The average person checks their email at least 20 times a day. In fact, consumers and marketers claim email is their preferred form of communication. Over 70% of marketers say emailing is their best digital channel for ROI.

In fact, for every one dollar spent on email marketing, you’ll get an ROI of $42.

What is email marketing, exactly, and how can you create a successful email marketing campaign? What are the benefits of emailing customers?

Keep reading to find out! In this guide, we’ll review everything you need to know before developing your email marketing strategy. Then, you can start reaching customers, generating business, and boosting your ROI.

Set yourself up for success! Get started with this guide to a successful email strategy today!

What is Email Marketing?

First, let’s answer the question that’s likely on your mind: what is email marketing?

With an email marketing strategy, you can nurture leads before converting them into paying customers. Emails allow you to promote your business or products and guide people through the customer journey.

For example, you can start your email marketing campaign with a welcome email. The welcome email will:

• Tell people who you are and what you can do for them
• Tell consumers what to expect now that they’re part of your email list
• Highlight some of your best content 
• Prompt them to follow you on social media
• Offer a coupon as a thank you for subscribing 

You can determine what content you’ll show based on your goals.

There are three types of emails to consider creating:

• The transactional email, which can include invoices and receipts
• A relational email, which includes product updates, weekly newsletters, and content emails
• Promotional emails, which drive sales

Your email marketing strategy will likely start on your website.

There, you can prompt visitors to subscribe to an email list. You might want to use a lead magnet, or incentive. Consumers are more likely to offer their email in exchange for a coupon or downloadable content.

Then, you can compel them to subscribe to your email list using a rousing call-to-action.

As you build your email list, you can continue reaching customers through a drip campaign. A drip campaign will keep your business top-of-mind with consumers. They’ll see the value you have to offer and return to your website to shop!

You can also use email marketing for:

• Brand awareness
• Website traffic
• Customer engagement
• Direct sales
• Referral marketing
• Customer acquisition
• Customer retention
• Reactivation

You can use an email marketing campaign to turn one-time customers into repeat business. Your ROI will then rise!  

The Benefits

What are the benefits of a successful email marketing campaign?

For starters, it’s a great way to reach on-the-go customers. In fact, over 50% of US cellphone owners check their emails from a phone.

Emails are free for the consumer, while they might incur a charge through text marketing. You can also create eye-catching, branded emails, while a text might look plain.

You can use emails to keep your customers up-to-date. It’s an easy way to connect with your customers. In fact, almost 30% of shoppers subscribe to emails to stay informed.

Email coupons can drive your in-store and online sales, too. About 65% of consumers say email coupons are important.

You can use emails to boost your sales and ROI.

It’s easy to customize and integrate emails with other marketing tactics, too. For example, you can personalize emails to better connect with customers. 

Here are a few email marketing campaign statistics to keep in mind:

• Email marketing has an average of 4,400% ROI
• Welcome emails have an average open rate of 82%
• We receive about 102.6 trillion emails a year
• Almost 50% of customers want to receive promotional emails weekly from their favorite brands
• More than half of us check our emails before doing anything else online

Beyond that, email marketing is also cost-effective. You can reach a broad audience while spending pennies per message.

Developing an Email Marketing Strategy

Before you develop your email marketing strategy, start by segmenting your email list. Segmentation will help you personalize your emails. You can segment buyer personas based on:

• Buying behaviors
• Interests
• Hobbies
• Pain points
• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Household income
• Language

For example, you might use website analytics to determine what products a consumer was looking at on your website. Then, you can group those consumers and send them emails relevant to their product interests.

Consider working with an experienced digital marketing agency. They can help you develop a strong email marketing campaign. They’ll also have the tools you need, including an email platform.

Once they help you segment your lists, they’ll help you craft your emails. An effective email includes a:

• Compelling subject line
• A proper greeting
• Proper grammar and spelling
• Eye-catching, branded visuals
• Personalized copy
• A strong call-to-action
• Device optimization

Before rushing to create an email marketing campaign, you need a plan. What do you want to accomplish with your emails? Do you want to increase traffic to your website or boost sales?

Your goal will determine how you customize your emails. Then, you can make data-driven decisions.

It’s also important to create branded emails. Brand consistency can help boost awareness and recognition. Otherwise, consumers might not associate your emails with your website. 

A/B Testing

Your marketing team can also A/B test your emails. Testing your emails will help them determine what content boosts engagement. Then, they can make more informed decisions with future campaigns.

Your digital marketing team can analyze your data to determine:

• What call-to-action compels readers to take actions
• Which photos attract readers
• What subject lines boost your open rates
• What time is best for sending emails

Monitoring your campaigns will help them continue making improvements. Then, you can generate more conversions to boost your ROI. 

What is Email Marketing?: Your Guide to Nurturing and Engaging Customers

To recap, what is email marketing? It’s your opportunity to boost sales and improve your ROI! With an email marketing strategy, you can continue nurturing and engaging customers.

Consumers will return to your website, helping you drive actions and retain long-term customers.

Want to get started with your first campaign? We’re here to help. 

Contact us to discuss your marketing needs with a member of our team today.