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When it comes to digital marketing, many small businesses are looking for the next big thing—that new platform for engaging potential customers that is sure to boost their return on investment. Some small businesses have turned away from email marketing (thinking it is the last resort option for antiquated businesses) and are funneling money into developing a strong social media presence.

While social media is an excellent place to engage with followers, don’t count email marketing out just yet. In 2019, the average return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent on email marketing was an impressive $75 AUD for every $2 AUD spent.

Email marketing doesn’t have to be difficult…and it certainly doesn’t have to be stale or irrelevant. When executed correctly, a well-branded email marketing campaign can improve customer retention, increase brand awareness, and boost ROI.

Here are 4 easy ways to start an email marketing campaign.

1. Create an Email List

If you already have an email list, you’re starting with an advantage. You can increase the size of your email list by creating an opt-in form and positioning prominently on your website’s home page and sharing it on social media.

Offering visitors something valuable in exchange for their email address is key. Generic requests like “Do what 1,000 other cool guys did and sign up for my email newsletter!” is not only embarrassing, it is highly unlikely potential clients will sign up because it offers them nothing in return.

On the other hand, if visitors who opt-in receive a coupon code to use on your products and services or an e-book full of helpful tips, they are much more likely to sign up.

And, if you’re not offering an immediate reward, give them some sort of incentive for why they should opt into your email marketing:

“Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter full of insider tips on how to increase revenue for your small business!”

Be up front, be honest, and offer visitors something that benefits them if they sign up. You’ll be surprised how quickly that email list of yours will grow.

2. Choose an Email Subject

What kind of emails do you want to send? This will depend largely on the type of business you have. Some options may include:

• Regular newsletter
• New product or service launch announcement
• Promotions for sale events
• Transactions (emailed receipts, upcoming appointment notifications)

In order to create a successful campaign, you have to know what your goal is—and that may differ from one campaign to the next. You should know what you want recipients to do once they’ve read the email. Is the goal to have them visit your online store to make a purchase? Should they click through to read your latest blog post? Understanding why you’re sending the email and what the best result should be will help you determine if the campaign was successful.

3. Create Email Content

This is where the magic happens. It’s important to remember the goal of email marketing is to engage your target customer and build brand trust/awareness. Clear messaging is key—you want the reader to know exactly what you’re asking them to do in reading the email.

Segmenting your email list can help you create alternate versions of your email that will speak to each demographic. Segments may be broken down according to gender, age, location, longtime or repeat customers, and those who regularly open and click through previous emails.

When it comes to email design, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Keep the email clean and don’t overuse graphics and design elements. Keep it on brand with easy-to-read content in small bites.

You should have a highly visible call-to-action (CTA) button for readers to click that achieves the goal of the email (ie – click through to see latest product/service on your site, visit your online store, read your latest blog post)

4. Send the Email and Analyze Metrics

One of the biggest advantages of email marketing is that you receive instant feedback from your followers on what they loved…and what they didn’t…about your campaign. Once you’ve sent your email, you can begin analyzing the metrics and can see relatively quickly whether your campaign was a success.

Some important metrics to review are:

• Open rate – how many people actually opened the email
• Click-through Rate – the percentage of recipients who clicked on a link in your email
• Unsubscribe rate – the percentage of people who click the “unsubscribe” button and opted out of future emails (not gonna lie…this one always stings a bit)
• Conversion rate – the percentage of recipients who complete your CTA
• Bounce rate – the percentage of emails that were undeliverable

Whether you’re interested in overhauling your current email marketing strategy or just want to give it a little tweak but are unsure where to start, we would love to help. Contact us here to discuss the best way to boot your email marketing and increase your ROI.

Here’s to marvelous email marketing!

Additional Resources:
Sendin Blue article
Super Office article
Business.com article
Opt In Monster article