Email Marketing for Small Businesses

It is true, email is no new, flashy technology – in fact, it is almost half a century old. Email’s businesses-savvy younger sister, email marketing, is an equally established practice. Nothing new to see here. So what’s the big fuss?

Although all email marketing isn’t groundbreaking, its role in the marketer’s toolbox is constantly evolving and even predicted to grow significantly in 2017.  Email marketing is stronger and smarter than ever, and is now being used to deliver even more tailored content to the right users at the right time.

We are here help you and your small business navigate the changing world of email marketing and improve your own email practices. And with no further ado, we present: 7 tips and tricks to help you maximize your emails this year.

1. Make it Easy to Register

We mentioned this in our last blog post about 2017 marketing trends: If your customers want to sign up to get your emails – make it easy! They won’t spend more than a couple of seconds on your website looking for the button. Not only should it be easy to find, but also as simple as possible! Giving an option to register with a social media account such as Facebook makes subscribing even more painless.

2. Find a Balance

On one hand, it is very important not to spam up your customer’s inbox. You will very quickly find yourself in the junk mail folder, screaming into empty cyber space where no one is listening. On the other hand, it is equally important to keep a steady and relevant stream of emails to your subscriber. Make it not only a staple they expect, but something they look forward to.

3. Optimize for Mobile

In 2016, over 55% of emails were read on mobile and this number is set to rise in 2017. We have said it before, and we will say it again, mobile-friendly materials are critical for survival. This is as relevant with email as it is with your website.

 4. Make Your Emails Scanner-Friendly 

We love visuals. Videos are great too! Don’t expect your subscribers to ready every word, in fact, plan on the fact that they won’t. Like any good marketing material, the important information should pop out to the viewer as the they scan your email.

5. Provide value, not just sales pitches

Give your subscribers a reason to come back and read more. No one wants to be constantly bombarded with sales pitches – even if they love the brand. Email should be about offering information that will be useful and relevant to your customers. Yes, you should also include promotional information but keep it around 20% of the total content.

 6. Monitor Results

Don’t just send emails into cyber space and forget about them! Make sure to monitor the results: email open rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate, conversion rate etc. Try different tactic and see what works best for you and your users.

 7. Don’t Hide the Unsubscribe Button

It may seem like a good way to keep people on your list, but in reality if someone does not want to read your email he won’t. Better that they unsubscribe than send you to spam. However, in order for this not to happen – go back and read up on #5!

Now that you have an idea of where email marketing is headed in 2017 and how you can utilize it for the success of your business, it is time for you to start sending some powerful email marketing this year! The Solomoto team wishes you every success!