a more targeted approach when using email marketing. Your business more than likely has quite a few different personas within your target audience and being able to send unique and targeted content to the different groups can increase your chances of making a sale or getting a customer to complete a desired action.
• More measurable: Through the use of email marketing software, marketers can track email open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns.

What are the Disadvantages of Email Marketing?

While there are many benefits of using email marketing, there are also a few drawbacks that should be considered. The following is a look at a few of the disadvantages of email marketing that you may need to think about. 

• People may unsubscribe: You have to ensure that the content you are releasing is relevant and insightful as this will depend on whether your audience starts to unsubscribe from your mailing lists. In order to ensure that email users have the option to remove themselves from the mailing lists they are on, there is always an unsubscribe option. If your content is not enticing your users, they may end up unsubscribing and be taken off of your mailing list.
• Spam filters: Another negative to consider when using email marketing is that your emails could be going into the spam folder. This results in the intended recipient not actually seeing or reading the email that you have just sent. 
• Many emails are received in a day: As many people use email communication for work and other reasons, they may receive many emails in a day. This can often cause certain emails to get overlooked, one of which could be yours! 

How Does Email Marketing Work?

Email marketing involves a few key steps that you will have to do to ensure that your tactics are effective. A marketing team or email marketing agency would generally handle these steps, depending on the size of the company and the number of emails that need to be generated! 

1. Build an email list: You’ll need to create a list of email addresses from people who have given you permission to send them marketing emails. You can build this list by asking customers and website visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or other marketing communications.
2. Creating a marketing email: You’ll need to design an email that contains your marketing message and any relevant images or multimedia content. This email should be formatted for optimal deliverability and reader engagement. There are different types of marketing emails that are used to accomplish different things, more of this will be discussed! 
3. Sending the email: You can use email marketing software to send your marketing emails to your email list. This software will typically provide tools to manage your email list, create email templates, and track the performance of your email campaigns.
4. Tracking performance: You can use email marketing software to track key metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. This data can help you refine your email marketing strategy and improve your overall results.

Following up: You can follow up with subscribers who open or click on your emails, either by sending them additional emails or by reaching out through other channels, such as phone or social media.

What Do You Need to Start Your First Email Marketing Campaign?

After reading how effective email marketing can be, you are probably wondering where to begin. Unfortunately, email marketing is not just something you can start right away and there are a few things you will need to do before you begin. The following is a look at what you need to start your first email marketing campaign. 

Email Marketing Software

Email marketing software is an incredibly beneficial tool that can help you run your campaigns and track the progress of the emails you send out. There are many different types of email marketing software that you can look into using, each with unique features and functions. It is often best to carefully look into the different software available to ensure that you are getting the very best one for your business. 

An Email List

In order to ensure that your email marketing strategy is as effective as possible, you need to have customers who will receive the content you distribute. You do not want to be considered spammy and it is therefore incredibly important that you are granted permission to use the email addresses of your customers. When a customer makes a purchase or enquires about a product, many websites will include a feature that asks to use the email address provided for promotional purposes. 

Engaging Message and Design

 When using email marketing, another thing you will need to ensure that you create is an engaging message and design. Though the messages you send will vary and depend on what the goal of each individual email is, the design should be similar and reflect your brand image. Creating an enticing email design will get those to whom you are sending your email to reading your content and draw them in, helping you to potentially make a sale. Using a business that offers copywriting services to write engaging and enticing content for your emails is always a good idea! A copywriter will have the skills and knowledge to be able to create content that draws customers in and gets them to complete a desired action. 

What Are The Types of Email Marketing?

There are a variety of different types of emails that can be sent out! The ones that you send will depend on the goals of your email campaign as well as the budget that you set for the creation of content. The following is a look into just a few of the most effective email marketing examples and types that are used in an email marketing campaign. 

Welcome Emails

Welcome emails are sent to new subscribers or customers to greet them and introduce them to a brand or business. It is important that these emails be structured in such a way that you are reflecting the tone and style of your business, helping newcomers to better understand who you are and what you do. This will be an opportunity for you to introduce and welcome new customers to your brand so you should be taking the opportunity to put your best foot forward! 

Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are regularly scheduled emails that contain news, updates, and promotions related to a specific topic. Email newsletters are usually sent out regularly, though the timeframe may depend on your own business and what you hope to accomplish with your email marketing strategy. Email newsletters could contain information relating to new updates on the business, introducing new employees and even a few special limited-time promotions. It is important that these newsletters are scheduled to be sent at certain times as this continuity helps customers gain trust within your business! 

Lead Nurturing Emails

Lead nurturing emails are used to build relationships with potential customers and move them through the sales funnel by providing them with relevant content and offers. The goal of lead nurturing emails is to move potential customers through the sales funnel by providing them with valuable information, addressing their concerns, and establishing trust and credibility. 

Sponsorship Emails

Sponsorship emails are sent to potential sponsors to gain their support or partnership for an event, product, or service. An example of a sponsorship email could be something that is sent out to an individual who has previously supported a charitable cause or shown interest in contributing to an event. This email could explain more as to how valuable their contribution is and what is ultimately done with the funding or items that are donated. 

Transactional Emails

Transactional emails are automated emails that are triggered by a specific action taken by a user, such as a purchase or a sign-up. These emails are often sent in response to a user’s behaviour or action and are intended to provide information about the action or transaction that occurred. 

Re-Engagement Emails

Re-engagement emails are a type of email marketing campaign that aims to re-engage subscribers who have become inactive or disengaged with a business’s email communications. These subscribers may have stopped opening or clicking on emails, or they may have stopped engaging with the business in other ways. Re-engagement emails are important because they can help businesses improve their email engagement rates, reduce their email list churn, and increase overall revenue.

Post-Purchase Or Onboarding Emails

E-commerce email marketing has grown substantially over the last few years, with many individuals choosing to purchase their products from online stores and have them delivered right to their door! This has created a unique opportunity for e-commerce businesses to further interact with their clients. Sending an email confirming that the order a customer has made has been placed and providing information regarding delivery will make you seem like a more reliable and trustworthy brand.

Product Update Emails

Changes to the products or services that you offer can be sent through as product update emails. These emails can highlight new products, changes in manufacturing or anything else that is relevant to the offers that you sell. Keeping your clients informed of any changes that are made to your business and the products you offer will make your clients feel included and valued. This is vital for gaining their trust and ensuring that they do purchase from your competitors, but rather choose your business! 

Cart Abandonment Emails

If someone has placed items in their cart that they are interested in but have not finalised a purchase, cart abandonment emails should be sent. Email marketing statistics show that a customer is more likely to complete a purchase if a cart abandonment email is sent! The best time to send marketing emails of this kind is usually shortly after the customer has left the site without making a purchase. This email often drives an individual back to the website where they complete the purchase of the items in their cart! 

Invitations

If you are having small events, sending invitation emails is a great way to promote it and get your customers to join! When it comes to email marketing for small businesses, using invitations for things like product launches can be extremely beneficial! 

What are The Best Practices of Email Marketing?

There are a number of practices that should be used when it comes to email marketing! Using the most effective practices will ensure that your email marketing campaign is effective and that you yield the best results. The following is a brief look into some of the best practices that should be used for email marketing. 

Segment Your Audience And Send Relevant Content

Segmenting your audience and sending relevant content is an effective way to improve the performance of your email marketing campaigns. Segmentation involves dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, such as demographics, interests, behaviour, or engagement level. By doing this, you can tailor your content and message to each group’s unique needs and preferences, which can result in higher engagement, click-through rates, and conversions.

Automate Processes

When it comes to email marketing, having systems that are automated can greatly help your campaigns. Automated email marketing templates ensure that your campaign will be effective and quick while allowing you to focus on the most important aspect of your emails; the content that you release. Having email lists automated and set up using email marketing platforms can ensure that when you are sending out emails, you are able to do so with speed and procession. Setting up email marketing automation can take a while at first but will save you tons of time in the long run! 

Monitor And Change What Isn’t Working

Email marketing can be a very effective tool for reaching out to customers and promoting products or services. However, not every email campaign will be successful right from the start. It is important to constantly monitor your email marketing campaigns and make changes as necessary in order to improve their effectiveness and maximise their impact. Monitoring your email marketing campaigns will allow you to track open and click-through rates, as well as other key metrics, which will help you identify what is working and what isn’t. By analysing this data, you can identify areas that need improvement and make adjustments to your email marketing strategy accordingly.

Choose The Right Email Marketing Software

The email marketing software that you decide to use will have an astounding impact on your email marketing campaigns. It is important to carefully look into different types of software and choose the one that will be most effective for your business. When deciding, consider the goals of the campaigns you want to run and decide based on the unique features of the different software packages you are looking into! Choosing the right one, in the beginning, will ensure that you do not have to use features from other platforms. 

Personalise Your Messaging and Use CTA’s

It is important that the emails you send out are unique and structured to target the audience you are sending to. By personalising your messaging and using CTA’s (call-to-actions) you will be able to attract the attention of your target audience in a more effective way. It is important to consider how your messaging comes across as the content that you place within the email will be what drives engagement and further interactions! 

Choose an Engaging Email Newsletter Design

There are a variety of email marketing companies and tools that are available to help you create an engaging email newsletter design! Email marketing design will be dependent on the audience you are sending to as well as the type of email that you are sending out. 

Send Mobile-Friendly Designs

Most individuals will be receiving and reading the emails that they are sent on their mobile devices. This has made it incredibly important to have mobile-friendly designs used when creating the emails that you are sending out! If you are not using a mobile-friendly design, this will mean that those receiving your emails may struggle to read your content and make their way to your website. The frustration that comes from not being able to do this on a mobile device could lead to you losing out on a sale! 

Never Buy Email Lists

One of the main reasons why email marketing is so effective is due to the fact that the emails that are sent are distributed to your target audience. Purchasing email lists with random email addresses will mean that you are sending content to individuals that are more than likely not interested in the products and services you have on offer. It is also incredibly important that you gain the permission of the individuals whose email addresses you are using, which would not be possible if you are buying email lists. 

Set Up a Welcome Email For New Subscribers

A welcome email for new subscribers is a way to introduce yourself and your business! letting new subscribers know who you are and what you do can help form a bond and build a long-lasting relationship. You want to be sure that you are putting your best foot forward and that your new subscribers feel welcome! 

Which Tools Are Effective for Email Marketing?

There are a variety of tools that you can use to increase the effectiveness of your email marketing campaign! The following is a brief look into just three of the most popular tools on the market today. 

HubSpot Email Marketing

HubSpot is a popular all-in-one inbound marketing platform that provides a wide range of tools and email marketing services to help businesses attract, engage, and delight their customers. As part of its platform, HubSpot also offers an email marketing tool that allows businesses to create, send, and track email campaigns.

HubSpot’s email marketing tool offers a variety of features, including templates for email marketing, a drag-and-drop editor, personalization options, list segmentation, A/B testing, analytics and reporting, and more. This tool makes it easy for businesses to create and send targeted email campaigns to their subscribers, and track their performance in real time.

One of the key advantages of using HubSpot’s email marketing tool is its integration with the HubSpot CRM, which allows businesses to track and manage their email contacts, and view all of their interactions with those contacts in one place. This integration also allows for more personalised and targeted email campaigns, based on a contact’s behaviour and preferences.

Sender

Sender is a tool that allows you to craft unique email templates to send out to your consumers! There are a number of different options available and the one that you pick is largely determined by the goal of your email marketing campaign. You can create the emails you want to send out on this platform using a drag-and-drop feature as well as crafted pre-designed templates! 

Sendinblue

Sendinblue is a cloud-based marketing automation and email marketing software that provides tools for creating and sending email campaigns, managing subscriber lists, and analysing email marketing performance. The platform is designed for small to medium-sized businesses and offers a range of features to help businesses improve their email marketing strategy!