Creating effective email marketing campaigns under a deadline demands a balance of technique and execution. But hitting that sweet spot isn’t just a guessing game, and there’s a lot within your power to put your best email forward.
Our Email Marketing For Beginner’s Guide covers everything you need to know to get begun with email marketing.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a communication channel that involves mailing emails to a targeted audience to promote products or content and drive client engagement and sales.
The evolution of email marketing has made it more than just a method to send mass messages. It’s now a refined tool for personalized engagement and creating customer relationships.
With the help of current email automation platforms, you can handle your email campaigns efficiently and send triggered emails automatically based on clear actions.
Significance of Email Marketing
- Expenses are lesser as compared to other marketing channels
- Shows a more increased ROI (return on investment)
- Helps in drawing new customers
- More straightforward Integration with other communication channels
- Assists in creating targeted and personalized messages
- Aids higher-intent clients to engage with your business
- Helps reach larger audiences and even smaller targeted lists
What are the benefits of email marketing?
- Targeted and personalized communication
- Automation potential
- Higher ROI
- Direct communication
- Customer retention
How to do email marketing: Step-by-step guide
Now that you comprehend the value of email and how to begin and bolster your email lists, how do you design and implement an email marketing campaign?
Step 1: Collate a list
When you make an email campaign, the key metrics for winning are the development and quality of the subscriber list. You should look at making lists that are segmented by class. That can be by audience, taste, or category but avoid putting every contact into one pot and expecting it will work!
Look at what opportunities or customers you like to engage and why. Then collate an email list operating Excel or your email marketing tool. Label each list clearly so you can locate them again easily and also track performance.
Step 2: Select an email marketing tool
There are a ton of email marketing tools out there. So you are required to do your research and select the best one for your business.
Some tools are complimentary to begin utilizing and then charge by the number of connections in your database. This is why holding on top of your lists is essential as you’ll be paying for each one: so be trained to audit your lists regularly. A few tools to look into are:
- HubSpot
- MailChimp
- GetResponse
- Marketo
Step 3: Plan an email workflow
A workflow is a sequence of automated emails that are put in a specific order to nurture a possibility or guide a client to take a certain action. There are a few steps needed to set one up:
- Set a plan for your workflow – For instance, it could be to convert opportunities to enter a free trial
- Create enrollment criteria – This determines who enters the workflow by the settings you select. For instance, it could be anyone who downloaded a precise ebook
- Decide on your email assets – This could be a CTA to guide someone to a blog or a custom landing page for a free test sign-up
- Make your emails – Once you know your objective and have the support in place, consider each step in the journey and the touchpoints
- Include a time delay – i.e. space the first and second emails with a day in between
- Run a test – Always run a test utilizing a test email before activating any workflow to make sure everything is right
Make your workflow live and hold an eye on it! – Check-in every day to see that your flows are functioning and the correct people are being added to it. Make any modifications or tweaks as soon as possible.
Step 4: Plan a calendar
An email calendar is like an editorial or social media calendar. It’s about designing the frequency and audience regularly to target opportunities and customers.
Determine on how often you want to communicate with certain segments or groups and set objectives for each campaign. Tracking your email marketing activities by date will allow you to see who you are targeting and when.
You are also required to keep times and days in mind when sending. Some will work more pleasingly than others relying on your audience e.g. on a commute or first thing in the morning. Try these out to see what functions for your lists.
Design your Email Campaigns
Download our convenient calendar template below to get begin right away with designing your email campaigns for 2024! It includes a list of key holidays you can plan for and a color-coded key to assist you manage your campaigns to the max.
1. Write email copy
Now to the most significant bit – the content of the email. As a marketer, you should comprehend your buyer personas or excellent customer/s and comprehend their pain points. If so, then you’ll be capable of targeting messaging in a manner that prompts a click on an email.
With an email, the subject line is super essential as it’s the first thing a person notices in their inbox. Consider A/B testing subject lines with specific groups to compare performance and see if it can show your copy.
It’s also key to maintain your messaging clear and concise and use CTAs to lead people to take action. Use a content and copywriting checklist to keep your messaging precise and concentrating when writing every single marketing email.
2. Press the send button
Now you’ve accomplished all the hard work, it’s time to see how your email does on the real planet.
Test before you send (check copy, subject lines, and pictures and confirm your links work), and then let it free!
Beginner-friendly email marketing campaign examples
When you’re beginning it can seem overwhelming to figure out how to set up an email campaign and what content to include. There is a range of various types of email to keep in mind (relying on your objectives) when crafting your campaigns:
- Awareness building – welcome, announcement, new product,
- Lead generation – downloadable asset, blog article, custom landing page
- Nurture – new proposal, additional product, reminder
- Traffic generation – relevant blog articles, practice or offers on the website
- Revenue-generating – conversion
Here are a few instances of good email campaigns from some impressive brands, to encourage you.
1. Plochman’s – Welcome email
American mustard company Plochman crafted an eye-catching and on-brand color email to welcome new sign-ups. The easy header text ‘Hey, you made it!’ captures attention and leads onto ‘Gratitude for the sign-up, glad you’re here. Now onto the good stuff.
This intro keeps a recipient curious and informs them there are more details if you scroll down. The first CTA is ‘Buy it’ about their product followed by recipes on how to utilize the product. It’s a great instance of how to craft a concise and action-orientated email.
2. NerdWallet – Nurture email
Personal finance company, NerdWallet utilizes email to nurture opportunities so they can draw people back who have shown a curiosity in their service. This instance above leads with an enticing headline ‘New methods to get more from your money’ along with including the text ‘New and tailored to you’ to move personalization.
The email then utilizes clear and clever copy to entice people to click on clear actions – ‘Set your objectives’ and ‘Start saving’ an engaging opportunity for most people. Clean and bright imagery also helps to draw the eye with the dominant green, keeping it on brand.
3. AutoTrader – re-engagement email
Automotive sales expert AutoTrader utilizes the email below to reach out to sign-ups or subscribers who are lapsed or disengaged.
It presents people the chance to update their preferences (to enable tailored messaging) but also to be in line with new UK privacy laws that not everyone would yet be acquainted with. The simple CTA ‘Stay subscribed’ makes it straightforward for recipients to re-engage with the brand.
4. Apple – Specific audience offers email
Apple is no outsider to email marketing and this instance targets a distinct segment – those beginning or returning to college.
The email shows free AirPods with every buy of a Mac or iPad along with a 20 percent holding on Apple Care. It not only serves to convince someone to buy their laptop from Apple but also accessories additional warranty and technical support.
The targeted and precise nature of this email will allow drive-through and traffic generation.