Email Marketing: How to Start? - Photo credit: pixabay.com, Edition by Amber255 via Bitlanders.com

Since the time when the Internet has become popular and extremely needed for the world, email marketing has become an important business marketing tool that provides the opportunity to communicate not only with employees but also with clients - to inform them about new products, to submit various offers, to report on discounts or just keep a conversation.

Despite the prevailing positive opinion about this type of marketing, the information sent by some companies is nevertheless considered to be total spam, trash, and consumers never pay attention to such emails sending them to trash folder, and this does not have any positive effect on business success. In this article, I will explain what e-mail marketing is, why companies value it, and how to do it properly.

Email Marketing Tutorial in 5 Steps - Video credit: ibrandyourbusiness via Youtube.com

First, answer the question: Do you use email marketing? If you answered positively, I congratulate you; you probably do not doubt about its effectiveness and benefits. If you have not done it yet, it's time to start! Why? Of course, there are some reasons for this, and I will try to disclose them. Instead, you'd rather answer yourself to the simple question: Why not?

Email Marketing - What It Means?

E-mail marketing is usually described as a direct marketing tool in which e-mail is linked to a wide audience and used to provide commercial offers or to help them generate the necessary funds (in other words, they bring financial benefits).

Email marketing campaign - Photo credit: blog.luz.vc, Edition by Amber255 via Bitlanders.com

Broadly speaking, every email sent to a prospective potential customer or a client may be treated as email marketing.

However, this term is most often used to focus on:

• Sending emails to enhance the trader's (your) relationship with current or future customers, to promote their loyalty, and repeat business of these customers. It means a situation in which a customer re-enters your website and once again acquires the desired product or service from you.
• Sending emails to find new customers or persuade existing customers to immediately purchase your product (product or service).
• Including ads (promotional messages) in e-mails sent or received by other companies.

Newsletters - Photo credit: pixabay.com

The Effectiveness of Email Marketing

Now let's look at why it's one of the most effective and commonly used e-marketing tools. I will try to provide all my insights on what you should generally know about e-mail marketing and how to use this e-marketing tool to effectively strengthen your brand.

• E-mail marketing, otherwise often referred to as newsletters, is one of the most effective and most frequently used e-marketing tools.
• With email marketing, you will generate leads easily.
• Email marketing is still ahead of social networking and is in the first place. 
• Email marketing is not only one of the cheapest e-marketing tools but also one of the best conversion and return on investment (ROI).

The question may be why is email marketing so effective? Well, first and foremost, smartphones and the growth of the mobile Internet's usage are of great importance. About 99% of people check their emails every day. Thanks to mobile Internet people are watching their emails more often. About 5% of them check their emails 10 times a day, and even about 33% do it actively throughout the day.

Email marketing basics - Photo credit: twitter.com

Also, the consumers indicate email as the best way to be informed about ongoing promotions or news.

So if you have not used email marketing yet, I recommend starting this up. I believe that you are not a newbie in email marketing, and if you are, you are about to start it. 

Email Marketing: How To Start?

Thanks to new technologies and e-mail sending platforms, email e-commerce is becoming as simple as never it has been and with one of the best ROI.  So naturally, you may have questions - how to start, and is this marketing tool generally suitable for your business?

First of all, in my opinion, email marketing is suitable for virtually all businesses.

Even if you do not do any e-mail commerce and online sales, you can successfully use email marketing.

Your First Email Marketing Campaign - Video credit: Google4Entrepreneurs via Youtube.com

Audience

It's worth starting with a subscriber list. May you just started out only and still have not a list of the subscribers, then it worth to think about who you would like to bring to this list, and how you can do it. If you already have the first list of recipients, try to answer yourself - who these people are, and how did they appear on your list?

Are they the former customers? Or maybe the existing customers? You can have, collect, and store a lot of different information and use it for different purposes.  Usually, in the beginning, it's just enough to have an email address and, if available, name. If you still have more information, that's great! The more you have it, the better you will be able to segment your audience in the future.

Usually, users can be segmented by age, gender, excitement, income, family status, hobbies, etc. Believe it, one day all this can be used perfectly for different marketing goals.

Never buy a consumer database from third parties.

Credit to Amber255

It occurs that companies buy consumer contacts and their database from third parties. I want to highlight this and urge you to do this in no way. First of all, this is prohibited, and you can be punished for it under the laws of your country. 

Second, you will crush your reputation in the eyes of users and look like ordinary spammers.

Generate leads - get loyal customers - Photo credit: fiverr.com

Well, finally, your email address can actually be added to the blacklist if your contacts mark the mail you send as spam. Buying data from third parties always have more risks and negative effects than benefits.

Instead, you should collect your user contacts honestly. Offer them in exchange something useful, provide valuable information. People will really appreciate it and will be happy to see you in the future. This will encourage their loyalty and attachment to your brand. 

Email marketing tools - Photo credit: pixabay.com

Remember, that you better have a smaller audience of interested users who wish to receive your offers, rather than a large but completely uninterested in your activity database of users.

What To Send?

With a recipient audience, the next step is to decide what kind of information you will provide in the emails. Whatever you are doing, information must always be interesting, useful, and different.  Interesting, useful, and different does not say a lot? Take a look at what most organizations send to their audience via e-mails.

Email marketing for business success - Photo credit: Amber255 via Bitlanders.com

The examples provided in the photo are not really all types of possible emails. There are really a lot of options, so never send one type of email. Try to diversify your outgoing emails as much as possible. For example, maybe you have the opportunity to send tips once a week, a new video once a month and news about market developments every three months?

When And How Often To Send?

There are no strict guidelines when and how often to send emails. In the B2C sector where domination is spontaneity, it is recommended to send an email as often as possible.

B2C marketing (Business-To-Consumer) is a form of electronic trade, the aim of which is direct sales for the consumers. The buyer buys the goods for himself. The goods (service) in this situation are the objects of business, while the consumer and the seller organization are its subjects.

Credit: sendpulse.com

At the same time, the B2B sector can do this less often.

B2B marketing (Business to Business) is the type of informational and economic interaction, classified according to the type of interacting entities, in this case, they are legal bodies who work not for the ordinary ultimate consumer, but for the same companies, i.e. for another business.

Credit: sendpulse.com

Everything really depends on whether the content is useful. If it's really useful, users will be eager to get your messages. Of course, do not delay for too long. It would be best to send your emails once a week if you have such an opportunity to do.

I always suggest testing and testing what's most appropriate for your specific audience. Who knows, maybe it will be enough to send one email every Friday with special suggestions for next weekend. Or maybe just one message in a month to discuss the latest market trends and submit your offer for the coming month.

And one more you should remember - the more often you will send emails to your leads, the more you will be seen in the eyes of them. But do not overdo it and do not start emailing just because you want customers would not forget you.

Email marketing for business  - twitter.com

Tone Of Communication

Have you already thought to whom, what, and when you will send your messages? The next step is the tone of communication. Every business, like people, has its own tone and style of communication. Have you ever noticed how different brands interact with their audiences?

Each has their own style of communication. You can notice this if look at the big brands. This helps users to better identify and recognize their favorite brand.

Email marketing basics - Photo credit: onlinewritingtraining.com.au

You also have to decide on what tone of communication you will use. If you make yourself publicly available in an especially formal way, do not send too many unofficial letters. Conversely, if you are designing yourself as an entertaining organization, do not reach out to your audience very formally.

On The Final Note 

Email marketing is in many cases not properly exploited or undeservedly forgotten. This situation was triggered by the irresponsible use of this type of marketing, sending malicious content to unwanted contacts. However, newsletters are quite important in the company's communication process.

Each of us has received and still receives newsletters with irrelevant information and blocks them. In the age of information surplus, we only want to get interesting information and decide for ourselves whether or not we want to receive it, and in what way, so we really cannot abusive the sending of newsletters to our customers.

In summary, we can only say that if you properly understand your users' audience, select the required messages, determine the frequency of their sending, and the tone of communication, you will be able to "build" strong basics of emails and brand enhancement.

Email marketing - Photo credit: pixabay.com

Do not think that e-mail and newsletters are old (and obsolete). Millions of companies around the world invest in this type of marketing and earn more than their competitors. Email marketing is important for many business areas, especially for building relationships between customers and business representatives.

Take advantage of e-mail marketing, and this will definitely help your company to work more successfully.

However, keep in mind that such newsletters that do not create value to the recipient are likely to fail to earn money for you, so be careful and responsible.

SUCCESS!!!

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You can check my other blogs  : 

1. Is it worth to create a mobile application for business?

2. Things to know before creating a business mobile application

3. Impact of Mobile Marketing Solutions To Business Success: The Concept and Use

4. Importance of Mobile Marketing Strategy

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