We have said it before and we will say it again… email marketing is incredibly beneficial. Not only will email marketing help you grow your customer base, it will also help you build a deeper relationship with them! Eventually, your customer base can transform into brand advocates. But the key is making your email marketing work for your business! Here are a few tips to do this.
Get People to Sign up for Your List
The first step is to get people to sign up for your list. To do this, we suggest offering a lead magnet (what people get in exchange for providing their name and email). But do not just offer anything for the sake of luring someone in! The key here is that the lead magnet actually provides value and helps people solve their problems.
Examples of lead magnets include:
- eBook
- Free report
- Special Video
- Discount or promotion
Also, keep the signup form SIMPLE! Ask for as little as possible. Name and email address is enough. If you make it difficult, people will not sign up.
Engage Subscribers with Valuable Content
If you want to make your email marketing work, do not start promoting to new subscribers right away! It is kind of abrasive.
We suggest creating a welcome series! This series could be 3-5 emails that give your new subscribers an idea as to what your company offers, and how they now benefit from receiving your content. For example, if you’re a plumber, offer ideas on DIY home improvement. A law firm can offer tips on legal matters. A car repair shop can teach its customers more about cars. Share your knowledge with your email subscribers and this will start to build a relationship with them.
Offering free content through your email list will also help you gather feedback from your market. You’ll see which sub-topic areas they like and how they react. For example, you might have a link in an email leading people to a free resource on your website. Your email autoresponder program will give you data on what people click and don’t click.
Make Exclusive Offers to Your Engaged Subscribers
Gradually start making offers and promoting products and services. (But do not only hit them with offers! Create a balanced mix between informational content and promotions.) When doing so, emphasize that these deals are only available to your subscribers — exclusivity is enticing!
The Benefits of Offers
There are two benefits from making offers to your list! First off, you should earn money directly from the promotions! The second is that you will gain valuable strategic information about your marketing, and customers.
Through email marketing, you will be able to determine
- What content is getting attention
- Types of buyers.
- Only purchase with discounts
- Purchases often but only when reminded
- Makes purchases on their own but also reads your newsletters
- Are no longer actively purchasing
- Etc
- How to engage the people you are targeting
- Their interests
The thing is, many companies obsess over having emails convert sales. Though this IS important, the data can ultimately lead to larger sales by helping you identify qualified leads! This is the true benefit of an email list!
Final Thoughts — Make Email Marketing Work for YOU!
It takes a great deal of effort to make email marketing work for you! BUT it is worth it. Remember to provide constant high-value content. Then track the results, opens, clicks, etc. The data will provide more information about your buyers But this highly personal method for building relationships, earning directly, and getting to know your audience is invaluable.