How to run a successful email marketing campaign – a beginner’s guide. Part 1

 2017-11-01

The internet has moved on significantly since its first foray into people’s homes. We no longer get the ubiquitous ping ‘you’ve got mail’ and only in retro flashbacks do we ever hear the dialing up sound anymore!

Social media has meant that email marketing has had to share some of its popularity around, but that doesn’t mean that it has in any way lost anything. We may now include Tweets, PM’s and status updates in our daily communications, but we also get emails every day. In fact, our email accounts have become like a secret sanctuary where only the select few can/will contact us.

It is for this precise reason that it is essential and easier than ever to build a successful email marketing campaign.

However, if you are going to do it, it’s vital that you do it right and in order to do it right, you need to read on and heed our important points.

Firstly, it’s very important to always remember that the recipient has in effect invited you in - just as they would do to their home. It’s for this reason that you must tread carefully. People are interrupted with all too much regularity and so you need to give the reader a reason to take time out of their busy schedule to read and engage with your email. Always remember who you are, where you are and never forget your manners!

1. Getting permission is one of the most important email marketing etiquettes to always remember! However, in order to get permission, you have to already be in contact with people and have a sizeable email list.

   1. There are a number of ways to do this with many people giving a freebie away such as snippets of information, a newsletter, ebook or something similar.

   2. However you contact the people on your list, it’s vital you have a distinct purpose for your mail and a strong call to action. You’re going to need to address all sorts of questions once you initially contact people, so clear, definitive answers will always work best and always be honest and upfront. If you start off your campaign hiding away from questions or giving shady answers, you will come across as untrustworthy before you’ve even begun!

   3. The most popular subscriptions are for: free downloads, updating lists, free ebooks/white papers and free email series. Offer them something they simply can’t refuse!

   4. d. Another great idea is to integrate a registration/email subscription as part of your retail process.

2. Make sure you’re not blocked by major ISP’s. This way, they aren’t the deciding factor as to whether or not you’re sending out spam! Getting whitelisted is the most efficient way to ensure your mail reaches its recipients. This essentially means being accepted by the receiver’s email provider – a friend request being accepted – and being added to their address book. One of the best ways to do this is by providing specific instructions to do just this at the top of every email – especially on the initial email.

3. One of the most common problems is forgetting to talk to your list until there is something to sell. This is where an autoresponder will save you time and effort. This will enable you to build up a relationship over a number of weeks so when it comes to the big sale, it’s just an extension of your relationship. You will need to schedule your autoresponder so that you’re contacting your clients and potential clients on specific days and stick to these days. You do not want to be bothering them on a daily basis as this will be off putting. There is a fine line between not contacting them enough and contacting them too much. Basically, a couple of times per week is ample.

4. Email marketing is mainly about expectations. If your call to action is strong and your follow-up dependable, then you can almost guarantee on a successful campaign. However, if you promise one thing (such as contacting them weekly) and deliver another (such as contacting them daily) this will set you up to fail.

Come back next week when we’ll be looking at how and when to pitch!