Email Marketing for Small Businesses

It is true that email is no new or 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 most email marketing isn’t groundbreaking, its role in the marketer’s toolbox is constantly evolving and was 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 recent 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 Good Balance

On the one hand, it is very important not to spam up your customer’s inbox, or you may very quickly find yourself in the junk mail folder and screaming into empty cyberspace where no one is listening. On the other hand, it is equally important to provide a steady and relevant stream of emails to your subscribers. Make your newsletters to your followers 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 devices and this number was predicted to rise in 2017. We have said it before, and we will say it again, mobile-friendly content is critical for survival in today’s workforce. This is as relevant with email as it is with your website or products.

 4. Make Your Emails Scanning-Friendly 

We as consumers simply love visuals. Videos are great too! Don’t expect your subscribers to ready every word you put out there, in fact, take into account that they most likely won’t. Like any good marketing content, the most important information should pop out to the viewer as they scan your email. Whether it is using a large font size, bold font, italics or even the placement of the content, there are many creative ways to ensure your subscribers digest the crucial information you aim to share.

5. Provide Value, Not Just Sales Pitches

Give your subscribers a reason to come back to your website, blog or newsletter and read more. No one wants to be constantly bombarded with sales pitches – even if they love the brand. Emails 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 at most.

6. Monitor Results

Don’t just send emails into cyberspace and forget about them! Make sure to monitor the results, including your email open rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate, conversion rate and other metrics. Try different tactics and see what works best for you and your users.

7. Don’t Hide the Unsubscribe Button

It may seem like an easy way to keep people on your list, but in reality if people don’t want to read your email, then they won’t. It is better that they unsubscribe from your mailing list rather than report you as spam and send your emails to their junk folder. However, the best solution is to prevent this from happening in the first place. In order to keep your readers engaged and avoid high unsubscribe rates, return to step 5 and make sure you are getting it right.

8. DEFINE A POWERFUL AND PRECISE CALL TO ACTION

Let your subscribers know what their next move should be and why. Define exactly what you want them to do and make sure they understand how they will benefit from taking said action. Instructing your audience will often provoke an immediate response, and you’ll find yourself with loyal followers and new leads.

Now that you have an idea of where email marketing is headed in the new year and how you can utilize it for the success of your own business, it is time for you to start sending some powerful email marketing content this year.

The Solomoto team wishes you every success.