Did you know that an email is 6 times more likely to be viewed and clicked than any of the social media campaigns? Email Marketing has the highest ROI while being the most cost efficient for getting the word out there.

There are loads of softwares and websites that allow you to design and send out email marketing campaigns but there’s a lot more to be thought and done than just meets the eye.

So, how do you get started on Email Marketing for your Business?

Pen down your Goals

Instead of jumping the gun, take the time to think about what you want to achieve through this email, because this is what will set the tone for your campaign. And these goals are not just for your first mail but for your business as a whole. Are you trying to raise awareness of your brand, generate sales or have people signup for an event?

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your goals and reach your target audience if done mindfully, which is why it’s worth taking the time to analyse before you hit SEND.

Collect Database

And by collect we don’t mean buy a bunch of emails off the net. This is a big no no in the email marketing code of conduct. It doesn’t matter how small your list is, but instead of spamming inboxes, start slow and start right.

There are two ways you can do this :

Compile a list of friends and family and work contacts you already have. While they might not be your direct customers, letting them know of your services will help get the word out and help in the referrals at a later stage. Start adding emails of enquiries you might get or people you meet over time to build on this list.

If you already have a website, it’s a good practice to have an opt-in form that is easily accessible for people to subscribe to you. But in order to make people sign up, you have to give them an incentive to do so. This could mean you have great content that the viewers want to follow, resources that they can use or discounts and offers that might be of interest to them. See what you can lure them with in order to sign up with you.

Decide on frequency

Now that you have a list, you want to decide on how often you will be sending out these emails. Depending on your business and your ability to commit, pen down the dates on the calendar and create content accordingly.

The emails can vary from general updates to marketing offers and upcoming events or a business related announcement. A good practice is to limit your marketing emails to bimonthly or monthly. Any sooner that this might result in subscribers opting out.

Send out your Campaign

Email Marketing is a great way to reach straight to your prospective customer’s inbox – but doesn’t mean it will ALWAYS be read. Which is why it is important to keep it simple and and on point with a clear Call to Action.

Limit the amount of text and make the layout easy to view
Make it relevant to the viewer to generate interest which is more likely to increase sales.
Maintain a consistent brand identity to increase recall value and build trust
Make it responsive for easy access across smart gadgets

Check your results

Sending the email is one half of the job done, understanding how people react to your emails is the other. It’s important to understand who is viewing your emails and what are they looking at. This can be done through google analytics or directly through email marketing softwares and is a great way to optimise your campaigns as per the needs of your readers.

You can view who saw your campaign, what they clicked, if they shared your campaign and even those that didn’t respond. Once you’ve sent out a few campaigns you will be able to see a pattern and can respond accordingly to achieve your business goals.

Filter through the crowd

Lastly, don’t be disheartened if people start to unsubscribe to your emails – This is a good way to filter out those who don’t desire your products / services and concentrates your database to your desired demographic. It’s better to have a healthy list of subscribers who want to hear from you rather than those who skim or skip through everything.

We hope some of these ideas help you kick off your New Year on the right track. Leave us a comment below and tell us how you are going to help your business grow this year.

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