Getting your small business off of the ground is easier said than done—it takes time, dedication, and, perhaps most importantly, perseverance That being said, there are some tactics that you can use to speed up the process and build your customer base at a faster pace.
Email marketing is an outreach strategy that has been shown to be effective time and time again, and thanks to shortcuts with business technology, email marketing have been streamlined to a greater extent than ever before.
The Basics of Email Marketing
When it comes down to it, email marketing is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: using email as a form of marketing. During an email marketing campaign, a business sends emails to customers in order to build brand awareness and increase customer engagement.
Unlike most marketing endeavors, email marketing is relatively inexpensive, making it especially appealing to small businesses that don’t necessarily have room in their budgets for costly marketing campaigns. For this reason, the pros of email marketing far outweigh the cons.
Advantages of Email Marketing
- Email is a highly accessible form of communication, which means that almost everyone has it and is checking it on a regular basis. Unlike social media, where it’s easy to miss an announcement or advertisement, email is direct, allowing you to narrow your subject’s focus and increase their likelihood to follow through on your call to action.
- Not everyone is on social media, which means that it can be difficult to reach your entire customer base with a single post. Conversely, because email is popular across the board, you can widen your reach without having to worry about a certain demographic being left out.
- Email marketing doesn’t require a nuanced set of skills or even a whole lot of experience. Basically, anyone can formulate an email marketing campaign as long as they’re willing to put in the work.
Types of Email Marketing
There are several different types of email marketing, and depending on your business, some might be more beneficial than others.
- Welcome Emails. Welcoming new clients is a great way to build a strong relationship with them and retain their loyalty. This type of email is simple yet effective: welcome your new customer to your brand, and let them know how much you appreciate their business or support.
- Promotional Emails. Whether you’re bringing attention to a special deal that’s going on or announcing a new product, promotional emails keep your customers up-to-date with what you have to offer and can incentivize them to make a purchase.
- Remind your customers that you’re thinking about them and, in turn, keep your business on their radar. Share professional news, a short behind-the-scenes anecdote, or just write a brief recap of what’s been going on with your company to maintain your relationship with your customers and stay connected with them.
Shortcuts to Email Marketing
Email might be a fairly user-friendly interface, but that doesn’t mean that creating an email marketing campaign doesn’t require a lot of time or effort. That being said, there are a few shortcuts that you can take to make it more efficient.
Mailmerge
Personalization is key to a successful email marketing campaign, and mail merge makes it fast and easy to put an individual spin on each email that you send. Instead of typing a personalized greeting to each recipient, you can use mail merge to insert their name into a universal template.
Automation Triggers
Automation triggers are email campaigns that are triggered automatically by a specific action that a customer performs on your website (e.g., adding an item to their cart). These types of triggers allow you to play an active role in your customer’s web-based interactions with your business—all of the time, every step of the way.
Templates
Using a design or content template to format your emails is a straightforward and convenient way to ensure that your emails look and read like a professional marketing campaign, even if you’re still a newbie to e-commerce. You can find countless templates online in order to create beautiful, effective emails and get the most out of your campaign.
Cash In on Your Business’s Potential (Literally) with Email Marketing
There’s no getting around the hard work that comes with starting your own business, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t strategies out there that can expedite the process. Email marketing is a cost-effective means by which you can expand your business’s reach and generate higher profits. Take your small business to the next level when you start an email marketing campaign today.