What is Email Marketing?

A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools for businesses to connect with their audience, drive engagement, and foster long-term relationships. In fact, for every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses get $36 in return. Spending a little money on the software and email creation can remind consumers about your brand, encouraging them to buy. So, what is email marketing, and why does it matter? Let’s dive in.

What is Email Marketing?

At its core, email marketing involves sending commercial messages to a group of people via email. These messages can vary widely in content and purpose, ranging from promotional offers and product updates to newsletters and personalized recommendations. The goal is to communicate with subscribers effectively and encourage desired actions, such as making a purchase, visiting a website, or engaging with content.

Why Email Marketing Matters

Direct Communication

Unlike social media posts or advertisements, emails land directly in the recipient’s inbox, offering a personalized and intimate form of communication. This direct line of contact allows businesses to tailor their messages to specific segments of their audience, increasing relevance and engagement.

Cost-Effective

Compared to traditional marketing channels like print or television ads, email marketing is incredibly cost-effective. With minimal expenses required for design, distribution, and tracking, businesses of all sizes can leverage email marketing to reach their target audience without breaking the bank.

High ROI

As mentioned above, email marketing nets $36 for every $1 spent. This makes it one of the most lucrative marketing strategies available on the market.

Data-Driven Insights

Modern email marketing platforms provide robust analytics and tracking features, allowing businesses to gain valuable insights into subscriber behavior. From open rates and click-through rates to conversion metrics and audience demographics, these insights can enable businesses to refine their strategies and optimize performance over time.

Builds Customer Relationships

Effective email marketing goes beyond promotional content; it’s about building meaningful relationships with subscribers. By delivering valuable content, addressing their needs and preferences, and fostering two-way communication, businesses can cultivate trust and loyalty among their audience.

How to Build Your Email List

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of email marketing, let’s talk about the nitty gritty. How do you get email addresses to send to? 

Don’t Buy Existing Email Lists

The most important rule of email marketing is never buy email lists. Sometimes, you may be tempted to buy a list of emails and send to them unsolicited. People don’t want to hear from companies that they haven’t willingly given their information to. Think about it: when you got an email from a company you didn’t know, what did you do? Best case scenario: you deleted the email and moved on with your day. Worst case? You marked that message as spam. If you get marked as spam too often, this hurts your sender score and can impact your delivery rates.

Use Opt-in Forms on Your Website

An opt-in form prompts a user to input their email address. You can put these strategically on your website, including on the home page, blog posts, and landing pages. Make the subscription process simple and enticing, and clearly communicate the value subscribers will receive by joining your email list.

Offer Incentives

Encourage visitors to subscribe by offering incentives such as discounts, exclusive content, or free resources. Consider creating a lead magnet, such as an ebook, checklist, or webinar, that provides value to your target audience in exchange for their email address.

Social Media Promotion

Leverage your social media channels to promote your email list and encourage followers to subscribe. Share teasers of exclusive content or special offers available only to email subscribers, and provide a clear call-to-action directing users to sign up.

Host Webinars or Events

Hosting webinars, workshops, or virtual events is not only a valuable way to engage your audience, but also an opportunity to collect email addresses. Require attendees to register with their email addresses, and follow up with additional content or offers after the event.

Create a Referral Program

Implement a referral program that rewards existing subscribers for referring new subscribers to your email list. Offer incentives such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive access to premium content to incentives sharing and grow your list organically.

What Should You Include in Your Emails?

Now that you have people to email to, what should you include in your content? Here are the key elements to include in your emails to ensure they are engaging, informative, and effective:

A Clear and Compelling Subject Line

Your subject line is the first thing subscribers see, so make it enticing and relevant to encourage opens. Use action-oriented language, personalization, or curiosity to grab attention and entice recipients to open your email.

Personalized Greeting

Address recipients by their name to create a personalized experience and foster a connection with your audience. A simple “Hi [Name]” adds a touch of familiarity and demonstrates that you value each subscriber individually. It’s simple to add a bit of code to do this automatically with email software like Mailchimp.

Valuable Content

Deliver content that is valuable, relevant, and tailored to the interests and needs of your audience. Whether it’s informative articles, product updates, exclusive offers, or entertaining stories, focus on providing content that resonates with your subscribers and adds value to their lives.

Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Every email should include a clear and compelling call-to-action that prompts recipients to take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, visiting your website, downloading a resource, or engaging with your content. Use actionable language and visually distinct buttons to make your CTA stand out.

Footer with Contact Information and Unsubscribe Link

Every email should include a footer with your contact information, including your company name, physical address, and contact email. Additionally, include an unsubscribe link that allows recipients to opt out of receiving further emails.

You’re Ready to Get Started!

Email marketing can seem scary, but it doesn’t have to be hard. Following the outline above ensures that you create compelling campaigns that resonate with your subscribers, drive action, and achieve your goals.

About the Author

Jessica Kusisto is a copywriter who is obsessed with learning everything she can about marketing. By day, she works for NgageContent — a totally rad inbound marketing agency. By night, you can find her writing for SMB Catapult reading, or relaxing with some trashy reality TV.