I speak to business owners on a daily basis who want to know if email marketing still works.
The first thing I ask is – what do you want to get from your marketing strategy? because if your aim is to sell a lot of your product, sell courses or build your brand then email marketing can be a very effective channel for your business to communicate.
Where I notice businesses going wrong on a daily basis is creating DIY email’s and sending them out, crossing their fingers hoping for the best results. It isn’t happening unless you have a lot of time to devote to it.
A few recommendations to get you started.
Build your own email list – don’t buy one! You can use your existing client emails and your subscribed emails as they are already aware of who you are and will not see your messages as spam. Never just add people to your email list either.
Ask your current clients if you can add them to your list to send them occasional newsletters or special offers – they will appreciate being asked. Only contact these people with useful information and make it easy for them to share your newsletter.
You should also have a newsletter signup box on your website – it should be clear and easy to read – ideally being positioned in the top right corner of your page where it’s easy to see. Let people know they can receive a free email version of your blog by signing up.
Don’t use any annoying sliding or pop up boxes to get people’s attention – you don’t need them and they are simply very annoying.
A great way to encourage people to signup to your newsletter is to offer a free giveaway. Something of value – an e book is often a good idea. Don’t be tempted to ask them for too many details – people don’t like it. Their name and email address should be enough.
Let people know you will never share their personal details – this will encourage a lot more signups.
It’s also important to learn and abide by the email marketing rules in your country.
Finally always always always invest in a professionally designed campaign with well written content – it can make the difference between getting nothing from your campaign and having massive success.
