Content
- Email Marketing Overview
- Why Email Marketing is Necessary
- Myths About Email Marketing
- How to Start Email Marketing
Email Marketing Overview
Email marketing is a strategic process for promoting a company's products and services through emails sent only with the consent of subscribers. This approach is universal and is used in various fields, including B2B, online stores, services, education, web services, entertainment, and even non-profit organizations. Notably, according to Litmus, every dollar invested in email marketing can generate up to $36 in revenue, confirming its high ROI.
One example of effective email marketing is triggered emails, such as notifications about abandoned carts from a charity. Typically, the responsibility for implementing email marketing within a company falls to an email marketer or CRM marketer, who handles building the subscriber database, preparing and sending campaigns, and monitoring their effectiveness.
Why Email Marketing is Necessary
The goals of email marketing extend beyond direct sales. Here are several important functions that emails serve:
- Guiding Customers Through the Sales Funnel: automation allows customers to move through the funnel without the marketer's intervention.
- Order Notifications: transactional emails provide important information about order statuses and delivery times.
- User Education: emails can offer useful tips on how to use the product.
- Re-engaging Inactive Users: email campaigns can remind customers of your brand and encourage repeat purchases.
- Gathering Feedback: emails allow for collecting customer feedback.
- Content Distribution: email can be used to share materials from blogs and other channels.
Despite the attractive ROI figures presented in studies, it's important to note that they primarily pertain to the Western market. In practice with small and medium-sized businesses, ROI values are often observed in the range of 10-20 rubles per invested ruble, providing a more realistic picture of the profitability of this channel.
Myths About Email Marketing
Email marketing is undoubtedly a powerful tool, and its audience comprises approximately 4.5 billion users worldwide, significantly exceeding the number of social media users, such as on Facebook. However, there are many myths surrounding this type of marketing. For example, many believe that email campaigns are outdated and ineffective; however, in practice, they remain one of the most powerful channels for customer engagement.
How to Start Email Marketing
To effectively implement email marketing into your strategy, several key steps must be taken:
- Develop a Strategy: carefully consider who your target audience is, how often you will send emails, and what topics you will cover.
- Build a Subscriber List: email marketing is impossible without subscribers. Use forms on your website, events, and social media to gather contacts.
- Select a Sending Platform: choose an email service provider (ESP) that ensures email deliverability and provides all the necessary tools for working with contacts.
- Understand Sending Platform Rules: knowing the rules will help avoid mistakes and make your email marketing more effective.
- Set Up Technical Aspects: configuring corporate email and DNS records will increase the likelihood of your emails landing in users' "Inbox."
- Create and Send Campaigns: utilize user-friendly builders to create your email and send it to subscribers, ensuring alignment with your strategy.
- Evaluate Effectiveness: analyze open rates and link clicks to optimize future campaigns.
- Maintain Regularity: keep in constant contact with your audience to achieve maximum results.
By following these steps, you can launch a successful email marketing process that will contribute to the growth of your business and strengthen customer relationships.