You know it’s important to build a mailing list and get people to hand over their email addresses. But once you have those addresses, what’s next? It’s up to you to create an email newsletter that engages your customers and convinces them to click.
While email is an essential marketing tool for brands, many companies often get it wrong. They send dull, uninspired newsletters, or worse, no newsletters at all. Some go the opposite direction, sending way too many emails so that their customers get annoyed and end up clicking “unsubscribe.”
To have the greatest impact on your email marketing efforts, think outside the box. Get creative with what you send customers, and remember to not overdo it.
Why Email Marketing for Small Businesses?
Why bother with email marketing? The short answer is that, literally, everyone uses email. Around four billion people have access to email, and the return on investment (ROI) for email marketing is $36 for every dollar spent.
The people who have given you their email addresses already have a relationship with your brand. These leads are hot and often ready to press the “order now” button. Creative use of email can be what pushes them over the finish line.
The tricky thing is plenty of emails that are sent out get deleted without even being opened. So once you get those email addresses, it’s up to you to figure out a way to get people to click through and take action.
How to Get Email Traffic
Collecting email addresses isn’t enough. You need to find ways to get people to engage with your messages. One way to do that is to directly address their needs in your emails.
Let’s say someone visited your site, put something in their cart, then clicked away before ordering. There are many reasons why they left without a purchase – their kid could have called them from another room, the dog may have had to go out for a walk, or the water they were boiling for tea was ready.
They need a little nudge to return to their cart, and a creative email can be that nudge. A gentle reminder email, with or without a discount, can remind them of the item they were just about to buy.
You don’t need to depend on almost-to-the-finish-line leads to boost traffic from email. Sending engaging, relevant messages frequently can get people clicking.
Creative Email Marketing Ideas
We’ve all seen lackluster email messages and newsletters. We’ve all deleted our fair share of annoying, practically spam-like emails from brands and marketers.
To engage people, you need to get creative. While discounts are attractive, they are the only thing people want to see. Here are a few email marketing ideas that can help you win leads and convert customers:
- Share your blog content: You’ve got a blog, right? Highlighting your most recent or relevant posts in an email newsletter can help you connect with and convert subscribers. Your blog can also be an effective tool for getting new email signups. At the end of each blog post, encourage people to sign up for emails if they liked what they read.
- Run a contest: Who doesn’t like a little competition? You can get people to sign up for your emails or get people to engage with your email newsletters by running a contest. For example, choose a new subscriber at random every month and give them a prize, like a free month of service or your newest product, for free. You can also run a referral-based contest. For every referral your subscribers send, enter them in a drawing for a free service or product.
- Get personal: Your customers know your brand. They also want to feel like you know them, too. Sending personalized email messages, such as “Happy Birthday” notes, helps them feel connected to your brand.
- Offer something for free: Many customers take a “what’s in it for me?” stance toward email marketing. Give them something to get people to sign up or take action when they get a newsletter. You can offer a gift with their next purchase or a discount code for their next order when they sign up. Make your newsletters a bit more fun by hiding a discount code inside them. When people click through the code, you’ll know they’ve read the newsletter.
Let Zero Gravity Marketing Help You Build Your Mailing List
If you’re still scratching your head for ways to build your mailing list, Zero Gravity Marketing can help. Our email marketing services help you choose the best format, time, and design for your email newsletters. We’ll also help you build your list and increase conversions. Contact us today to find out more.
