As a small business, there’s an arsenal of digital marketing strategies at your disposal. If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve probably noticed that everyone is screaming about social media, live video and other trending marketing tactics.
But, what about some of the more tried and true strategies, like email marketing? Is it still relevant in today’s highly competitive digital landscape?
The short answer is yes! The long answer involves all the reasons why email marketing is still a performance powerhouse for small businesses and nonprofits.
Email Connects Small Businesses to the Right Audience
Whether it’s personal or for business, pretty much everybody uses email. The number of emails currently sent every day – 105 billion – is expected to more than double by 2020. Those numbers alone are enough to tell you that email marketing isn’t going anywhere. But, small businesses are still wondering if it’s a strategy that’s worth the investment of their efforts.
While there’s the potential to reach a huge audience on social media or through directing traffic to the content on your website, email is different because it offers something that other marketing avenues can’t, and that’s personalization.
Consumers are constantly bombarded with generic advertisements and digital content, so when something comes to them that’s personalized it grabs their attention almost immediately. Email marketing is the perfect strategy for increasing reach and visibility while retaining a level of personalization that engages consumers, encourages conversions and builds the long-lasting customer relationships that build revenue for your business.
5 Easy Strategies to Get More Out of Email Marketing
Strategy 1
Start with a plan. What are the goals you want to achieve with email marketing? It’s important to identify your objectives, the message you want to convey and develop a specialized email strategy for each segment of your audience to support them along their unique position in the customer journey.
The bottom line? Don’t blast emails just for the sake of sending them out without a clearly defined purpose.
Strategy 2
Be diligent about smart headlines. This is especially true for non-profits that lose an average of $15,000 a year due to spam filters that block their emails. To avoid the spam folder, you need to build a relationship with the recipient starting from the first email you send them.
Most people decide whether to open an email based on the headline alone, so keep them personal and make sure they convey the benefit and value that makes them want to click.
Strategy 3
Cater to shorter attention spans. As a small business or non-profit, it can feel like you need to communicate as much information as possible to your audience, but email isn’t always the place to do it.
Many people open their emails when they have a few moments to spare, and they’re not going to want to waste that precious time on content that’s too lengthy. Create emails that are easy to skim and digest in little bits.
Strategy 4
Always include a call to action. Think of the emails you send as conversation starters with the goal of starting a long dialogue with your customers. For this to happen, you need a way for them to respond and connect. CTAs provide the motivation and avenue to keep the “conversation” going.
Strategy 5
Get the frequency right. There’s a sweet spot somewhere between too much email communication and not enough. It’s your job to find where that is for your customers. For example, a new customer might need more frequent nurturing than someone who’s already invested in your business.
We offer the digital marketing services that generate conversions and an impressive ROI for your business. When you’re ready to see results, we’re here to help. Contact JLB today to learn more.
