Introduction
Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels for small businesses. When done right, email marketing can help small businesses build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive sales. In this article, we’ll explore some tips for successful email marketing campaigns, including segmentation, personalization, and optimizing send frequency so that you can implement these suggestions into your workflow in the future.
Segment Your Email List
One of the most important things you can do is segment your email list. This allows you to target different groups of subscribers with content that’s highly relevant to them. For example, you may have segments for existing customers, lapsed customers, and newsletter subscribers. Sending blanket emails to your entire list is unlikely to generate much engagement. Segmenting allows you to personalize your messaging and strengthen relationships with engaged subscribers.
Personalize Your Emails
Speaking of personalization, you should always customize your emails as much as possible. Include the recipient’s first name in the subject line or greeting. Reference past purchases they’ve made or pages they’ve visited on your site. Dynamic content makes subscribers feel valued. Personalization also improves open and click-through rates. It doesn’t matter if you’re audience want tips for house renovation or making money from online poker, they will feel valued if you’re emails are addressing them by first name.
Optimize Your Send Frequency
When it comes to send frequency, you need to strike a balance. Sending too many emails will cause subscriber burnout. Not sending enough means you lose touch with subscribers. Aim to send a promotional email once per week or every other week. You can supplement with cart abandonment emails, shipping confirmations, etc. But limit your primary promotional emails to no more than one per week, ideally once a fortnight or even monthly is ideal.
Choose the Right Email Software
Leveraging email marketing software can make your campaigns much easier. Solutions like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber help you easily create emails, segment subscribers, A/B test emails, and track results. Many have integrations with ecommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. Just be sure to choose a solution that meets your business needs and budget. Most offer free plans for the smaller lists.
Grow Your List
Of course, the larger your email list, the more people you can reach with your campaigns. Offer an opt-in form or checkbox on your website. Provide an incentive like a discount code or free ebook. Run a promotional giveaway requiring an email address to enter. Adding signup forms across your online properties will continuously grow your list. Stick to GDPR compliant software like Gravity Forms though as there are rules when it comes to contact forms.
Track Opens and Clicks
Always track open and click-through rates for your email campaigns. This data enables you to identify your best-performing emails. You can then apply those lessons to future campaigns. Low open rates may indicate your subject lines need work. Low clicks could mean your content isn’t resonating. Use tracking data to continuously refine your approach.
Conclusion
Implementing the email marketing best practices above will engage your subscribers, promote your company brand, and ultimately drive sales. Even as other marketing channels emerge, email remains one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers. Regularly sending targeted, personalized emails will help your small business make a big impact. Just be sure to monitor results and optimize your campaigns over time. Your email marketing efforts will improve with experience.
