Email marketing is an essential part of any good marketing strategy. You can use email to say in touch with your current customers and reach out to new ones.
It’s a fantastic way to reach out to your customers and build relationships that will last.
But before you get started, there are a few things you need in order to get going.
Here are the only four things you need to get started with email marketing:
An Email Marketing Platform
The first thing you need for email marketing is…
an email marketing platform!
There are a lot of different options out there, so it’s important to choose one that will work well for your business.
Some things you might want to consider when choosing an email marketing platform are:
- Ease of use
- Automation features
- Templates and design tools
- Reporting and analytics
- Customer support
Some popular options include Mailchimp, MailerLite, and ActiveCampaign.
Once you’ve signed up for a platform and gone through the set-up process, you’re ready to start creating the first of many email marketing campaigns!
Sending your email campaigns is as easy as 1-2-3:
- Creating your email content,
- entering your email subject line,
- and choosing your audience (email list).
You can also use automation features to send your emails at specific times or triggered by certain events, like sign-ups or purchases.
An Audience
Who are you going to send your emails to?
Of course, you can’t have email marketing without an audience.
Your existing customers are a great starting point. You can import them into your email marketing platform with just a few clicks.
Before you start importing customers, you may want to check with your chosen email marketing platform first. Most email marketing platforms will generally allow you to import customers who have purchased from you within the last 1-2 years or are active users of your service. This scenario is considered to be an acceptable form of consent.
For further acceptable forms of consent, check with your email marketing platform or consult their terms and conditions.
If you don’t have any customers yet, or you want to reach out to new ones, consider building an email list.
There are a few ways to do this:
- Add a sign-up form to your website
- Offer a freebie or discount in exchange for an email address
- Run a contest or giveaway
Whichever method you choose, make sure you’re clear about what people are signing up for, and use the double-opt-in process to ensure they really want to receive your emails.
Double-opt-in also helps to reduce the chances of invalid or fake emails ending up on your list.
Your Computer
In order to create and send your newsletters, you’re going to need a computer or any other device that allows you to access the internet!
It doesn’t have to be fancy or new. As long as you can connect to the internet and use a word processing program to create your content, you’re good to go.
If you want to get a little more fancy, there are some great email marketing platforms that offer drag-and-drop email builders. This can make it even easier to create beautiful and professional-looking emails.
Your Imagination / An Idea
Last but not least, you need imagination!
This is the most important ingredient for email marketing success.
What kind of content would your audience be interested in?
Keep in mind that each email should have a specific purpose, whether that’s promoting a new product, sharing a coupon code, or simply staying in touch with your customers.
Your imagination will help you come up with great ideas for content, subject lines, and ways to grow your email list.
If you’re struggling with ideas, try thinking about some of the most frequently asked questions you get from customers, or consider doing a survey to find out what topics they’d be interested in reading about.
Once you have an idea, sit down at your computer and start creating!
Remember to write as if you’re having a casual conversation with a friend. This will help to make your emails more personal and engaging. It will also avoid perfectionism paralysis, which can happen when you try to make your emails perfect before you hit send.
If you make a mistake, don’t worry! You can always edit or delete it before you send your email.
And that’s it! You now have everything you need to get started with email marketing.
Conclusion: Email marketing: The sky’s the limit!
Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your customers and promote your business.
To get started, all you need is a computer, an internet connection, and an idea. You can also use email marketing platforms to automate your email-sending process.
Keep in mind that each email should have a specific purpose, and write as if you’re having a conversation with a friend to make your emails more personal and engaging. With a little imagination and effort, you’ll be sure to succeed at email marketing.
With email marketing, the sky’s the limit!
So, what are you waiting for? Start sending those emails today!
Recap
- An Email Marketing Platform: Choose one that works for your business and offers features such as automation, templates and design tools, reporting and analytics and customer support.
- An Audience: Start with your current customers and consider building an email list by adding a sign-up form to your website, offering a freebie or discount, running a contest or giveaway.
- Your Computer: To create and send newsletters – any device that allows access to the internet and use of a word processing program will do.
- Your Imagination / An Idea: Consider frequently asked questions from customers or survey topics they’d be interested in and write as if you’re having a casual conversation with a friend.
Limitless Networks, A Kerry Web Design Company
If you’re looking for help with your email marketing efforts, contact us today. We will help you get the most out of your email marketing campaigns.
