What is email marketing?
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Email marketing means that companies use the medium of email to advertise their product or service. It's a form of direct marketing; that is, the company communicates directly with the consumer without an intermediary.
Email can be used to build relationships with leads, convert prospects into customers, and provide existing customers with a better customer experience. Here are some marketing email examples that you probably know from your own inbox.
- Series of welcome emails:
- Newsletter:
- Email Reminders:
- Post-purchase emails:
- Nurture Emails:
- Cold emailing:
When a customer first comes into contact with a company, they usually receive a series of automated emails that introduce them to the company and what it offers. For example, a software vendor offering free trials would send informative emails with links to help the customer get the most out of their tool. Towards the end of the test, e-mails may follow that want to convince him to make a purchase. These e-mails are specifically aimed at the offer in which the customer was interested.
Newsletters are general e-mails that are sent regularly. They usually contain company news and links to blog articles or other content that may be of interest to the recipient. Since newsletters don't cost a lot of money, they are ideal for staying in touch with many people. If a customer responds to some content in these emails (e.g. downloads an e-book), then the company can put them on another, more specific mailing list.
Businesses often send email reminders to customers who have started but not completed a task. If someone has viewed a product in a web shop but has not bought it, the supplier can send them an email as a reminder. Maybe he still wants to complete the purchase?
After a customer makes a purchase, they often receive a series of emails detailing their new product. Post-purchase emails are essential when you're subscription-based — they increase the likelihood that the recipient will see the value and remain a paying customer. This type of email is also suitable for upselling or referral campaigns to sell more products.
Nurture emails are very specific in content to the problems prospects are trying to solve. For example, they may contain links to blog articles, white papers, or how-to videos. The aim of these emails is to provide the lead with helpful information so that your company stays in their mind and they ultimately decide to make a purchase.
Some companies also use cold emailing, where they write to people they haven't had any contact with before. This is typically the least effective type of email marketing. Cold calling via email may still work in some B2B areas if the message is tailored to the target person and the sender is a specific person and not an "anonymous" department or the like.
Why Email Marketing?
Email marketing is of great value as it doesn't cost much but is extremely effective. It offers the following advantages, among others:
Email marketing is inexpensive
Apart from the software used, there are no costs associated with email marketing since the contact list already belongs to you. It is therefore easy to achieve an excellent ROI. In fact, in their 2019 Marketer Email Tracker Report, the Direct Marketing Association put the ROI on every dollar invested in email marketing at $42.
Email marketing is effective
Email marketing targets people who have already shown an interest in your company or product. These therefore require less nurturing than others who do not yet know about you. Leads and customers can also be segmented based on their needs and interests. Use lead generation forms and track how recipients interact with your marketing materials. Then you can send them the content and offers that interest them most.
Email marketing is flexible
Email marketing is a flexible tool that can be used throughout the sales funnel . Prospects earlier in the buying process often appreciate helpful information to help them solve their problem. Once recipients start responding to your emails, you can shift focus to your product. And when the prospect gets closer to making a purchase decision, then maybe offers or discounts in your emails will make the difference.
When not to use email marketing?
If the main goal of your marketing efforts is to grow your target audience, then email marketing is probably not the right choice. You must already know the email addresses of your customers or prospects before you start a dialogue with them. If you want to increase your brand awareness, you are better off with paid ads, search engine optimization (SEO) or social media posts.
Email Marketing Best Practices
When developing your email marketing strategy, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. Let's take a look at some of these recommendations:
Segment target audience and send relevant content
By segmenting your target audience, you can tailor the content of your email campaigns to each recipient group. How you segment your target audience is up to you - perhaps based on their position in the buyer's journey or their interests.
Suppose a company develops air conditioning systems that are used in both residential and office buildings.
It would therefore be beneficial to create separate campaigns for homeowners and business decision makers .
In addition, the company should consider where the recipient is in the buyer's journey. Earlier prospects may respond to an email with a link to the product catalog. Emails with price offers are more likely to attract people who are ready to buy.
automate processes
Automating email marketing processes ensures you send your emails at the right time - when conversion is most likely. At the same time, it reduces the workload of your team:
you just need to configure effective triggers and the software does the rest. We'll go into more detail about email automation at the end of this article.
Monitor performance and make changes if necessary
Email marketing is not an exact science. Some things will work as expected; others not. Most email marketing solutions provide insight and analytics so you can optimize your campaigns.
Do you have a below-average opening rate for one of your emails? Change the subject or the sending time. The CTR of one of your messages is bad? You might want to move the offer higher in the email or change the call-to-action.
A good way to make marketing emails more effective is to use A/B testing . You create two different versions of the same email and send them to two smaller groups of customers to see which one resonates better.
A/B testing is often used to optimize the open rate. Just write two different subjects for the same email, send both versions to the same number of customers and check which one gets read by more people. Then use the more successful email for your campaign. In the same way, you can test calls-to-action, delivery timing, or different offers.
Don't overwhelm contacts with emails
It can be tempting to frequently send contacts information about your product. However, no one likes being bombarded with emails. Therefore, only send your customers content that is useful to them and that has something to do with their needs and where they are in the buying cycle.
How to choose the right email marketing software
There are countless solutions on the market, making it difficult for companies to choose the right email marketing software. Which one is best for you depends on several factors. Here some of them:
How long your mailing list is and how many emails you send
Email marketing software manufacturers typically offer multiple solutions;
depending on how extensive your mailing list is and how many emails you want to send. Be sure to choose a solution that fits your goals . If you want to increase your mailing list, you should also make sure that the software can easily grow with it.
Whether the software is compatible with your existing tools
Email marketing software platforms need to fit into your existing workflows. Here are some examples of how you can integrate your email marketing software with other tools:
- Solutions coupled with your CRM can give you interesting insights into customer behavior.
- If you connect the email marketing software to your email client, you can import your contact list automatically.
- Emails for abandoned purchases can be configured with a web shop integration.
How easy it is to create compelling emails
A good tool will help you create professionally designed emails with an attractive design in no time. Look for a software that comes with pre-built email marketing templates that you can use as a source of inspiration. If you prefer more control, you can use a drag-and-drop editor to create templates for your specific needs.
Whether the software offers any extras
Many email marketing solutions also include additional features to help you run effective campaigns. Look for tools with good analytics and editors for landing pages and lead generation forms.
What the software costs
The price is of course an important factor. To maximize the ROI from your email marketing, you need a cost-effective solution that offers all the features you need.
Automated email marketing
Marketing automation helps companies automate the sending of emails. This allows them to connect with customers at the optimal time while reducing the workload of their marketing team as they no longer have to perform as many tasks manually. Here are some examples of how you can automate your email marketing.
Series of automated emails
Suppose a website visitor requests one of your e-books. You can configure your system so that the content is sent immediately after the request. In the days and weeks that follow, you can then follow up with more messages on topics related to the e-book - without your marketers having to lift a finger.
Emails based on customer response
Suppose a customer clicks a link to your pricing information in the e-book. This can be a sign that he is ready to buy. Automated email marketing sends them an email asking if they'd like to speak to a sales rep. The customer can then select a suitable date in scheduling software.
Automated Reminders
Let's say someone looks at your products on your website but doesn't buy anything. You can set up an automated email to remind the customer of the purchase after a certain amount of time.
after-sales service
After-sales service is an important part of the sales process. If customers have a good experience and appreciate your product, they will stay with you. You can automatically send out post-purchase emails to help the customer get the most out of their new product.
Conclusion
- What is email marketing? Email marketing means advertising a product or service through the medium of email.
- Why Email Marketing? Email marketing is inexpensive and effective and can be used throughout the buyer's journey.
- Email Marketing Best Practices: Segment your mailing list so your content is always relevant. Automate the processes if possible and don't overload your contacts with e-mails. Also, keep an eye on what's working and make changes as needed.
- Choosing the Right Email Marketing Software: Choose a software that offers you all the features you need. Make sure it's appropriate for the size of your mailing list and integrates with your existing tools.
- What is automated email marketing? With some email marketing solutions, processes can be automated. This allows you to run more effective campaigns while reducing your workload.