Do you want to increase conversions and return on investment? One way you can do that is through email marketing. We reached out to Lindsey, our Head of Marketing Operations and one of our email marketing experts here at Trellis to walk us through it.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is the act of sending a commercial message to a group of people, i.e. leads or customers. This is done to convey a particular message, such as an update about your business, a sale on your product or to notify them about a new blog post. The core purpose is to add value to your database.
Why is email marketing important to your brand?
Email marketing is a cost-effective, subtle, and constant reminder that your business is still there. It can be as simple as your brand name showing up in somebody's inbox or triggering reminders and affecting the decisions your customers make.
The beauty of emails is that you can do so much with them. You can send a plain text email and include the message you want to convey.
Alternatively, your email could be filled with animations and graphics - you can personalise them to fit your brand identity, goals, and target audience. With certain channels, it can be quite difficult to interact directly with the people you need to reach. Still, by utilising email marketing, you can target people you know are already engaged, via their email addresses.
How can email marketing fuel your overall marketing strategy?
Email marketing can be used during any stage of the customer journey. However, it is most effective during the consideration and decision stages, because it allows you to send content to help your potential customers make a decision about getting in touch with you or making a purchase. At those stages, email marketing can be a better promotion for your business than a social media post, as this is usually most effective during the awareness stage.
With an email marketing tool, you can track exactly who has engaged with your emails (by opening them, clicking on links, or contacting you) and who hasn’t. This allows you to assign those who committed to an ‘automated funnel’ that continues to nurture them down to the decision stage. At that stage, you can send promotional offers related to your products or services to give them that final push to convert.
What are some dos and donts of email marketing?
Take time to consider your subject line. For example, if you’re sending out a newsletter, try to steer away from calling it a “July newsletter”. Instead, attempt to entice your customers by using a subject line which looks personalised for them, but also gives a better insight into what the email contains.
If you’re sending a promotional email, go with something like “Here’s a gift for you - 25% off on us!”. Customers are much savvier now to marketing techniques and can see right through email subject lines that are purely clickbait. But, this doesn’t mean that they should be boring either! Try to find a happy medium.
People don’t have a lot of time to read long, text-heavy emails, so make them short and sweet. Try not to include more than one key message, along with up to three supporting messages, to keep people focused on what you’re trying to say. Your email should have no more than two links to a blog or post which will include more information, so you’re not detracting too much attention away from your message/offer.
Lastly, where relevant, you should include social proof in your emails. Social proof includes things like testimonials, case studies or reviews, which prove to your potential customers that others trust you to provide the products or services you’re offering. This can be extremely powerful, as people can be very driven by reviews when it comes to making a purchase.
How can I start email marketing?
At Trellis, we are experts at inbound marketing, and email marketing is an integral piece of the puzzle. We’re ready to help you craft your bespoke email marketing strategy. Visit our website to find out which packages we offer to suit your needs.
Not sure where to start? Talk to our team for a consultation on all things email.
