Inside Edge Your Monthly Report on the Latest Internet Marketing Trends Web Version -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Email Marketing Still Matters lRecently, Jason Hirschhorn, a man with serious digital savvy, raised $2.25 million in seed funding to turn his popular email newsletter into a company. That’s right, he built and then pitched a successful business idea based on linking to great content other people created. The vehicle that drives those links (and essentially the business)? Email. Marketing. Whether you’re actively ignoring email as a marketing channel (because you think it doesn’t work) or it’s just one of those things you “haven’t gotten around to”, we have a few suggestions. Change your mind and/or find the time. Quickly. It takes time to build lists and concoct the perfect email recipes, but it’s going to pay dividends well into the future, so the sooner you start, the better. Think about it: we all use email. Most of us use it daily and some of us use it all day long. Email is at the core of our digital experiences. While it might seem like email is old and out of style, that’s only due to the rapid growth and popularity of social media. It’s understandable that the flair and panache of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are more intriguing than tired old email. But at the end of the day, you have to go with what works. And for many businesses, the simplicity of email marketing has become little more than a missed opportunity. Embrace The Newsletter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not sure where to begin with email marketing? Start with these simple concepts to get used to your audience and you’ll gain momentum before you know it: Keep It Simple: this one is twofold. Keep it simple with your message and your process. Make it as easy as possible for users to subscribe to your list (and don’t be afraid to ask them often, either). You should also keep your content fairly straightforward, especially when you’re starting out. Deliver what you know will work and begin expanding and experimenting once you’ve established your newsletter’s value. Get Creative: if there’s one area of your email campaigns that can make all the difference in the world, it’s your headlines. Test and agonize over every headline you write. Practice headlines for emails you haven’t even written yet. Getting good at delivering emails with creative headlines is extremely valuable to your campaigns. Build Trust: sending an email does not guarantee that your message is read. When it comes to getting your list to actually read your emails, trust is vital. People are much more likely to read emails that they a) have asked for and b) are expecting. Asking for proper consent and sticking to a schedule are great ways to build trust with your email audience. We’ve only touched on the basics of creating a sustained and engaging email marketing campaign for your business. For further information and guidance on your email marketing campaigns and strategy, get in touch with a local WSI Consultant today! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marketing Stats Personalization Sees Payoffs in Marketing Emails Click here to read the entire eMarketer article. On the Blog Answer: To be fair, we all have email horror stories. Overrun inboxes. Messages lost in spam folders. Emails not sent or received. It happens. However, email tools and technologies have come a long way. Think about how different Gmail inboxes look now with the primary, social and promotions filters providing automated organization. These days, it’s a lot easier to keep a handle on your inbox. Which leads into this next point: most people probably have their email inbox under control, even if you don’t. Look, nobody is going to subscribe to every email newsletter they’re ever offered. Some of your customers are going to say no. Others will subscribe and then unsubscribe. There will be subscribers who only read one out of every three emails you send. Don’t worry about things like that. The only thing you need to know is that there is an email audience out there for you. Not everybody uses email the same way you do, so don’t let that stop you from delving into a great - and often underrated - digital marketing tactic. For more information about developing an integrated email marketing solution for your business, contact your local WSI Consultant now. This edition of your Inside Edge Newsletter is brought to you by WSI. |