How to Use Email Marketing

Given all the options available to businesses when it comes to marketing, it’s tempting to think of email marketing as slightly old-fashioned- yet many studies show that it’s still the most effective method for most businesses if done right. Learn how to use email marketing and you’ll be harnessing the most powerful tool available to you for getting the message out about your products or services.

Email marketing itself offers a lot of choices when it comes to software, approach, and style, but the basic guidelines along with some important tips can put you in the right direction for getting the most out of it. And remember, great marketing, especially email marketing can help combat fake reviews.

Email Marketing Campaigns Explained

Email marketing in its simplest form consists of promotional types of email sent to pre-solicited email addresses in email lists, used to keep current customers appraised of a business’s new products, to offer promotional specials, and to acquire new customers, among other things. Email campaigns using email lists can be done directly by a business or via third-party software offering email templates and other email marketing tools that help customize and streamline the process for efficiency and organization.

Related: Learn how to use social media for business.

There are many different approaches to an email marketing strategy depending on your business and your goals, but there are a few guidelines that can be applied to all forms of it. Just so you know, how to respond to positive reviews is also good marketing.

Good Manners/Good Sense

Your email campaigns and the content you put out may be important to you, but to people who endure a nonstop barrage of advertising, messaging, and auto-playing pop-up videos all day, it’s likely to seem like just another interruption.

Remember that you’re likely only a half-invited guest to their inbox- many email subscribers won’t necessarily remember signing up for any given email list- so good manners and common sense social etiquette are a must. You don’t have to bend over backward with apologies for the interruption, but being polite, concise, and to the point without being robotic and impersonal will pay dividends from your email marketing campaign.

Incentivize Engagements

Asking people to add their contact info to your email lists should be a transaction, not a favor from them to you. Make it worth their while by offering things like coupons, insider information, first dibs on new products, discounts, or something creative like entertaining content they can enjoy as something more than just marketing.

Pay Attention to Regulations

Know the laws and regulations in your state that cover email marketing and email marketing automation. Most US laws covering this, for example, prohibit you from sending people marketing emails unless they’ve given you permission and provided email addresses.

Similarly, though there may not a legal requirement for it, always make it as easy as possible for people to unsubscribe from your email lists. Making it headache-free for people to stop receiving your emails if they don’t want them will make them less likely to file a complaint about it, and may even positively affect your unsubscribe rate.

Exceptional Content

Directing recipients on your contact lists to entertaining, thought-provoking or exceptionally useful content regarding products, deals, market information, or anything else related to your business via clear, assertive calls to action in your body text is an excellent way to make your emails stick out and drive new customers to your business.

However, it’s important to manage expectations- if you make promises of regular content that customers want, and you don’t deliver, you could easily reverse the positive effect your email lists have had on your business, as well as increase unsubscribe rates. You should be providing customers with more than just promotional emails.

Make Your First Impression Count

Speaking of expectations, your introductory email for any new campaign or for new customers should clearly describe your goals and aims, letting recipients know what to expect in the future.

In this regard, it’s okay if your text runs on the longer side, so long as it’s clear and contains calls to action that will inspire further engagement, while enticing recipients not to press that unsubscribe button. While brevity may be tempting here, it’s better to provide as much information as you can while still avoiding a wall of dense text- remember, a first impression can last a long time and is the foundation for getting loyal customers.

Optimize for Mobile

Studies show that nearly half of all emails are opened on mobile devices, so it’s crucial that you optimize your content for all devices- smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop. An email that’s hard to read when opened on a phone is one that’s not going to be read, reducing your click-through rate. Most email marketing platforms make optimization fairly easy.

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