Beginner's guide to email marketing

There has been a misconception floating around Email marketing that it is not feasible these days due to inclusion of chatbots, AI or artificial intelligence and Virtual reality. It might seem on the surface that Email marketing has taken a nose dip down. Metrics show otherwise. For every 1$ you spend on Emails, you can expect a return of 42$. It generates more ROI(return on investment) than any other medium like Social media marketing, SEO and affiliate marketing.

Nearly 9 out of 10 marketers use Email marketing as a tool to distribute content organically. Now that we have established the importance of this marketing aspect, let us see the in-depth analysis of Email marketing.

What is Email marketing? It is the usage of emails to promote your product or service. It is the most cost-effective way to generate leads or prospects.

Nearly 60% of people check their emails first thing in the morning, so it is essential to leverage this tool. Let us dive into how to build a great Email marketing campaign from scratch.

Introductory phase-
Make them subscribe to your website- As cliched, and it may sound like, you need to get access to their emails to give them updates of your latest content. You need to get their permission in doing so. Determine ways to make them subscribe to your brand. People indeed get swamped with emails but this where CTA( Call to action) and excellent copywriting skills come in. If you have to stand apart from the crowd (a crowded inbox of your prospects in this case) then, you have to have a strong CTA. You can't just vaguely put "subscribe to our newsletter" and expect your leads to come at your doorsteps. Induce some creativity and see the click rates increasing. A perfect example of creative and compelling CTA is of the brand Dropbox. Let us break it down why it is one of the best-

1. Free downloads- In this case, open storage of 2 GB.

2. Design - Dropbox has a lot of negative space and subtle design with the call to action box highlighted with white and the rest of the background being sky blue.

3.Latest updates - They provide all new updates regarding their content on the website and make it more engaging. Numerous websites offer free ebooks which are a great way of getting plenty of prospects.

Define your audience- After you have got your leads, you can define your audience by sending them newsletters. Have a clear idea of whom you are dealing with. Segmenting and targeting is not alien to marketing. It could be used to your advantage. You can start by targeting consumers who are highly likely to buy your products or services. It is essential to keep track of your consumers and help them get comfortable with your brand.
Second phase
Creating engaging content- Email marketing is all about setting a bar of expectations and trying hard to fulfil them. An excellent copy and a call to action give you an edge but what makes your email marketing campaign stand apart is the consistency. If you keep sending emails per week and not daily, then your campaign will surely start depreciating in no time. It is essential to be consistent and proactive to satisfy your consumer's expectations. A follow-up mail is vital in this case. Let us take the example of Uber's website. What stands out in uber is that their website is subtle and usually has geometric shapes with the perfect blend of strong CTA. An initial follow up mail is the key to grab the attention of the consumers. Brands like Airbnb and uber use this in the most exemplary fashion.
An ideal email provider- You need to use a perfect email provider for experimenting with your campaigns so that they can have a better reach. All the providers usually offer similar services but let us see the classic one called Convertkit, which eases up the entire process for you. It creates multiple lead magnets. Its unique feature allows you to choose various landing page templates so that it is easy for you to set up your landing page in a small time frame.
Third phase
The analytics

Now that you have got the hold of email marketing, it is essential to keep track of the metrics so that you could measure the outcome and generate some serious ROI. All the email services are provided with complimentary analytics tools that help you determine the output and even stay ahead of your competitors. Three essential metrics that need your utmost attention are-

1.Open rate

2.Click-through rate

3.Unsubscribe rate.

All these metrics are correlated and determine how well your campaign is executed. Your "open rate" is the rate at which your leads are excited to open your emails and updates. Your "click-through rate" is the rate at which your consumers who have clicked on it and read the updates and last but not least, the unsubscribe metric is the red signal metric for you. If your CTA or click-through rate is decreasing then it depicts that your campaign is like an open door for your leads, they come and leave without notice, and you can't grab their attention. It is why copywriting skills play an essential role. Being creative goes a long way in staying ahead in campaigns. If your unsubscribe rate is high, then you need to redo your entire campaign. Metrics are essential to a great battle. It is like the heart of the whole thing where you have to keep pumping new content and be creative!

Segmentation

We know how segmentation works, but in email marketing terms, it's a bit different. Segmentation is dividing your leads and bifurcating them in segments. These segments are -

1.Customer list( the people you want to pitch your product or service)

2.Newsletter subscribers

3.Daily mailer list( the people who will receive your weekly or daily updates)

By monitoring these specific people, you can inspect where you stand and their requirements as well. Sending thank you. Messages build a greater synergy with your consumers when they have opted for your product or service. Building a relationship with your consumers enables you to succeed in your marketing campaign.

Keeping your consumers hooked is the key to a great campaign, but that does not mean that you bombard them with mails. These "spam" mails will eventually end up in their spam folder if you don't execute it properly.

Knowing the worth of your subscribers

It is said that the customers are king, and it is genuine in every case, including your email marketing campaign. Your email list is worth more than anything. It not only keeps track of your consumers but also helps you get your business upfront. If you have 1 lakh subscribers and each subscriber is worth 10 or 15 dollars, you will know the importance of losing one in the long run. It is crucial to keep checking all the metrics and analyzing what went wrong with your campaign if you can not achieve the desired results.

Conclusion

Executing a great marketing campaign is not a one day task but a journey. You are working on your metrics, using the right tools and making the best newsletter. All of these specific areas contribute a great campaign that will ensure that you compete well and stand out among your competitors.

Using an autoresponder also plays a crucial role when your subscribers start to grow exponentially. It helps you to send personalized emails to your consumers at a set date and time.

There is no exact formula for this. You need to have a trial and error method for this and see what works for you and what doesn't.

If you can afford a considerable sum of money, then you can use digital marketing agencies who would run campaigns for you. Considering specific locales like New Delhi, there are the best digital marketing companies in Delhi that specialize in email marketing campaigns and can generate better ROI and Sociolabs being one of them.