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Email Marketing

A definition of Email Marketing

Email Marketing is where you send a commercial or marketing message to a group of people using email.

You are sending advertisements and messages to request business by offering, for example, inducements, special offers, discounts, promotions to build a relationship with existing or potential customers to increase business.

You send your messages to your ’email subscribers’.

These are people who have signed up to your email list and have given permission for you to send them an email.

Email Marketing should form part of your overall web marketing strategy.

Examples of Email Marketing

The following are some email marketing examples, but there are no limits on the different types of marketing emails.

Unusual marketing emails can often be more successful than traditional ones.

Think of the marketing emails that you receive and ask yourself why you respond to some and not others.

Promotional Emails

These marketing emails usually promote a special offer, an event or your latest product.

They have a clear call to action – frequently abbreviated to CTA.

A Call to Action (CTA) is an action that you wish the person to take when reading your email e.g. buy your product.

Informational Emails

An informational email could be a newsletter an announcement or a piece of information that you wish your customers to know (e.g. COVID information and how it affects interacting with your business)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Email Marketing?

Advantages

Email marketing is popular for businesses for many reasons including:-

  • It is cheaper (and faster) than many other forms of marketing.
  • Many existing suppliers can help co-ordinate and manage your mailing lists.
  • Insights from your email marketing allow businesses to understand their customer’s behaviour and continually improve their marketing.
  • Email is still a very popular tool for communications (arguably most people checking their email every day).
  • It is considered an older technology but is still a proven method to drive sales. Examples could be sending an email on a customers birthday with a special offer or sending ‘abandoned basket emails’ – these may offer a discount or as an inducement to get the customer to complete their order.
  • Email Marketing is great for brand awareness. Emailing someone is one-to-one communication and is a great way to stay in people’s minds (but only if the information is useful – as people may unsubscribe)
  • It is scalable. You are maybe starting out with a few subscribers but your lists can grow to thousands and more. Most email marketing programmes grow with you and costs can be low at the start and only increase as the number of your subscribers increase. (Although costs can be low it is good practice to keep your list clean as it can also save on costs)
  • Build Customer Loyalty. A properly managed email marketing campaign can help you manage your customers through their buying journey from nurturing them as a lead, converting them as a customer, onboarding them into your business and retaining them as a repeat customer.

Disadvantages

  • Deliverability. Many emails sent are treated as spam and may not reach your intended recipient. (Steps can be taken to improve deliverability)
  • Ensure that your email marketing campaigns are not violating anti-spam regulation. You can get blocked.

This is why email marketing is still important in 2022

Affordable

Compared to other marketing strategies (SEO, PPC) it is cost-effective.

Many ESPs (Email Service Provider) offer free plans to get you started.

Accessible

Who does not have an email account?

Most of your existing and potential customers will have an email account.

It’s your audience

Social Media can change and your audience may no longer be as ‘reachable’ as you had hoped.

An email list that you have built and managed, is always yours.

What do I need to start email marketing?

Essentially, you need only two things for email marketing – some software and an email list.

Email marketing software

The first question is why you need email marketing software – why not just send out emails from your email provider or mailbox?

Sending email through an ISP (your own mailbox) can put both the reputation of your brand and the email sender reputation at risk – basically, you could be blacklisted.

Using a dedicated, trustworthy email marketing software provider is the safest route.

There is a lot to choose from and many offer free starter packages to get you going.

Some examples of email marketing providers

Constant Contact

The first month is free.

MailChimp

Offer free account for up to 2,000 contacts

Sendinblue

The free plan offers unlimited contacts with up to 300 emails per day.

Mailerlite

The First 1.000 subscribers is free.

Hubspot
Moosend
GetResponse
AWeber
Omnisend
ConvertKit
Drip

Email marketing tips for the holiday season

Between Black Friday and Christmas over 30% of retail sales occur – a period of about 30 days.

Preparation for this period is the key in terms of your email marketing.

The first step is to come up with an attractive offer. The goal of an offer is to convert. A well-executed email marketing campaign will not turn a bad offer into a good one.

So, start with the offer.

First, create a goal – what is the campaign to achieve?

Here are some examples:

  • Grow sales
  • Convert some new customers
  • Generate new leads and enquiries

Build your campaign around your goal

  • Offer discounts
  • Offer free delivery options – could be based on order value
  • Free sample
  • Discount Coupons

Check the quality of your subscriber list and remove inactive subscribers. We can help you validate your email list.

Learn the value and of segmenting and targeting your list to create more relevant content for specific types of subscribers.

Examples of segmentation could be:

  • Existing Customers
  • Potential Customers
  • Customers who bought specific products
  • Recent customers
  • Age
  • Location
  • Customers who have not purchase in a while

Lastly, test your emails deliverability and test them!

Questions about email marketing?

If you have any questions about email marketing, which platform to use, how to integrate with your website or Social Media.

Scoosh can help

  • Connect your website to your mailing programme for insight and retargetting of customers.
  • Learn how to sell more with less effort
  • How to keep shoppers coming back
  • Use Analytics to improve your return on your marketing spend
  • Segment your mailing list to better target customers

Please get in touch.