Email is here to stay. Globally, there are 3.7 billion email users, with 4.1 billion expected by 2021. Also, people check their emails multiple times a day, so if you’re trying to market your business, an email marketing campaign can get your name into thousands of inboxes.
But sending a promotional email isn’t enough. Every day, people are bombarded with promotional emails, many of which go unread. That’s why you need to make your emails stand out.
So, where do you begin and how can you make your first email campaign a success? Let’s begin: Here’s how to start your first email marketing campaign that will increase engagement and sales.
Make an email list
You need people to have a successful email marketing campaign. That’s why you need to grow your email list to make money. With an email list, you can reach out to a large number of qualified prospects at any time. But how do you sign up?
Using an exit-intent popup on your site is a great way to get more email subscribers. Consider offering a discount or other freebie in exchange for a potential customer’s email address. Building a large email list is the foundation of any email campaign.
Select an email marketing service
Once you’ve built up a large email list of subscribers, it’s time to launch your email campaign. Gmail and Outlook are not recommended for bulk emailing. That’s why you need an email marketing service. Consider MailChimp, Constant Contact, or ConvertKit.
Using an email service provider gives you the ability to send bulk emails, manage your email database, and customize email templates. You’ll also be in compliance with CAN-SPAM laws.
Define your campaign’s goal
Before you send any emails, you must first determine their purpose. Not having a clear focus for your email marketing campaign will confuse readers. So, what is your campaign’s aim? Typical objectives:
User education on your product/niche
- promoting a product or sale
- Upselling customers
- Increasing blog/social media engagement
Pinkberry’s goal with this email campaign was to entice “inactive” users to return:
Remember to decide “why?” and “whom?” Will you send this campaign to existing customers, new users, or your entire email list? Determine your campaign’s goal and design your emails accordingly.
Craft your email
Begin writing your email after deciding on your email marketing campaign type. The first tip is to write a compelling subject line that will entice recipients to open your email. To test your subject line, use a free tool like CoSchedule’s Email Subject Line Tester.
Personalize your emails to each user; people will pay more attention if you say their name. It’s also important to design an email with a good mix of text and images. Emails should have a text-to-image ratio of 60/40.
Finally, keep your email campaign copy short, sweet, and full of personality. So you don’t have to scroll through a long email to get your point across. Instead of telling readers how great you are, focus on showing them how they will benefit.
You’re now ready to send your first email campaign. Remember that once you hit “send,” you can start tracking your results, such as open rates and sales or registrations. When you measure your results, you’ll know what’s working and what isn’t, and you’ll know how to improve your next campaign.