What is email marketing and how does it work? Email marketing does not mean pitch, pitch and then pitch some more. It is the use of emails to build relationships with potential new clients as well as to promote products and services that your potential clients would find appealing.
It has become an essential tool for businesses these days. Not just online marketers but large corporations also see the benefit of this type of marketing. When was the last time you were in a Bath and Bodyworks or Macy’s and did not get asked for your email address?
Before answering questions about email marketing, maybe we should first address the statement of whether email marketing still works. I hear it all the time “Does email marketing still work?” The short answer is YES! Yes, people receive too much email. Yes, they like to complain about it. And Yes, they still check their email multiple times a day. Email conversion is still super high.
Unlike social media marketing which has a very short shelf life, email marketing lingers. The fact is that your email will stay sitting in their email box until they actually click the delete or archive button. And as part of the process of deleting that email, even if they don’t open it you still get visibility because they see your name over and over again.
Email marketing also gives you easy access to mobile marketing since most people use their phones to check social media, messaging, and email throughout the day. The great thing about email marketing is that there is no formatting requirements or changes that require you to be super techy.
So, how can you use email marketing in your business?
First you have to build a list of email addresses. Preferably a list of permission based email addresses which means those contacts have given you permission to email them.
For more ideas on how to build your list check out “5 Ways to Grow Your Email List With Free Stuff”
Then once you have people to email, you should begin with what we call a nurture campaign. This is a series of emails that go out over a 5 to 20 day period that are designed to help your new friend build a trusting relationship with you. These emails should have amazing content. The kind of content that leaves the prospect wondering how great your paid stuff is if your free stuff is this good.
For more information about the content of those emails check out the following blog post “Email Marketing Campaigns: What to Mail”
I hope that you are now clear about what email marketing is. The bigger question for you is what email will you send out to your list today?
