As a small business owner, your company thrives on attracting new customers while holding onto the ones you currently have. Much of this needs to be done in person in a one-on-one capacity, but technology can also be used to reach out to huge masses of people at once – even on autopilot. Along with consulting a company like The Rainmaker Institute for analytics, check out the five tips below you can use to get the most out of your email marketing efforts.
1. Don’t Push for Sales in Every Email
This isn’t 1982, and it’s not 2007 either. The world has changed. Consumers have changed, and marketing tactics need to change with them. You can’t just throw ads at people nowadays and expect them to come running to buy your product. It just doesn’t work that way anymore.
The #1 reason people unsubscribe from email lists is that they’re tired of all the hard-selling emails. They want more than just a sales pitch. In fact, most of them don’t even want anything resembling a sales pitch and will unsub the instant you make an offer. So use content marketing best practices that seek to offer something of value to the reader without always trying to get a sale.
2. Give Away Massive Value
The next worst mistake email marketers make is sending out mediocre content. Don’t just blast out an email because it’s that time of the week. You email content needs to be something special. It needs to get people excited. It needs to deliver something of value to the reader. Remember, most readers have their mouse pointers hovering over the unsubscribe button every time they open their inbox. If you’re going to send them an email, make sure it’s really good and gives them a reason to stay on your list.
3. Use Irresistible Subject Lines
Your email list isn’t doing your business any good if nobody’s reading the emails you’re sending out, and as consumers are bombarded more and more by email marketing, it’s getting much harder to get a reasonable return from your email campaign.
Promise readers something good in your headline. Use numbers to catch their eye. Use emotional and unusual word choices to jolt people and get their attention. Then make sure the content inside delivers what the subject line promises.
4. Sprinkle Links to Your Landing Page throughout the Email
Use multiple links spread throughout the email: at the beginning, middle and end of the post. All those links should lead to the same landing page, though. Also, be sure to measure which phrases attract more clicks so that you can optimize your conversion ratios.
5. Stick to a Publishing Schedule
As with your company blog, your email campaigns should also follow a consistent schedule. Whether you send out emails once per day, per week or per month, try to keep it consistent. Readers appreciate that. It gives them an idea of what to expect from you and doesn’t throw them off.
Email marketing has been a hugely effective and low-cost way for businesses to grow their customer base, but only when certain best practices are followed. Use these tips to make sure your email campaign achieves its purpose for you.
Dixie Somers
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