Detail Guide on Email Marketing for Small Business

Does email marketing still work in 2022? Can email marketing for small businesses prove beneficial?

The answer is obviously, yes! Even in 2022, 70% of US citizens will prefer connecting via email marketing. So, clearly, it’s time to move forward from all those theories against email marketing and set a well-thought-out email marketing strategy for your business. 

Okay. Don’t stress about how to start planning. In this article, I will discuss an in-depth overview of email marketing, the best email marketing tools, email marketing strategies that actually work, the importance of using them, and more. 

So, why wait? Let’s dive right in.

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is a form of marketing that uses email to advertise products or services. Every email sent to a new or existing customer serves the purpose of email marketing to be precised. This strategy is considered a key component of inbound marketing strategies due to its high ROI.

Email marketing is regarded as a strong marketing tool because of its quick, easy, and cost-efficient approach to engaging with leads. Also, it serves as a key component for lead generation and, most importantly, nurturing the leads to turn into conversions. 

7 Best Email Marketing Tools that Can Change Your Marketing Game

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is one of the popular tools for email marketing. It comes with some great features, like automation, a drag-and-drop email builder, and advanced segmentation. You can easily integrate MailChimp with platforms like WordPress, Magento, Shopify, and many others.

Key Features

• Reports & analytics
• Marketing CRM
• Transactional Email
• Mobile App
• Send Time Optimization

Price: Basic Plan is Free.

SendinBlue

SendinBlue packs some excellent features like automation, integration, and segmentation. It also has a rich CRM section. You can schedule a custom workflow to send your email automatically.

Key Features

• Marketing automation
• Open & Click-through Reports
• Segmentation
• Email heat map
• A/B testing

Price: Basic Plan is Free.

Moosend

Moosend will be your favorite platform if you are looking for email personalization. Its advanced personalization features help you create content that draws attention to your email list. Additionally, it offers features like cart abandonment emails, personalized products, and weather-based recommendations.

Key Features

• Marketing automation
• Subject Line A/B Testing
• AI Subject Line Optimizer
• Countdown Timers
• List Segmentation

Price: Pro plan starts at $9/month.

MailerLite

One of the special features that makes MailerLite unique is its three editors for campaign creation. It has a drag-and-drop editor, a rich text editor, and HTML editor. Also, its monetization tools enable you to sell digital goods or integrate eCommerce sites. 

So, building, marketing, and selling, all done on the same platform. 

Key Features

• Marketing automation
• Newsletter editors
• Automation
• Paid newsletter subscriptions
• E-commerce integration 

Price: Basic Plan is Free.

HubSpot

Hubspot is known as an “all-in-one marketing platform” because of its combination of email marketing, automation workflows, a website builder, CRM, and others. Also, it comes with all the robust features you might expect from a professional-level email marketing platform, e.g., send time optimization, drip campaigns, specific performance analytics, and more. 

Key Features

• Lead generation
• Knowledge base
• Drag-and-drop editor
• SEO recommendations
• Data sync

Price: Basic plan is free. 

Omnisend

Omnisend is an omnichannel marketing automation technology recognized for its extensive free email marketing plans. Features include pre-built automation workflows, A/B testing, performance metrics, subscriber segmentation, SMS and web push alerts etc.

Key Features

• Pre-built E-commerce Workflows
• Drag & Drop Automation Editor
• Automation Splits
• Sales Dashboard
• Advanced Reporting 

Price: Basic plan is free. 

Convertkit

ConvertKit offers high-quality features as a professional email marketing service. A special feature includes easy content upgrades and incentives with email signup forms. They offer email-related support and extensive knowledge-based materials. 

Key Features

• Email Designer
• Automations
• Integrations
• Creator Pro
• Feature overview 

Price: Basic plan is free.

Effective Email Marketing Strategies to Boost Your ROI

To say email marketing’s only functionality is for displaying and selling products will narrow its area. Successful email marketing creates bonds. It strengthens your relationship with your customer. So, what if email marketing is done poorly? Well, just open your junk/spam folder.

You need an email marketing funnel to create a successful campaign. To do so, you can follow these email marketing strategies and tips- 

Develop an Email-List

You will need an email list before sending an email. One of the most effective ways to create an email list is to implement a sign-up form on your website, and social media pages. Make sure the sign-up form is simple, contains a catchy headline, and asks for email only.

You can place email signup forms on new subscribers’ registration forms. It will give you a list of users who are actually interested. You can implement your email forms on highly visited areas of your website, and social media pages to get the maximum exposure.  

Choose Email Types that Deliver a Clear Message 

Many campaign emails go straight to the spam/junk folder because they are not clear enough for their intended purpose. You should always create an email that conveys a clear message.

Your email type depends on your business type. You can send these emails: 

• Promotions emails for new product releases or sales.
• Greetings for holidays, special events.
• Email Newsletter.
• Vouchers or coupons for existing customers.

The subject line of an email is an important aspect to keep in mind. A short, unique subject line boosts the email open rate. I would recommend you use a simple one-liner subject that contains around 6 – 8 words, 

Designing Email and Content

Once you build up an email list and choose the email type, you will need to design it. This is an important part, as your viewers will simply glance at it to decide whether or not to read it.

“Less is more” Simply keep this in mind while designing the email and its content. The design should be minimalistic. It should get rid of unnecessary details and stop being lengthy. 

Once you design your email, then it comes to creating content. It’s difficult to write a message that will get everyone’s attention. The most efficient method to create this kind of niche content is to break your email list into separate groups. You can break down your groups based on the following criteria:

• The customers who read your emails and those who never opened an email
• Loyal customers, VIPs
• Demographics like location and gender
• Purchase history

Make it Mobile-Friendly

We spend a huge amount of our time browsing on our mobile devices. The same goes for your target audience. Your emails are most likely to be deleted if their components are not mobile-friendly enough. 

Mobile devices’ screens are smaller. Emails will therefore be well-received if they include text, photos, and other visuals that match the readers’ screens. CTA buttons need to be specific enough for readers to press them without difficulty.

Evaluate the Performance Once You Send the Emails

Once you optimize and send your email, it’s time to check the reaction to it. Evaluating email performance is always necessary to apply the right tactics and measure the success of your campaign. 

Here is the good news! Unlike other digital marketing channels, email provides an enormous amount of data. Some of the most important insights are the open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate. You can analyze this data to improve your future campaigns.

Different Types of Email Marketing 

Let’s check out some of the most commonly used types of email marketing that you can design as per your requirements: 

Welcome Email

Well, the name pretty much says it all. Now that you have a subscriber, it’s time to build a connection from scratch. You can offer a personal introduction and the vision of your company instead of promoting your product and sales.

Newsletter Email

Many refer to email newsletters as the core of the email marketing strategy. Why? How else could your target audience hear from you on a regular basis? You can tailor your newsletter to your specific intent. 

It might be fostering a relationship with a current customer or drawing new customers through attractive content sharing. A short, straightforward email with a brief introduction, an image combined with a headline, and a CTA will encourage your reader to read more.

Standalone/Dedicated Email

Dedicated emails largely focus on a single event. For instance, you might want to send dedicated emails about an upcoming event only to those who have registered. Dedicated emails assist in setting the context to present the main call-to-action button. 

Email for Lead nurturing

Email promotions come in many forms. They could be created to advertise a variety of items, including special deals on services or marketing materials like blog articles, e-books, etc. You can minimize the time and effort by sending these emails through an automated system.

Email for Re-Engagement

There will be some customers who haven’t purchased from you in a while. They are the perfect fit for re-engagement mail. You can contact them by mail, saying you remember them, here is a coupon for them, or you can simply ask them for feedback on their previous experience. 

Importance of Email Marketing for Small Business

Whether it’s email marketing for a small business or a giant company, it can have huge potential if done correctly. Let’s check out why email marketing is important for small businesses – 

Email Marketing Gives Measurable Results

The majority of email marketing platforms inform you what happens once an email campaign is sent out. You can monitor all aspects, like delivery, click-through, unsubscribe, etc. It helps you understand which email campaigns to modify or ignore based on how well they are performing.

Higher Conversion On Mobile Devices

67.1% of people on this planet use mobile phones! Yes. You heard it right. This plays an important role for marketing. A well-optimized email boosts the chances of getting clicks and higher conversion rates from mobile users.

Cost Effective

Unlike many other marketing tactics, email marketing offers a significant amount of ROI. Studies have shown that businesses received $36 in return for every dollar they spent on email marketing. So, email marketing for small businesses or giant ones can benefit if done correctly.

Boosts Brand Awareness

Nothing shows the solid interest of a customer who enters their email address on your email form. Email marketing satisfies that interest level, and brand awareness by the remaining top of mind. Hence, this gives you an edge in gaining customer trust and loyalty.

Stay Connected with Your Customers

Customers love to stay connected. Email is the most convenient way, as your customer can check their email in their free time. A simple email like “We remember you, here is a coupon for you” can make them smile and inspire them to purchase from you again.  

Enables Targeting Audience

Lead nurturing is greatly aided by email marketing. Your potential customer can get stuck at different stages of the buying cycle. You can create a buyer persona to understand what types of content you should create for them. Then you can segment them into different lists and send them emails containing the information they need to proceed. 

Conclusion

Despite the rumors you have heard about email marketing, it is one of the most effective marketing strategies available today. Email marketing for small businesses can show remarkable results if implemented properly. 

So, this is it. In this article, we have learned about email marketing platforms, their usage, and the benefits of email marketing for small businesses. I hope this will help your business grow. Good luck!