Email Marketing That Works

Josue Sierra is a digital marketing leader. He has over 15 years of experience leading businesses large and small in implementing effective digital marketing, including email marketing. You can learn more on his blog, www.josuesierra.net or via twitter @jmsierra. You can also get phone consulting at https://clarity.fm/josuesierra.

WHY USE EMAIL TO MARKET YOUR SMALL BUSINESS??

Lower cost than postcard or regular mailing.
Quicker turn around time to get message out. (no waiting for print shop, etc.)
You can test, measure and track results!
You can target and personalize better!
It is a more effective tool for building & maintaining customer relationship

I’m going to share my biggest career-driving secret to being a digital marketing expert. Google it!

It’s also amazingly cost-effective. With an ROI of around 4,300% (according to the Direct Marketing Association), when done right, email practically pays for itself.

It’s what you use when you want to move from “conversation to commerce.”

Email marketing is most effective when paired with a functional website, whether there is an eCommerce component to it or not. But, it can also be effectively used to drive sales for traditional BRICK & MORTAR operation.

1) Email marketing yields an average 4,300% return on investment for businesses in the United States. (Direct Marketing Association)
2) Companies using email to nurture leads generate 50% more sales-ready leads and at 33% lower cost. And nurtured leads, on average, produce a 20% increase in sales opportunitiescompared to non-nurtured leads. (Hubspot)
3) Small business owners estimate that getting an extra hour in their day back from doing their own email marketing (and other activities) is worth $273/hour. (Constant Contact)
4) For every $1 spent on email marketing, the average return on investment is $44.25. (ExactTarget)
5) Marketers consistently ranked email as the single most effective tactic for awareness, acquisition, conversion, and retention. (Gigaom Research)

Good email content is an extension of your business, and deepens your relationship with your audience through effective subject line writing (getting your messages opened), your distinctive voice (getting those messages read), and delivering quality, niche specific content your prospect needs and shares with others (inspiring referrals and word-of-mouth).

5 Steps to Get Started:

Decide on an email service provider Test a couple out for a month. See which one is easier.
Set up your email list. You can collect emails at your physical store, and type them in!
Decide how often you will send. Consider your time and availability to create valuable content that will be well received.
Set up your Email Creative (template). Use provided templates!! Don’t hire a local designer – they probably won’t know how to code it right.
Send your first marketing email. Don’t forget to be personable and real.

Reasons why I like MailChimp over other services:

Better cost (free) to get you started with no pressure to get a return on investment.
Better integration with WordPress (plugins)
Great measuring tools and the ability to do AB testing. *
Solid templates and designs for you to get started with. *
Solid deliverability rates. *

30 day free trial, and $19 a month for under 500 emails.

Better deliverability rate. Companies like MailChimp make sure your emails get to the inbox, and not the spam folder.

Trying to send marketing emails from your own email account, even if it is a business email account, will result in your domain being listed as a spammer, etc.

ESP will help you comply with SPAM regulations, and guide you in following best practices.

5 Steps to Get Started:

Decide on an email service provider Test a couple out for a month. See which one is easier.
Set up your email list. You can collect emails at your physical store, and type them in!
Decide how often you will send. Consider your time and availability to create valuable content that will be well received.
Set up your Email Creative (template). Use provided templates!! Don’t hire a local designer – they probably won’t know how to code it right.
Send your first marketing email. Don’t forget to be personable and real.

Be an expert & Helpful: Write about a helpful service or product that you are an expert at and make it into a PDF available upon newsletter subscription (ie. 10-Step Guide to... 5 Ways to Improve…)
Advertise yourself Offline: Through print advertising promote the value of your newsletters and point the URL to your signup page.
Strong Website Call-to-Actions: Have prominent areas on your site that allow users to either instantly provide their email address or link to a newsletter signup page.
Social Media: Promote the value of your newsletters on Twitter, Facebook, and Linked-in with direct links to your signup page.

Building your list is about being intentional about asking to connect and stay in touch with your customers, and giving them a reason to say yes.

Good incentives: - Discounts, pre-sales, event invites.
- Compelling, relevant content that is fun to read.
Helpful, useful tools and tips relevant to their lifestyle or interests.

5 Steps to Get Started:

Decide on an email service provider Test a couple out for a month. See which one is easier.
Set up your email list. You can collect emails at your physical store, and type them in!
Decide how often you will send. Consider your time and availability to create valuable content that will be well received.
Set up your Email Creative (template). Use provided templates!! Don’t hire a local designer – they probably won’t know how to code it right.
Send your first marketing email. Don’t forget to be personable and real.

These are the reasons people will UNSUBSCRIBE from your emails. Keep them in mind as you plan, and you’ll ensure better success!

5 Steps to Get Started:

Decide on an email service provider Test a couple out for a month. See which one is easier.
Set up your email list. You can collect emails at your physical store, and type them in!
Decide how often you will send. Consider your time and availability to create valuable content that will be well received.
Set up your Email Creative (template). Use provided templates!! Don’t hire a local designer – they probably won’t know how to code it right.
Send your first marketing email. Don’t forget to be personable and real.

Email Marketing That Works