WEBPRO is in the middle of a free webinar series where our experts reveal crucial information and insider tips for online businesses. Our latest webinar brought up a topic some people thought was dead and buried – email marketing.
Find out why email marketing is very much alive and kicking with the smartest companies still taking advantage of this unique marketing strategy here. Or contact the WEBPRO team for a bespoke discussion about your business’s email marketing potential.
#1: There are three types of email marketing
Email marketing is one method of online marketing whereby a business sends emails directly to previous or prospective clients. There are actually three types of email marketing, namely:
- Transactional emails, such as an order confirmations
- Behavioural emails, which are triggered by the prospective clients' actions, such as recommended products or services based on previous purchases or enquiries
- Email newsletters, which are sent to subscriber lists to provide valuable content, updates, promotions and more
We’ll be focusing on the third option from above.
#2: Why email marketing is important
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage your current client base and keep them loyal. We can provide two statistics as to why this is so important.
The first is that it costs 5 times more to get a new client than it does to encourage a current one to spend again. And current clients will spend up to 10 times more than new clients because they already trust your product or service. Thus, the ROI from email marketing is huge.
Some of the other reasons your business should be using email marketing newsletters are:
- They can link back to your website and increase website traffic, which is loved by Google
- They promote brand awareness
- They remind subscribers that you exist
- The content can be repurposed to a blog, allowing you to get twice the use out of your content creation investment
#3: How to make valuable email marketing content
The potential of email marketing might be huge, but just like any form of online marketing, if you don’t get it right then you won’t reap the rewards. The golden rule when it comes to email marketing newsletters is to provide value first and sell second.
Of course, you want these emails to encourage sales and enquiries. But the best way to do that is to make that your second priority when creating email content. Instead, focus on providing genuine value to the reader. You can achieve this by coming up with topics that will benefit the reader and answer common questions they may have.
For example, if you’re a financial adviser who once helped someone secure a mortgage, you might want to tell them about the benefits of remortgaging. They may be considering a remortgage anyway, but your content could inform their decision. If it so happens that they decide they want to investigate remortgaging options, they’re more likely to think of you.
Your content is also made more valuable by including images and embedding videos. But don’t forget to maintain your brand voice at all times. You don’t want to break the consistency of your brand at any moment.
#4: Email marketing platforms and email frequency
There is an array of email marketing platforms that will host your campaign and help you create attractive emails. Here at WEBPRO, we use Mailchimp and have no complaints thus far. We’re not paid to say that, we just like their work and can recommend them. But you could always do your research into other options first.
Email frequency is a hot topic in the email marketing niche. There has been a lot of research into this area to find out how many emails you should send, and even at what times on what days they should be sent. The overall findings? … It depends on your industry.
What you’re trying to do is strike a balance between not being forgotten and not annoying people with too many communications. The general rule of thumb is to send at least one email per quarter but don’t send more than two emails per month.
#5: A word on GDPR
Last but not least, we need to mention General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These are the rules you need to be aware of when sending emails to people and allowing them to unsubscribe easily. If you break these rules, there could be serious consequences for your business.
Thankfully, the ICO website provides excellent resources so you know what and what not to do. There is even a helpline where you can seek clarity and ask questions. Alternatively, you should speak with an in-house solicitor if your business has one.
Register for our next webinar now!
We’ve tried to catch you up as best we can, but there are some things we’ve had to cut out to keep this post a readable length. This is why it’s so important to register your place and not miss out. Remember, all of our upcoming webinars are created by experts and completely free.
Our next webinar will look at another often abandoned area of marketing – offline marketing. Book your free spot now!
