So email marketing….hands up if this is one area you’re currently not maximising in your business?!
The two most common reasons I hear from clients about why they’re not utilising this marketing opportunity is either; a. I don’t have the time or b. It’s too complicated to make it look the way I want.
If you can relate, read on…
01.The Why
Email marketing is one of the single most under-utilised tool within most small to medium sized businesses. With the rampant use of social media to promote product and services, most business owners see this as a better investment of their time, and you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming so. The instant gratification of likes and the reach statistics ensure egos are stroked long enough for you to keep coming back for more. However, as most business owners know the algorithms built within ensure only a small percentage of your followers are actually seeing your posts. And out of those how many are converting into sales?
I’m not saying we should favour one platform over the other. What I am saying ~ is that you need to use both!
What would happen to your business if tomorrow the social media gods deemed to change their operation once again for business? If that algorithm dropped your reach even lower? Or their relationship between paid advertising and organic reach became even tighter?
If you’re not nurturing a database of subscribers for your business, you’re not future proofing or protecting yourself.
Now what if I told you that email marketing as a global statistic, delivered 4x the number of sales as social media. Would you want a slice of that pie?
02.The WHO & The How
First up - think about your subscribers. Are you capturing those, yet not doing a lot with them? Are you incentivising your followers and those who stop by your website, to leave their address so you can follow up with them?
What do I mean? How many websites have you seen that have a pop up offering a 10% code for your first order, or a free download to aid an issue you want to resolve.
Do yourself a favour and don’t think of these as giving away something for nothing. This is a straight up trade.
Have you ever been to an open home and tried to do everything to avoid leaving your contact information? Would your attitude be different if the agent said “leave me your details, I’ll send you a coffee voucher, and if it’s ok with you I’d love to flick you an email to get your thoughts on this house, and maybe find out what you’re looking for”? You might not leave them every time, but that would sweeten the deal right?
It should be no different for your business. You’ve already piqued their interest with what your business offers, now give them a reason to stay connected with you. Nurture them, provide solutions to their problems, wants to their needs.
03.The WHEN
Having a subscriber list no longer has to be a sole-less accumulation of email address, where you blindly send them updates from your business or show them the latest seasonal collections. Make it personal, nurture them from the outset, and show your gratitude.
The easiest way to kick this off with a new subscriber is with a Welcome Sequence, and from there with those who are purchasing from you ~ a Post Purchase Sequence. Let me decode these a little for you;
A Welcome Sequence can consist of ideally 3-5 emails sent between the first 2-4 weeks of someone opting in to your newsletter subscription.
Thanks for Subscribing - include free offer if you’ve advertised one
Welcome - a personal note from you, the business owner. Thank them for leaving their details and set out what you hope you can deliver for them
Credibility - share some reviews, testimonials or customer quotes. Showcase social media posts from real life customers using your product
Soft Sell - create a soft sell by sharing your most popular products, brands or services
Up Sell - create an exclusive offer whether it’s site wide or limited. You’re looking for the key purchase and then an up sell offer to include something complimentary ~ be it a free add on, a combined price or a special discount
A Post Purchase Sequence is your opportunity to Thank them through a similar series of emails offering a combination of information and Soft & Up Sell offers.
And lastly you want to share regular updates from your business about the work you’ve been doing, the information you have to share that’s relevant to their needs or the products available throughout your store.
04.THAT what
So now you have your ideas around who your subscribers are and how you’ll capture them. You know when to email them, but what platform will you use?
As I’m sure you already know, the number one reason why Email Marketing is always pushed to the bottom of a lot of to-do lists is because creating something beautiful, functional and befitting of your brand can be complicated, and as a business owner you don’t have time for complicated! You’ve got your message now let’s get it out there.
There are a large volume of email marketing platforms out there, and they all vary in price and design abilities. Some are functional but lack that wow factor, some are expensive and some are overwhelmingly complicated. But there are some great ones, that even those with no design knowledge can get by on. In the past I’ve been a big fan of Mailchimp, the prices are reasonable, the statistics are reliable and through Photoshop & Canva I can make emails that are both beautiful and functional. The problem is….these can take time and if you’re wanting to DIY your email marketing, these can still take a little time to work around.
Recently I was introduced to Flodesk, and while there are still limitations (by-in large due to the fact that they’re still in a beta development phase) their design, functionality, ease of use and price blow everything else out of the water.
Through their Workflows you’re able to set up to easily set up any number of Email Sequences. You can create Landing Pages with specific offers, In-Line and Pop Up forms for your website and of course regular newsletters to keep your subscribers up to date.
You can limit your need for design time by preloading your logo and your branding colours to easily update any one of their stunning templates or create one from scratch with a simple drag and drop feature.