Looking ahead to the new year, you are probably considering where to allocate your marketing budget. In our previous blog we talked about building your online presence, citing email marketing as a foundational pillar of your digital strategy. In 2024, email marketing will still be a strong tactic to stay connected with your clients and grow your business.
Whether you have a current email marketing strategy or are looking to implement a new one, it’s good to have an outline of what works. Here we’ll review reasons to invest in email marketing, show you new ways to leverage your subscriber list, and help you find the right platform for your business.
The Power of Your Email List
According to Statista, “More than 306 billion emails are sent and received each day.” You can read that stat one of two ways. To state the obvious, we are all inundated with emails—many of us with hundreds left unread. On the other hand, the users who actively subscribe to your list are saying that they do want to hear from you. The power of your email list should not be overlooked.
Maintaining the health of your email list is crucial. Conducting regular audits of your list for bounces and unsubscribes will ensure you are reaching your target audience. After you sanitize your list, you might lose a small percentage of subscribers. Look at this as an opportunity to source and find new clients. Use your website, social media, or even your CRM to build awareness of and grow your email marketing list. Make it easy for your clients to stay connected to you.
Since you own and manage your email list, you are in control of what messages are sent and to whom. Unlike social media platforms that dictate who sees your posts, no one can change the algorithm of who receives your emails. Email is still a direct way to connect with your “followers” and no algorithm can change that. This fact should not be taken lightly. You want to stay at the top of your audiences’ inbox and not be sent to ‘Spam’.
Creating Your Email Strategy
To leverage email marketing to its fullest capacity, you must build a strategy that aligns with your audience, brand, and business goals. Every communication you send out should be intentional, with a clear message or call to action for the recipient. Here are a few questions to ask as you build your email marketing strategy.
- What is the goal of my email marketing strategy? How does that align with my overall marketing goals?
- What information do I want to share with my clients?
- What is the value add to my clients?
- Why is it relevant to their daily lives?
As you answer these questions, begin formulating your brand voice, which should reflect your specific niche or area of expertise. For example, if you provide manufacturing services for medical device companies, you can share tips for engineers worried about the manufacturability of their items, or new methods and materials. This can be presented in a way that makes your company sound reliable and up-to-date on manufacturing trends. And, by offering a new perspective in your industry, you will boost engagement and your clickthrough rate (CTR).
Here are a few ideas for your first, or next, email:
- A “How-to” article
- Announcement of an upcoming sale or product release
- News of future event or community outreach
- Small online quiz
- Surveys or solicitation of feedback
How often should I email my list?
Your subscribers do not need nor want an email from you every day. Consistency is the key to your email marketing strategy succeeding. Build a content calendar of key dates and touchpoints you want to have with your clients. This can be centered around important industry events or quarterly growth milestones. A content calendar will also hold you and your team accountable to your email marketing plan.
If you are struggling to get organized when it comes to email content, a monthly newsletter is a good place to start. Creating an email newsletter is a great way to aggregate and share information with your clients; it allows you to stay consistent with your communications and give your clients a sense when to keep an eye on their inbox. In fact, research from the Content Marketing Institute reports that 81% of B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is email newsletters.
Email Marketing Can Be a Proving Ground
Email marketing is more than just getting your word out; it’s a great way to hypothesize about and test what resonates with your audience.
For example, research conducted by HubSpot found that one of the most effective strategies for email marketing campaigns is subscriber segmentation. Once you have your initial email list, begin segmenting your audiences according to their interests. There are a few different ways you can do this; for example, when a client opts in to receive your communications, ask them what type of emails they would like to receive. Most modern email platforms have tools that will place an email into a specific segment based on the preferences indicated on a form. This will not only ensure that your emails have a higher open rate, but also give you better insight into what your clients care about, which will better inform your email marketing strategy.
Email marketing doesn’t have to be impersonal. Personalized messaging is another way to break through the inbox clutter. Adding personalization tags is an easy way to do this, the “first name” field being one of the most utilized and effective.
Finally, conducting A/B tests with your email marketing can provide many insights. A simple A/B test to try is with the subject line. With your segmented list, create two different subject lines for the same email. This test can be set up through most email marketing platforms at the time of scheduling. After the email is sent, you will be able to evaluate what subject line resonated with your clients most and adjust your future emails accordingly. In your next email, try testing one of these A/B tests with your subject line:
- Try a new tone. Does your audience respond to a more friendly or professional tone?
- Ask a question. Rather than make a statement, entice your reader with a question.
- Pick a side. Write the affirmative on a subject then test the contrary.
What Email Platform Should You Use?
The answer to this question is simple and might surprise you: The best email system for your business is likely the one you are already using. There are only two main reasons to change your email marketing system.
The first is that it does not integrate with your other systems. You should always look for efficiency in your business, and email marketing is no exception. If the platform you are using does not work with your other tools, find one that will easily integrate with the way you run your business.
The other reason to break up with your email platform is bad deliverability. If your audience is not receiving your communications, it is simply not serving its function.
If you are looking for a new email marketing platform, find one that works with your budget and your needs. Make sure you understand the platform’s pricing model and read the fine print. Consider the following questions when choosing an email marketing platform:
- Is the platform easy to use and navigate?
- How many sends (emails) do you get a month?
- Is there a cap on the number of users you send to?
- Is there an opportunity to design branded email templates?
- What kind of reports do you receive? What KPIs are measured?
- Are there tools, like connected forms, that can help you grow your subscriber list?
You want to choose a platform that is sustainable and that will grow with you as you build your business. With that in mind, consider the features you might need or want in the future. Email platforms are now more robust, offering email automation and CRM integrations. Depending on your industry, these features might be appealing. However, building a strong email marketing strategy takes time and consistency. Make sure you will use all of the great features being offered because this tool is also an investment and will be a part of your yearly marketing budget.
Final Thoughts
While email marketing isn’t the new kid on the block, it is still a tried and true marketing tactic. Segmenting your email list or testing out new messaging can open a new, personalized line of communication between you and your clients. With the right strategy and a little creativity, you can strengthen your brand and build your client base.