Email marketing has come a long way since its inception in the 1970s. In the early days, emails were primarily used for communication between individuals. Still, as the internet grew in popularity, businesses began to see the potential of email marketing to reach customers directly.
In the 1990s, email marketing became more sophisticated with the introduction of HTML emails, allowing for more visually appealing designs and including images and links. This led to an increase in click-through rates and conversions.
The early 2000s saw the rise of spam and unsolicited emails, which led to the implementation of laws, such as CAN-SPAM in the US and GDPR in the EU, to protect consumers from unwanted emails. This led to a shift towards opt-in email lists and more targeted and personalised email campaigns.
With the advent of mobile devices, email marketing had to adapt to the changing landscape. Emails must be optimised for mobile devices to ensure they are easily readable and clickable on smaller screens. This led to a focus on responsive design and mobile-friendly templates.
Today, email marketing continues to evolve with the introduction of new technologies such as AI and machine learning. These technologies allow for even more personalised and targeted email campaigns and the ability to automate email sequences based on specific triggers.
Email marketing has come a long way since its early days and is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience and drive conversions. As technology advances, it will be interesting to see how email marketing evolves and adapts to new trends and consumer behaviour.
Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It allows you to connect with your audience directly and build a relationship with them over time. However, figuring out where to begin can be overwhelming if you’re starting with email marketing.
That’s why we’ve put together this ultimate email marketing guide for beginners.
- Build your email list.
The first step in email marketing is to build your email list. You can do this in a variety of ways, such as:
- Offering a lead magnet on your website in exchange for email addresses
- Collecting email addresses at events or in-person
- Asking for email addresses during the checkout process.
- Running a contest or giveaway that requires an email address to enter
It’s important to note that you should always get explicit permission from someone before adding them to your email list. This means they should opt-in and confirm that they want to receive your emails.
How to get email marketing lists?
With so many benefits to email, it’s no wonder that companies want to start or build their lists.
There are several ways to do this.
- Use CTAs – Use clear and directed calls to action (CTAs) on your website or landing pages to urge people to sign up for email updates.
- Use social media – If you use any social media channels, let your users know you have an email list for special offers or exclusives.
- Offer free downloads – People love freebies, so consider offering a free downloadable eBook or whitepaper.
- Use pop-ups or forms – Pop-ups or forms are common across websites and urge people to give their email addresses to find out more
- Run a competition – Competitions are a great way to get people to provide personal information; ensure the offer is enticing enough!
- Advertise a special offer – A discount or a two-for-one offer can urge people to join your email list.
- Offer a blog subscription – If you have a blog, consider setting up a subscriber list to get the latest content. Start a blog if that sounds like a fit for your business.
- Get customers involved – You can give existing customers a referral incentive, e.g. get 20 per cent off your next purchase if a friend signs up.
- Ask for feedback – As part of a feedback or testimonial form, ask people to opt-in to email
- Host a webinar or podcast – These offer high value, and people will provide information when signing up.
- Create a newsletter – This can be an excellent way to keep people up to date on new developments, discounts or competitions.
- Just ask! – Sometimes, it is simply about spreading the word and asking for an email address; you may be surprised how many people like your brand
Choose an email marketing platform.
Once you have an email list, you need an email marketing platform to send emails to your subscribers. Many email marketing platforms exist, such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Convert Kit.
When choosing an email marketing platform, consider factors such as:
- Ease of use
- Pricing
- Integrations with other tools (e.g. your website, social media platforms, etc.)
- Customer support
Most email marketing platforms offer free trials or plans for small lists, so you can try them out before committing.
Design your emails
The design of your emails is important because it affects how your subscribers perceive your brand. When designing your emails, keep the following tips in mind:
- Use a clean and simple design that is easy to read.
- Use images sparingly and only when they add value to your email.
- Use a clear call-to-action (CTA) that stands out and encourages subscribers to take action.
- Optimise your email for mobile devices since most people check email on their phones.
Most email marketing platforms offer templates or drag-and-drop editors to make it easy to design your emails, even if you need to gain design experience.
Write compelling copy
The copy in your emails will ultimately convince subscribers to take action, whether making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or simply clicking through to your website. When writing your emails, keep the following tips in mind:
- Write in a conversational tone that is easy to read.
- Use clear and concise language.
- Focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than just the features.
- Use storytelling to make your emails more engaging.
- Please include a clear CTA that tells subscribers what you want them to do next.
Segment your email list.
Segmenting your email list means dividing it into smaller groups based on specific criteria. This allows you to send targeted and relevant emails to each group, which can increase engagement and conversions. Some ways you can segment your email list include:
- By location
- By purchase history
- By engagement level (e.g. subscribers who last opened an email a while ago).
- By interests or preferences
Most email marketing platforms offer segmentation features that make creating segments based on different criteria easy.
Automate your emails
Email automation allows you to send pre-written emails to subscribers based on specific triggers, such as a new subscriber joining your list, a subscriber making a purchase, or a subscriber’s birthday. Automation can save you time and increase engagement with your subscribers. Some automated emails you can set up include:
- Welcome emails
- Abandoned cart emails
- Post-purchase follow-up emails
- Birthday or anniversary emails
Most email marketing platforms offer automation features that make it easy to set up automated email.
When is the best time to send marketing emails?
Testing multiple days and times with your diverse audiences could help you determine the optimal times to send emails.
- Tuesdays and Thursdays are the correct days to send business emails, according to OptinMonster. Some periods work the best:
- Starting at 8 am to engage individuals first thing in the morning
- Then, at 1 pm at or after a lunch break
- When folks have some free time or are online around 4 pm.
- As it is after a late-night commute at 6 pm.
There isn’t a specific period that works best, though. The best learning approach is to use your databases to experiment and fail.
What is a reasonable open rate for email marketing?
The percentage of subscribers out of all your subscribers who open a particular email is the open rate.
The average email open rate across all industries was 21.5 per cent in 2022, up 3.5 per cent from 2020, according to Campaign Monitor’s 2022 Email Marketing Benchmarks Report. The top three industries for open rates are consumer goods, agriculture, and advertising and marketing.
What is A/B testing in email?
A/B testing, commonly called split testing, is a technique for contrasting two variations of an email to see which one works better. The subject line, CTAs, and content are all examples of variables in emails.
The secret is to run each test individually and evaluate the findings. You can only determine why one test performed better than another if you try two or more components. Set your objectives in advance so your test drives will use the proper metric, such as increased open rates.
How much does email marketing cost?
Aside from platform cost, you can hire an email specialist if you need more expertise in-house or rely on email for sales and revenue. If you need a budget for a specialist, it’s best to complete a course that can give you the fundamentals and guide you with your email campaigns. Otherwise, you may spend more time undoing mistakes or starting over.
In conclusion, email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to connect with their audience and drive conversions. Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up a successful email marketing campaign to help you grow your business and build relationships with your subscribers.
Some key takeaways from this guide include:
- Building a quality email list is essential for the success of your email marketing campaign.
- Choosing the right email marketing platform is essential, so consider factors such as ease of use, pricing, and integrations.
- Designing your emails and writing compelling copy is critical for engaging subscribers and driving conversions.
- Segmenting your email list and automating your emails can help you send more targeted and personalised campaigns.
- Finally, it’s crucial to track and analyse the performance of your email campaigns so you can make data-driven decisions and continually improve your strategy.
Email marketing is an ongoing process that requires testing, tweaking, and experimentation to see what works best for your business and audience. With the right approach and tools, email marketing can be a powerful way to connect with your customers and grow your business.
