Launching your email marketing campaign is the next step in promoting your business via digital media. Yours will probably include creating an email, picking your audience, drafting messages, producing your emails, deploying these campaigns, improving engagement, and tracking results! Read this article, to learn more about how to get started with email marketing.
Email is one of the most used free resources at this moment in time – with over half (50%) of all internet users sending or receiving an email every week. This number rises to almost two-thirds (65%) for those aged 16–24 years old.[1] It’s also very accessible; anyone can easily create an account online and upload their content and pictures.
With such widespread use, it makes sense that people have made money through email. In fact, according to Micaiah Johnson from The Business Insider, “more than 5% of Americans spend more than $1000 per month on email marketing services.”[2] That’s not a small change!
If you’re looking to launch your email marketing campaign, there are several ways to get started. You could start by buying a pre-packaged service, hiring freelance writers or designers to make yours look good, and then distributing them using a tool like MailChimp, Instantly, or AWeber. Or, you could pick a niche area and begin writing about things related to that field – even if you don’t plan to offer any products yourself.
How to get started with email marketing 1: Decide what you will email subscribers about
The second part of creating an effective newsletter is deciding what you will send your audience. You should not make their job harder than it has to be!
Your message and content should be focused and relevant to them. If you do not give a strong emphasis on educating or motivating people, then why would they read your messages?
You can use your own experiences, stories, examples, and questions to create content that appeals to your readers. Your readers will respond more positively if you address their issues, ask how they are doing, and emphasize solutions and ways to improve their lives.
When giving educational information, clearly explain concepts using simple language and examples when possible. Use clear and concise fonts and lengthy no longer than one short sentence per idea. Make sure everything is written with precision and care so your reader does not have to worry about formatting or legibility.
How to get started with email marketing 2: Link your email marketing to your website
Now that you have a way to gather in-app messages, it is time to use this information!
Most mobile apps now offer an “Email” feature or a way for users to subscribe via their app. This can be done through your app’s built-in interface, third-party email services like Gmail, or both.
By linking your emails to your site, people will get all of your content from the source material — which helps spread your message and brand exposure.
This is also helpful because some apps may not be as thorough when gathering user data (for example, if they are using your email address to create an account). By having direct access to your accounts, users won’t need to go look up your other materials.
Link your accounts by visiting and entering your email there! You should always make sure to confirm your subscriptions there as well, just to be safe.
How to get started with email marketing 3: Tell your subscribers what to expect in your emails
The second way to make sure you are leaving a good impression on your audience is by telling them what to expect from you via your content marketing messages.
You can tell your readers that this week, you will talk about something related to business or life leadership. Or you can say, ‘I have an article today about how to …’
Your message should be clear and concise so that your reader does not need to wonder what they will learn next. Plus, it creates interest in the topic!
Your readers want to know more about you, the marketer, and what you have to offer. They also look forward to learning new things from you.
So, why don’t you take some time and create an email series just for your readers? You could even include pictures and other rich media enhancements.
How to get started with email marketing 4: Offer a contest in your email
A giveaway is one of the best ways to do an online marketing campaign. Companies that offer free items or discounts are great ways to get attention!
Giveaways can be for anything, from products to services to lessons to giveaways of your product or service.
By offering a prize, you’ll attract new readers who will want to enter the competition to try to win the prize.
You could even add a little bit about the winner or the gift if it is related to your business. This is a good way to generate buzz and interest around what you sell.
Interactive contests are better than just having a sale because you can gain more insight into the market for yourself and your competitors.
Running an interactive contest allows you to ask questions and gather information about how people respond to different promotional material. This gives you data and insights so that you can improve your content and campaigns moving forward.
How to get started with email marketing 5: Encourage your subscribers to subscribe to your email list
Now that you have someone’s e-mail address, it is time to get serious about marketing via this channel.
Your first step should be encouraging them to join your mailing list. You can do this by asking if they are interested in receiving more information or offering up some helpful tips or products.
Alternatively, you can offer an exclusive discount for those on your list!
The better way to gain their trust is to ensure that your messages are sent with sincerity.
Offer a promotional deal in your email
One of the best ways to gain new subscribers is to offer them something valuable or educational for a price they can afford.
Many people begin looking into how to start an online business with no income, so you should not rely solely on your content to draw new readers.
Offer a service or product that other companies don’t yet have and see what kind of growth you get from it.
Your services or products could be anything such as nutritional supplements, fitness classes, or digital marketing courses.
The key ingredient to success here will be offering low-cost quality services or products while also making sure they are profitable.
Another way to do this is by producing your content – creating a YouTube channel or writing a blog article about your services is a great way to bring in money.
Getting more exposure through social media sites like Facebook and Instagram is another way to make money via email.
Create engaging email content
Starting from scratch is never fun, but creating your emails is worth it in the long run! Creating an email message that people will enjoy reading is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced writers.
Email marketing can sometimes seem very complicated, with everyone putting off writing their first email as they think it’s too hard. Don’t worry – this isn’t something you have to do right now!
Writing your first article is like any other piece of writing — some tips will help you write more quickly without taking too much time to edit and polish. Learning the basics of writing via different genres and styles is a good way to get comfortable writing your next email newsletter.
Distribute your emails using a content delivery network
There are two main ways to distribute an email campaign. You can use software, apps, or services that send out messages (AIP: automated interactive message) for you, or you can do it yourself by developing your script or program.
The first option is great if you don’t have much time to devote to marketing but want results, as most providers offer seamless integration and lots of features. Many will even pay attention to what types of content you upload so they can suggest appropriate responses in their system.
But this also means someone else is doing all the work! If you want to take control over your messaging, know that there are many free and low-cost tools available that allow you to easily design and produce engaging campaigns.
Some of the best free ones let you add rich media such as videos and graphics, whereas others may cost around $10 per month. However, you get quite a lot with these paid plans — not just limited access to designs, but also analytics and more advanced functionality.