It’s Episode 10 of the Visceral Concepts Podcast! Today, join Visceral Concepts Founder Michael McNew as he shares great resources to help you master your email marketing.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/358650179″ params=”color=43b649&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]You need to get the resources below. And, if you can’t listen to the podcast, the rest of the information is broken down here too.
Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to convert lost site traffic and cold leads to making a purchase from your company. Done correctly, it has a huge impact on your bottom line, making sure that new sales are always on the rise.
Despite this, some small businesses still don’t see the value and, therefore, don’t use email marketing at all. That’s a shame, considering the cost. If done internally, email marketing usually doesn’t cost a dime beyond the wages of the person running it. Considering it delivers a 12% higher customer lifetime value overall, email marketing is well worth doing.
That CLV improvement isn’t the only benefit, though. Check out these other benefits that Constant Contact has discovered. Small businesses have a ton to gain from a solid email marketing strategy.
Contents
Most People Aren’t Sure How Email Marketing Works
With all these benefits I wonder why more small businesses don’t use email marketing. My initial guess is that they don’t know what to do. Let’s face it, your local mechanic or bagel shop owner probably isn’t a marketer. They probably haven’t dedicated their life to learning how to get people in the door, other than offering the best product or service they can. Chances are, neither have you.
But email marketing is so beneficial with so little effort and expense that it’s worth learning. I mean, who in their right mind would give up an extra 12% revenue?
Email Marketing Must Have Consistency
Now, before you set out to make email marketing a part of what your small business does, there’s something I must warn you about. The leads on your email marketing list are going to expect regularity from you. Much like a newspaper or magazine, they want to know when to expect your email. People don’t really like surprises.
Be it daily, weekly, monthly, or some other regularity, the leads on your list want a regular email schedule. They want to know that, for example, every Tuesday you’ll be bringing them a new ad, article, or general contact. Communication is great, even preferred by most. But only if it’s predictable.
That’s why you’ve got to know what you’re doing.
These Resources Will Help You Master Email Marketing
If you’re going to be great at email marketing, you have to get educated. That’s why we’ve put together these resources for you. They cover every step you need to launch a successful email marketing campaign for your small business.
Preparation is everything. Let’s get started.
Getting Started With Email Marketing
Before you start sending out emails, you’ve got to get a few key things in place. Every great email marketing campaign has the same underlying fundamentals. And, right now, you’re probably asking what those are.
Thunder Tech has a great list of 5 questions to ask before you get started. It covers the basics you need to make sure you set up a winning email marketing campaign. Pay close attention to question number 4, it’s one that small businesses miss almost every time they go it alone.
Building A Strong Email Marketing List
You’ll notice that the final question of the Thunder Tech article leads here. That’s no coincidence. Email marketing is useless if you don’t have a lead list to send to. You have 2 options. You can buy a list (which will be a definite waste of money), or you can build one.
Building a list takes a bit of effort, as well as a little knowhow. Check out this great guide that Shopify put together about how to build your email list effectively. It’s a great overview, and it’s connected to a larger guide to getting online sales.
Creating The Email Marketing Funnel
Now you have a list, but how do you get them to buy? That’s what an email marketing sales funnel is for. These new leads need to be driven through the sales process one step at a time. Otherwise, what’s the point of email marketing?
You & Co has put together some awesome ideas for getting people through the funnel. These storytelling formats are a fantastic way to communicate with your leads at each step, assuring that your company stays in front of them while they decide.
Driving Email Conversions
Once you start moving leads through the funnel, it’s time to get them to convert. That is, you need to close the sale and make them your customer. Maybe that means they schedule an appointment with your consultants, or maybe they purchase a product through your online store. Either way, they’ve got to open your email and come to you.
That means you’ve got to create emails that beg to be read and create calls to action that demand to be…well…acted upon. HubSpot has put together a list of 19 great tips to help you write emails that make sales. A handful of them are pretty technical, but most people can handle the bulk of the tips.
Improving Your Email Marketing Results
Once you get going, you’ll start seeing results (and likely enjoy them). But, like any good entrepreneur, you’ll look for better. After all, this is your business we’re talking about, and you want it to grow as fast as you can handle. Your email marketing campaigns always need to improve.
This time, we’re going back to an article we put out. Back in April 2017, we put out a list of the top 5 mistakes that most people make with their email marketing. At the time we wrote it, they seemed like mistakes that were old-school – the kind of things most people have moved past. As of today, they’re no less a problem. You’re likely doing some of them, too.
The Future Of Email Marketing
Once your email marketing strategy is moving along in strides, you’ll want to start planning. You see, things change regularly, especially in the world of technology, and you need to know how to stay ahead of the curve. Studying those future tools are the best way to do so.
GrowMap put together a great piece on the technology that will help you build your email marketing strategy in 2018. Everything from heatmaps to A/B testing to lead-capture technology is covered, with suggestions on how to do each. It’s worth your time.
Knowing The Laws Around Email Marketing
Ok, there’s an important resource you’re going to need if you want to run a successful email marketing campaign. Back when email marketing was all about spam, the US government passed a law called the CAN-SPAM act.
You’re going to need to make sure your emails are 100% compliant, which is really simple once you break down the rules.
Time To Advance Your Email Marketing Knowledge
By now, you’re ready to start an email marketing campaign for your small business that really gets attention. If you put in the time and effort, you’ll start seeing that increased CLV before you know it. It’s time to take that next step in marketing your small business.
