If social media is the new kid on the block, then email marketing is the cool uncle showing them how it’s done. Email marketing can be defined as the process whereby you are targeting your database or customers and promoting your products or services to them through email.
Email Marketing came about in 1978 when Gary Thuerk, a Marketing Manager at Digital Equipment Corp, sent the very first commercial email to 400 users, promoting DEC machines and resulted in $13 million worth of sales for DEC machines – proving its effectiveness as a channel for direct marketing from the very beginning!
It’s not me, it’s you
The first thing to understand about email marketing is that, while it is a great platform for self-promoting, email marketing is about your customer. It’s about building an audience that contains as much information about each subscriber as possible; and it’s about grouping and segmenting those subscribers so that you can deliver the right message to the right people at the right time. Email list segmentation also leads to lower unsubscribe rates and higher open rates and click-through rates!
Speaking of messages…
One of the keys to a successful email marketing strategy is knowing what to write! What do you want to say to your audience, or more importantly, what will they be interested in hearing from you? Why did they subscribe to your emails in the first place? Emails need to have a purpose.
Some content ideas could include:
- News about upcoming events
- Information about new or featured products or services you offer
- The latest blog posts on your blog
- The latest case study released
- Seasonal information that your subscribers might be interested in, for example, tips for community managers during the holiday period.
- Upcoming webinars, or recordings from past webinars
- New Training or Job opportunities
- Monthly business/ industry recap
- Interviews with company executives
- List articles pertaining to your industry, e.g. The Top 10 advances in Social Media over the past 6 months
- Deals or promotions for active customers or members
- Invitation into product surveys
The list is endless! Whatever you decide to write about, ensure that you keep it useful to your subscribers and are continuously providing them with new information that they will find of interest. After all, they have invited YOU into their inbox, treat it as a privilege.
For assistance with your email marketing strategy, be sure to click here so that we can contact you and take your strategy to the next level >>
