{"id":9217,"date":"2021-05-10T12:45:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T11:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.contrado.co.uk\/blog\/?p=9217"},"modified":"2021-05-19T08:56:59","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T07:56:59","slug":"email-marketing-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.contrado.co.uk\/blog\/email-marketing-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Email Marketing Strategy: How to Email Your Way to More Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing efforts, and the best thing about it is that it\u2019s relatively easy for you to do. At first glance, email marketing might not seem too novel, because this kind of marketing has been around for years. However, a solid email marketing strategy can keep customers coming back and give a hefty boost to your sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re new to email marketing for small business owners, then you\u2019re in luck; Contrado\u2019s own Email Marketing Executive, Kaity, offers her favourite tips to get customers excited about seeing your brand in their inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create Your Email List<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the first things you\u2019ll need to do to create your email marketing strategy is find people to email. Seems obvious, right? If you already have email addresses from your customers that have opted into email marketing, then you can simply enter them into your email marketing platform. If you\u2019re starting from scratch, you can collect email addresses in a number of ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best ways is to offer customers an incentive to give their email address. This can be as simple as offering a discount code towards their next purchase. If your business has a special niche, you can leverage that here. For example, if you\u2019re an artist, you could offer a free digital print download to entice them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another easy way is to offer customers the option to opt into email marketing when they checkout. They\u2019ll need to enter their email to get updates on their order anyway, so add a checkbox that they can tick to get future offers and communication from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Subject Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Email<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now it\u2019s time to start working on your content, starting with the subject line. This is where you\u2019re going to grab their attention. Your subject line is how people decide whether to open your email, so this is your chance to make it compelling. Whatever the most interesting component of your email is, write it in the subject. To avoid your subject getting truncated in their inbox, use nine words or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some examples that will spark curiosity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • We heard you. Organic fabric is here.<\/li>
  • Sitewide Sale \u2013 3 DAYS ONLY<\/li>
  • You won\u2019t believe this artists\u2019 new medium<\/li>
  • 50% Off This Best Seller<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Kaity\u2019s tip:<\/strong> Numbers are great for engagement, so including them in your subject line is a sure-fire way to get clicks. And if you want to stand out in a crowd of other marketing emails, try using a really short subject line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Content is Key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As a general rule, you want to order your content in a hierarchy of most important to least important. Why? Because many people won\u2019t read to the bottom of the email. You only have a few seconds to hook them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With this in mind, you can choose what content to send in your email. Your emails can be regarding new product releases, promotions and discounts, information, or maybe even a monthly newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019re naturally visual creatures, so including images in your email is a must. Use bright images that stand out and draw the eye in. Remember that most people view emails on their phones, so crop the photos closely to make your subject appear as big as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kaity\u2019s tip:<\/strong> It\u2019s helpful to keep the format of your emails consistent for each one you send. Use a similar order of titles, paragraphs, and visuals so readers know what to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make it Personal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"Email<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Just because everyone on your email list has subscribed to you doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all interested in the same things. Part of your email marketing strategy should be segmenting your email list and sending emails to certain groups of people based on their buying habits and behaviours. For example, local customers might love to hear about an event you\u2019re hosting around town so they can visit, but this won\u2019t be as relevant to customers who live farther away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Often and When to Send<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Frequency and timing will be another big part of your email marketing strategy. The name of the game here isn\u2019t to stuff their inboxes, but rather less is more. Once a week is the maximum, otherwise you might see an increase in the number of unsubscribers. Shoot for once every two weeks, so that your brand stays fresh in their minds without feeling like spam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kaity\u2019s tip:<\/strong> Sending emails in the middle of the day keeps them towards the top of your audience\u2019s inbox. If you send the email while everyone is asleep, it might get buried in their inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t Forget the Call to Action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This is another thing that might seem like a no-brainer, but we want to make sure you don\u2019t forget it. You\u2019ve written a great email, now get your customers from the email to your website or store. Your call to action will be whatever you want your subscribers to do, like buy a product or read a new blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kaity\u2019s tip:<\/strong> Use buttons as links for your call to action. They stand out, and your subscribers will know exactly where to click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Analyze it All<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"Email<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The email marketing tool or platform you use might have built-in analytics that will help guide some of your email marketing strategy, so definitely take advantage of them. Look at the percentage of people that open your email and the click through rate to your call to action \u2013 use this to inform your strategy going forward. Are readers not really responding to a certain type of subject line or feature? Try something different next time. You can also use Google Analytics to get more information on your readers\u2019 habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kaity\u2019s tip: <\/strong>Try new things and see how your audience responds. This gives you insight into your audience and why types of content perform well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Creating an effective email strategy is really that simple. If you are still doubtful that it will make an impact, then watch this short video on the 5 mistakes that every online business makes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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