Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Luckily for you, it only takes four steps for you to get to grips with it. Let’s take a look at these four steps.
1 – Email Marketing Software
First of all, you need good email marketing software. It should be able to collect various email addresses, send messages to these addresses, have an auto-response ready, collate statistics and more. There are hosted and self-hosted software packages out there. Self-hosted should only be used by those who have significant technical skills, which is why most would choose hosted options. Pay attention to what the delivery rate is and what sort of features are offered through the system. Most good options will cost you around $20 per month, which is a fair price.
2 – Getting People to Subscribe
Once you have your software in place, you need to create a sign up page for visitors. The majority of hosted packages have a template that you can use for this. All you will need to do is paste a HTML or JavaScript code that is provided on your website. Place your subscription options at the top of the sidebar of your webpage, but also at the bottom of individual spots. This is because these are the most visible areas of your website. The one at the bottom of posts is the most effective, particularly if your text is interesting and includes a call to action. Also consider offering an incentive for signing up, such as a freebie or a discount. A good freebie is an eBook on a subject relevant to your niche.
3 – Build Relationships
If you want to create a valuable email list, you need to make sure it is big and that it is responsive. Hence, you have to focus on more than just getting new subscriptions, but also build relationships with those who are already subscribed. If you don’t, your messages will quickly be deleted. In order to do this, you have to make sure your content is of the highest quality. Make sure you utilize your auto-responder to its fullest potential. The first message that is sent automatically should be a welcome message, as well as a link to the freebie you have offered. A few days later, send a second email with some useful information on your niche. Think about problem solving tips, new tools, special offers, promotions and so on. A week later, send another email just like the second one. The first three emails are really important, because it will leave people feeling excited about a next email you will send later. In fact, if you don’t get this part right, you will find many people will quickly unsubscribe from your list.
4 – Promoting Your Products
If you have followed the three email steps, you should have a reasonable relationship with your customer. Hence, it is time to start pushing your own stuff forward. Now is when you start telling them about our own items, make affiliate offers or post things on your blog. Don’t overload your customers, however, as they will quickly lose interest if you do.