An introduction to email marketing

Email marketing is one of the most important things you can do as part of an overall marketing strategy. 

You'll be familiar with the concept because unless you've been living under a rock, you will have been on the receiving end of it yourself.

There are lots of different ways you can use email marketing;

• develop and share your brand by sending personal stories and updates
• tell people about your latest offers
• notify people about a forthcoming course or webinar launch
• explain your services in more detail
• say thank you for purchasing a product or service.

It needs to be carefully thought out; a simple email marketing strategy is the starting point (and the subject of another article!).

How does email marketing fit into your overall digital marketing efforts?

As you can see in the image below, your website forms the hub of what I call the digital marketing wheel. This is where most coaches and therapists want their audience to end up. 

Why? 

Because it's where people can see everything you do in one place. They can take their time to view your services, make a purchase, book a call, get a feel for you and what you offer, read your articles and so on.

It's also where people can sign up to join your email list via a sign-up form, or sign up to receive a free offer you've created - more on that later.

THE DIGITAL MARKETING WHEEL

Why is email marketing so important?

Many small business owners (especially when starting out) think all they need to do is to build a virtual audience online via social media. 

They often focus on just one part of the wheel. The social media part.

Sure, social media marketing and networking is great and an essential part of your overall marketing efforts but you don’t own your audience.

You could have a million followers but if the platform went down so would all of your connections. Just like that.

So you need to put another strategy in place and use social media as part of your digital marketing; it's a good place to share your links to your email marketing.

Make sure you're doing other parts of the digital marketing wheel; email marketing is a crucial one, and quite easy to do once you make the commitment to get started.

With email marketing, you can be in control of your online destiny.

Search engines and social media networks are constantly updating their algorithms …which can affect your search results ranking and social visibility. Imagine if a big algorithm change comes through and you get buried under the rubble. Having a strong email list in such a scenario will be a lifesaver. You would still have a direct line of communication with your leads and customers and can keep them informed with the latest company news and updates. ~ Mailmunch

The main benefit of email marketing is you own it

There is lots of evidence to show that email marketing is effective:

• The web is driven by email
• It’s private and secure
• Customers prefer email
• It’s mobile and convenient
• Email is the #1 source for online purchases
• It can all be automated

In 2020, the number of email users reached the 4 billion mark, which means that over 50% of the world’s population was using email. The latest reported number in 2022 is close to 4.26 billion ~ 99 Firms

Which email marketing platform should you use?

There are many options. You can choose from a wide range of free and paid tools, depending where you are on your business journey, and what you need to achieve.

When starting out, I recommend Mailerlite. Read why in another article I wrote, which gives an overview of the best platforms.

Once you have created your account, it’s time to get started. The first job is to create a simple sign up form.

How do you get people to join your email list?

Here are some easy tactics to start with:

• Invite all of your current email contacts to join your list. Send them a regular email (using your Hotmail or Outlook etc. account and include the link to your list sign up form).
• Sure, your Mam will likely NOT be your ideal audience, but by starting with friends family, contacts, past work colleagues, and so on, the list will start to grow. You can always clean your list up further down the line.
• Share the sign up link in your social media posts.
• Contact all of your past clients. You might not have had an email list when you worked with them, and 80% of transactions are said to be from repeat buyers.
• Place your sign up link in everywhere! Add it at the bottom of your email signature, in your social profiles, and on your website.

 🤓 TIP: PEOPLE MUST ACTIVELY OPT IN TO YOUR LIST

The General Data Protection Regulation started in 2018. In a nutshell, you must be confident that the people on your email list chose to be on it. Here is everything you need to know about GDPR.

Then things get a little more complex

To move onto the next level and grow your new list, you need to entice ‘perfect strangers’ (i.e. your target audience but don’t know you yet) to sign up to your email list.

To do this, you ‘warm up’ your ideal audience by building the ‘Know, Like, Trust’ factor. 

The aim here is to introduce people to you and your business in a non-salesy way. This way you build up a relationship with your audience.

You want to encourage your audience to go on a journey:

STRANGER > LEAD > CUSTOMER/CLIENT > REPEAT BUYER.

We gently guide them to take the action we want them to (in this case, we want them to sign up to your email list). 

As I mentioned earlier, you need to map out a strategy outlining what you want your audience to do and how you’re going to get them there. 

There are lots of different types of these journeys, often called ‘funnels’, but for now, let’s create a journey which will encourage people to sign up to your email list.

We start by creating something free that they will find really useful, so they are more than happy to give you their email address in exchange for this free gift.

It’s your ‘free signature offer’ that helps or interests your audience in some way.

Create a free downloadable 'signature offer' (lead magnet)

Your free signature offer (also known as a lead magnet or free download) needs to be super helpful, relevant, and address something your ideal audience wants, needs, or is struggling with.

The graphic below shows 8 examples of offers you can create. 

You can really demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, and don’t be scared to share some of your top secrets!

Create a focused landing page

This is a special web page with a sign up box which focuses your audience’s attention on the free offer. 

It should be simple and impactful, and entice your audience to click or subscribe. They are also known as 'sales page' or 'squeeze page' and it can be set to ‘pop up’ on your website.

Here’s an example of a pop up I found whilst researching this blog post, and I couldn’t resist signing up! 

When I entered my name and email address it took me straight to a PDF. Within seconds I had forever access to a quality free e book to save and read whenever I want. Brilliant.

(Note – lots of people really dislike pop ups – they can be rather annoying.)

So to recap, your viewer clicks on a link which prompts them to enter their name and email address. 

Next, a 'success message' appears, with a link to allow them instant access to the free offer (best practice), or to tell them to check their inbox where the PDF (or whatever you've created) will be waiting for them.

Double vs single opt-in

I apologise for using jargon here, but it's important to understand the difference. 

A single opt-in means once a person has signed up, they are instantly added to your email list.

A double opt-in means they'll get an instant email after they've signed up, asking them to confirm that they definitely want to be added. If they click yes, they'll then be added to the list.

Double opt-ins are best practice because the person has 100% committed to joining your email list. 

You can skip this step and just use a single opt-in if you wish.

What needs to happen when someone subscribes?

It's exciting when you receive an alert that someone has signed up to your list! Once people have signed up to your list, what happens next? Do you just leave them in the cold? No!

First you need to thank them for signing up for your free offer, for joining your list or agreeing to receive your newsletter.

They have now become a willing and interested prospect – after all, they clicked on your link and gave you their email address so they’re waiting for you to contact them!

The next step is to send a short series of automated emails thanking them for signing up, welcoming them to your world, and allowing them to get to know you and your services/products. 

🤓TIP: Personally, I would steer clear of trying to sell anything until the final email in the sequence, or better still, wait until the sequence has ended, or you might put them off. I see this a lot. 

Beware freebie hunters!

At this point, it is worth mentioning freebie hunters!! If we’re honest, most of us have done this – you spy a useful freebie and you sign up, get the freebie, then unsubscribe again! It’s a bit cheeky isn’t it? Some would say unethical! Just be aware of it – it could explain why your list grows one day then shrinks the next.

Set up an automated welcome sequence

Your initial email campaign is called a welcome or 'nurture' sequence, and should flow over a week or so. It should always start with a simple ‘thank you for signing up’ email with a link to the free offer or download, even if they received it instantly upon sign up. 

This process is known as ‘automation’, and the process to follow is:

• Write your email sequences
• Select the software you want to use (I use MailerLite)
• Set up your sign up form and landing page and connect them to your website
• Create an autoresponder within your software which will send the emails out at predetermined intervals.

What other kinds of emails can you send to your subscribers?

After your welcome series has come to and end, you can now continue to send your subscribers emails. 

Send them things they will find useful, informative and/or entertaining, for example:

• A regular newsletter
• Share the link to your latest blog post 
• Tips and hints that help them with problems they face
• Embed a short video for example, a ‘how to’ demonstration, or your latest YouTube or Facebook live video
• A personal update – share more about your own journey.
• Client case studies

Ideally, each email you send will be concise, with 'read more' links that send people back to your website. 

Remember the marketing wheel?

You should also commit to a regular schedule. The jury is out on how often to send email campaigns, but I recommend that you find a schedule that suits you and that you can commit to.

Conclusion

Email marketing is so important as part of your overall strategy to be more visible online. It’s an important part of attracting new leads, and nurturing your previous or existing clients.

So, go for it. Take control of your online destiny, start building your list, and keep on building it by sending great content and reaching out to the people on it. Keep them happy and engaged. 

Over time, people will learn to (hopefully😎) get to know you, like your vibe, and understand what you can offer them. When they need your services they will remember you, get in touch or sign up as a client.

If you need a hand with your email marketing, I’m certified in Mailchimp and MailerLite – check out my Email Marketing services. 

I can help you with everything covered in this article!