Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing: 3 Steps to Success

Email marketing is the best way to make a lasting digital connection. With the right strategy, you can capture and convert traffic into real-life customers with a few simple steps. 

If you need convincing that email marketing is a prime way to generate income, keep in mind that for every $1 spent on email marketing $44 is made in return, according to a study by Campaign Monitor. 

People who buy products marketed through email spend 138% more than people who do not receive email offers.

If you’re just starting out with your email list or if you’re managing a brand-new business, you’re in the right place. Let’s figure out where your email list is at, and how to get it growing.

Building Email Marketing Lists

Step One: Choose Your Collection Platform

The very first step in building a following with your email marketing campaigns, is to choose a platform. There are many different providers you can use to start growing your list, but selecting the right platform can be incredibly helpful.

GHOSTWE uses Mailchimp to fire off our email marketing, but other users could benefit from the features that Constant Contact has to offer. Check them both out, but if you’re just starting out, Mailchimp is primo and free!

Step Two: Finding A Lead Magnet

There’s no better way to convert traffic into a growing email list than finding the right lead magnet. 

What’s a lead magnet? It’s incentive. It’s a reason for people to sign up to your email list. Think about your business, your services or products and most importantly, your audience. What types of free content can you offer to your audience? Often times, companies offer eBooks, proposal templates, a webinar, a media one sheet, or an exclusive piece of content in exchange for their email. Customers offer up their email in order to get that free, premium piece of content all the time – it’s just a matter of knowing your audience and curating content to supply their demands.

Put together a brief, eye-catching PDF that offers your client some type of insight within your industry. This PDF could be anything from pointers on developing a marketing strategy, a social media calendar, a branding guide, or whatever it is that suits your services. 

Just grab attention, offer up some goodies and watch your email list explode. But be ready for the next steps, as it’s equally important to know how to manage your email list. 

Managing Your New Email Marketing List

Alright. You’ve snagged interested subscribers – now what? 

It’s time to keep your email subscribers plugged in. Don’t be intimidated by the concept. They’re there for a reason. They willingly subscribed and signed up to what you have to offer. So, connect with your email list and engage with their business. 

Your list will decay over time, but don’t let that get you down. Just make sure to develop a solid content marketing and email marketing strategy and stay committed. 

One of the most important elements to focus on is your subject line. They have an incredible impact on whether or not your potential customer opens that email. Get the subject line right and that’ll make up for a lot of other email marketing mistakes.

If your business uses services like Constant Contact or Mailchimp, you can utilize their A/B subject analytics to see which header draws more audiences in. Not sure how to use those features? Check out our articles on A/B testing email marketing campaigns!

Email Marketing Automation

One of the best aspects of email marketing is the ability to automate engagement. Once a new subscriber enlists in your email marketing list, design a “Welcome” engagement campaign. Once they add an item to their cart, don’t forget to set up a quick “Abandoned Cart” note. While these may seem intrusive to a newly established business-owner, these quick reminders can either make a sale, or wind up in the user’s trash bin. No harm, only the potential to earn.

If you establish an effective email marketing campaign, you’ll more easily acquire active buyers without the extra pitches. 

Done right, an effective email marketing strategy can consistently set your business up for new acquisitions, while minimizing the legwork.