How To Convert More Customers With The Power Of Email Marketing

When email made its way onto the burgeoning digital scene some thirty years ago, it’s unlikely that its creators guessed they had created the most powerful marketing vehicle imaginable. At the time, many thought of email as a novelty or passing fad; nowadays, some see it as an outdated relic in the age of social media. 

But the numbers don’t lie: email is here to stay. With over four billion users worldwide (over half the global population), email is the easiest way to contact an entire audience simultaneously. 

Furthermore, statistics show that year after year, email remains king when it comes to sales. Creative Circle reports that 60% of buyers have made a purchase as a result of a marketing email, in comparison with just 12.5% who click the “buy” button on social media. 

Clearly, it’s vital for business owners to take advantage of email marketing. But how do you build up an email list, and, from there, keep your customers on it? This article will cover all of that—but first, let’s dive a little deeper into why email is such an essential tool in branding and marketing. 

What’s So Special About Email Marketing?

Though it may seem quaint when compared to social media giants and other modern internet marvels, email has a few distinctive characteristics that make it the best digital marketing tool available.

Cost-Effectiveness

Not only is email marketing powerful—it’s accessible, even to the most limited budgets. Whereas print marketing and pay-per-click digital advertisements can cost you thousands of dollars, email marketing only requires you to pay for the platform you’re using, as well as the salaries of any employees who create the emails. This low cost, combined with consumers’ high purchase rates, means that email has the highest ROI of any form of marketing—an average of $38 for every $1 spent according to Constant Contact. 

You Own Your Customer Information

An email list is an invaluable tool because it gives you continuous access to your customers and prospects. While a social media platform could one day decide to charge you out of the blue for your customers’ information, you own any email addresses you obtain through your business. Even if a customer unsubscribes from your emails, you’ll still have their contact information on file. 

Speaking of unsubscribing: although some marketers live in fear of the unsubscribe button included in sales emails, it’s actually doing you a favor. Branding expert and creator of the Story Brand framework Donald Miller explains why: “If someone unsubscribes [from your email list], all the better. It’s more important to have a list of qualified, interested subscribers than a large number of people who never intend to buy.” 

The option to unsubscribe guarantees that anyone seeing your email marketing genuinely wants to see it—as opposed to those annoying advertisements that pop up on your social media pages unrequested. 

Brand Awareness

Consistently sending marketing emails is one of the most effective ways to create visibility and awareness around your brand. After all, most people check their email accounts multiple times per day, so you can be confident that they are at the very least seeing your brand’s name pop up regularly. This means even if someone on your email list doesn’t make a purchase for a while, they will be more likely to remember your brand when they do need the services you provide. 

Automation

The seemingly endless options for building automated email sequences make email marketing a terrific example of working “smarter, not harder.” Though the available options vary by provider, most platforms allow for email sequences that automatically send after a certain trigger, giving you the opportunity to convert customers who otherwise may have missed the boat. 

For instance, you might set up a re-engagement sequence to automatically send to any former customer who hasn’t made a purchase within a certain amount of time. These emails serve as a friendly reminder of your brand’s existence to a customer whose mind you might have otherwise slipped. 

Personalization

Along with options for automation, most email platforms allow for a high level of personalization in marketing. A recent study shows that 71% of customers are more likely to read brand emails that include some amount of personalization. This can be as simple as setting the email to plug in the customer’s first name in the greeting, but you can also take it a step further and segment your emails based on your customers’ past purchases and activity. 

Laws of Attraction: How To Build Your Email List

Hopefully you now have a sense of why email is such a unique and powerful marketing tool. But the best sales emails in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t have anyone to send them to. Let’s review a few ways you can build an extensive email list and gain instant access to your customers’ attention. 

Calls To Action

The best way to ensure you build a long list of email contacts is to make it as easy as possible for your customers to sign up for your brand’s emails. You should ideally have multiple calls to action (CTA’s) on different pages of your website encouraging visitors to register for email updates from your brand. 

It’s a great idea to use a double opt-in process in your email capture. This prompts your email provider to send a confirmation message to your new subscribers that has them verify their sign-up. A double opt-in process ensures all your subscribers want to receive your emails, and also helps build trust between you and your audience. 

Incentives

A common and effective method for obtaining email addresses is to offer the customer something in return for their contact information. Often this takes the form of an opt-in or lead magnet, particularly in service industries—some sort of free resource a customer can obtain by giving you their email address. This might be a PDF, an e-book, a training video, or an app. For instance, Miss Details offers freebies such as quizzes, templates, and even robust marketing guides. 

There are other ways to incentivize potential subscribers as well: 

• Coupons and discounts are common in product industries, but they’re also useful tools for restaurants—for instance, you might offer a coupon for a free drink or dessert in exchange for a customer’s email address. 
• A promise of exclusivity is another great motivator. Some brands offer the people on their mailing list early access to certain offers, events, and promotions. 

Whatever incentive you decide to use, make sure to regularly promote it on your website and social media channels. This will expand your email list and drive traffic to your brand. 

Welcome Sequence

A good welcome sequence is the most important automated email sequence a brand can have.  When a customer provides you with their email address, you’ll want to take action right away to seal the deal. Your platform should immediately send them an initial email thanking them for subscribing and reviewing the benefits of being on your list. 

From there, the welcome sequence can continue over the next few days or weeks. Some other emails in your welcome sequence might include: 

• A personal message from your brand’s founder
• The story of how your brand was created
• An invitation to follow your brand on social media channels
• A low-cost or “tripwire” offer or discount available only to new subscribers for a limited time

A well-crafted welcome sequence will give new subscribers confidence in their decision to engage with your brand, and can serve as the foundation for a lasting relationship. 

Regular Maintenance: How To Nurture Your Email List 

Once you’ve managed to build up a solid list of contacts, the next step is to maintain that list. Here are a few strategies for keeping your subscribers engaged with your brand. 

Be Consistent, But Don’t Nag

It can be a difficult balance to figure out how frequently to email your subscribers. Email your list too frequently and your customers will feel pestered; email your list too rarely and you risk your customers forgetting about your brand. How many emails your audience can handle will depend on your industry, and may require testing. 

Although a few years old Sendgrid’s breakdown of monthly sends by industry may help.