It seems like just about every day, there’s a new article out there proclaiming that email marketing is dead. And while it’s true that the way we communicate and market has changed over the years, that doesn’t mean email is no longer effective. In fact, when used correctly, email can be an incredibly powerful tool for small business owners and bloggers.
So, before you write off email altogether, read on to learn how to make your campaigns successful.
The rise of social media
Before we get into why email marketing is NOT dead, we need to first discuss the rise of social media.
Social media is indeed rising in popularity. Just when you think it can’t be any more popular a new social platform comes out that gets everyone excited.
But the problem with all social media platforms is that they’re owned by someone else. And that means that you’re at the mercy of those companies when it comes to changes in the algorithm or terms of service.
In other words, you don’t have control over your own destiny when it comes to social media. But with email marketing, YOU are in control. You own your list, and no one can take that away from you.
In addition to that, even social media accounts (not to mention just about every other type of account) require email addresses, so people are still used to being communicated with via email.
The benefits of email marketing
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Now that we’ve established that you have control over your email list, let’s talk about some of the other benefits of email marketing.
You can build a relationship with your subscribers
One of the best things about email marketing is that it allows you to build a relationship with your subscribers. When you send out quality content on a regular basis, your subscribers begin to trust you as an authority figure.
This relationship is important because it gives you the ability to sell products and services to your list without coming across as pushy or sales-y.
Email marketing is cost-effective
Another great benefit of email marketing is that it’s relatively cheap to get started. In fact, I personally use and recommend MailerLite because you can get started for free and it has a lot of great features.
Pro Tip: Read my MailerLite review to learn more about MailerLite.
In addition to being able to start with MailerLite for free, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on advertising or hire a professional designer to create your emails.
As long as you have a computer and an internet connection, you can start building your list and sending out emails.
You can reach a large audience with email marketing
Another great thing about email marketing is that it allows you to reach a large audience with your message.
Unlike other forms of marketing like TV or radio, you’re not limited by geographic boundaries when it comes to email marketing.
This means that you can reach people all over the world with your message without having to spend a lot of money on advertising.
Email marketing is measurable
One of the best things about email marketing is that it’s very easy to measure the results of your campaigns.
There are a number of different metrics you can track, such as open rate, click-through rate, and unsubscribe rate.
This data can be very valuable in helping you to improve your email marketing campaigns.
Pro Tip: To learn more about measuring the impact of your emails, read the article, 7 Essential Email Marketing Metrics and How to Improve them.
Email marketing is highly targeted
Another great thing about email marketing is that it allows you to be very targeted with your message.
Unlike other forms of marketing, you have the ability to segment your list and send out specific messages to specific groups of people.
For example, you could send out a newsletter to your entire list, or you could send out a special offer to a segment of your list that you know would be interested in it.
To learn more about how to segment your email list, read this article, Email Segmentation: What it is and Why You Need It.
Email marketing is flexible
Another great thing about email marketing is that it’s very flexible. There are a number of different ways you can use email marketing to reach your audience.
You can send out a traditional newsletter, or you could use autoresponders to send out a series of messages over time.
You can also use email marketing to send out special offers, coupons, and discounts.
Email marketing is permission-based
One of the best things about email marketing is that it’s permission based. This means that people have given you permission to send them emails.
This is in contrast to other forms of marketing, such as telemarketing, where you’re interrupting someone’s day in an attempt to sell them something.
With email marketing, people have chosen to receive your messages, which means they’re more likely to be receptive to what you have to say.
Email marketing is scalable
Another great thing about email marketing is that it’s very scalable. As your business grows, you can easily add more subscribers to your list without having to increase your costs.
In fact, once you’ve got your email marketing system set up, it can be almost entirely automated.
This means that you can easily scale your business without having to hire more staff or invest more money in advertising.
Email marketing is easy to automate
As I mentioned before, email marketing is very easy to automate. Once you’ve got your system set up, you can set it up so that new subscribers are automatically added to your list and emails are sent out on a regular basis.
This means that you can save a lot of time and effort by automating your email marketing.
Pro Tip: To learn more about email automation, check out these email automation examples.
Honestly, there are so many benefits to email marketing that I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea!
But the thing is, like any tool, to get the best results, it’s important to use email marketing properly.
With that in mind, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
How to create an effective email campaign
Here are a few important elements of an effective email marketing campaign.
1. Know your audience
Knowing your audience is essential for effective email marketing. You need to know who you are targeting and what they are interested in so that you can create content that appeals to them. If you send emails that are irrelevant or uninteresting to your recipients, they will quickly unsubscribe from your list.
2. Segment your list
Segmenting your email list is essential for effective email marketing. By dividing your list into smaller groups, you can target each segment with content that appeals to them specifically. This increases the chances that your recipients will find something of interest in your emails and be more likely to act on your calls to action.
3. Personalize your email
Personalizing your email campaigns is one of the most effective ways to increase your response rate. When you address recipients by name, they are more likely to read your email and to be influenced by its content. In addition, personalizing emails with relevant content increases the chances that recipients will act on your calls to action.
4. Use a catchy subject line
The subject line of an email is the first thing that people see, and it can make a big difference in whether or not they open the email. If your subject line is catchy and interesting, there is a good chance that people will open it. However, if your subject line is boring or uninteresting, chances are that most people will delete the email without even reading it.
For more information on how to write catchy subject lines, check out this ultimate guide, How to Write the Best Subject Lines to Boost Open Rates.
5. Keep your email short and to the point
People are more likely to read and act on an email if it is short and to the point. Long, rambling emails are more likely to be ignored. So, make sure that your email contains only the most essential information and that it is presented in a clear and concise way.
6. Include a strong call to action
Your email should include a strong call to action that tells recipients what you want them to do. Whether you want them to click on a link, buy a product, or sign up for a service, your call to action should be clear and easy to follow.
7. Test, test, test!
One of the most important aspects of email marketing is testing. You should test different elements of your email campaigns to see what works best. Try different subject lines, calls to action, and types of content to see what gets the best results. Only by testing can you be sure that you are making the most of your email marketing efforts.
Examples of successful email campaigns
One of the best ways to be successful in your email marketing campaigns is to follow the examples of other successful email marketing campaigns.
You can do this by subscribing to popular bloggers and businesses in your niche. When you get an email that pops, either copy and paste the content of the email into a Word doc and save it or set up a folder in your email to save great emails. Review those emails when you need inspiration. (Note: don’t actually copy the emails. Just use them as inspiration!)
You can also get inspiration from examples such as this one, 9 Author Newsletter Examples to Help Grow Your Reader Group. Or check out these examples of effective B2B email marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
Even in our social media-dominated world, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your customers. Why? Because you own your email list. You control who sees your messages and when they see them.
Email is also cost effective, which makes it a great way to reach a large audience without breaking the bank.
Finally, you can get inspiration from others to know how to write effective email marketing campaigns that convert readers into buyers.
Ready to give email marketing a try? I recommend signing up for a free MailerLite account so you can grow your email list without spending a dime.
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