A Step by Step Guide into What it Takes to Run an Effective and Efficient Email Marketing Campaign & Strategy
As a newcomer to the world of email marketing, you may be intrigued by what it has to offer your business, but feel that you need a firm grasp of the basics before diving into an email marketing strategy or campaign head on.
In Part 1 of this blog series, I have included a brief answer to each question below, as well as a corresponding blog article that addresses all aspects of the specific question in further detail. This information is intended to equip you with the insight you need in order to make informed, strategic marketing decisions that will take your email marketing campaigns to the next level. All questions lacking a corresponding blog article will be discussed in more depth in Part 2 of this series. From “what is email marketing” to “how can I measure email marketing success,” you will know the ins and outs of email marketing and how you can generate mass exposure of your product or service offerings.
1. What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a digital direct marketing platform that sends a commercial message to a select group of recipients. Feel free to refer to a recently published blog article, “What Is Email Marketing,” for a more thorough description of how it works. While Facebook is great for reviving old social connections and maintaining contact with your current social circle, and Twitter is geared more toward live status updates, email is the most professional marketing channel to communicate your brand message to your existing customers or potential leads.
2. What is the difference between email marketing and spam?
Abiding by the Can Spam Act means that you are marketing to fully optin data, consisting of those who have agreed to receive promotional emails. Once you cross the line and send any type of commercial message to those who have not signed up to receive offers related to their interests, you are guilty of unsolicited bulk email (UBE), better known as SPAM.
3. What is the purpose of email marketing?
It’s a cost-effective tool for businesses to drive traffic to their websites, to send promotional offerings or newsletters, and to maintain a loyal following with their existing customer base. Research shows that approximately 72 percent of people check their email more than 6 times daily. Therefore, it’s really no surprise that an overwhelming majority of the population prefer to receive permission-based commercial messages via email.
4. What are the benefits of email marketing?
Launching an email marketing campaign means that you have complete control over your message and the ability to customize it according to your company’s marketing objective. This, along with the ability to track your results in real-time as well as email marketing’s cost-effective appeal, make it one of the most attractive platforms to reach out to new or existing customers. Each of these three primary benefits of email marketing is described in detail in the blog article entitled, “Why Email Marketing Delivers.”
5. Is email marketing right for my business?
Not all marketing platforms are suitable for each and every industry or field of work. Depending on what line of business you are involved with, you must research your options to determine what combination of marketing channels will work together best to create a seamless experience for your customer. In “Which Marketing Platform is Right for Your Business,” you will be introduced to the seven most popular media platforms utilized by top brands as well as small and medium businesses alike.
6. What are the different types of email marketing?
Email marketing is not a “one-size fits all” concept. Understanding the Different Types of Email Marketing will broaden your horizons and will help you comprehend the innumerable ways that you can relay your message to the masses. Exercising all types of email marketing to either first party or third party data will enable your business to maximize its outreach potential and take full advantage of the benefits of email marketing.
7. How should I collect email addresses?
There’s two ways to collect email addresses: the right way and the wrong way. By following these Tips for Building a High Quality Email List and Newsletter Following, you can be rest assured that you are going about collecting email addresses the right way. If you take the seemingly “easier” or “more economical” route by purchasing lists that consist primarily of co-reg data, prepare to get blacklisted or labeled as a spammer.
If you truly need more reasons NOT to buy lists available on the open market, read the following blog article: “Email Marketing Rule #1: Beware of Co-Reg Data.”
8. What steps do I need to take to launch an email marketing campaign?
Perhaps the most important question to ask is, “Should you use a Professional Email Marketing Company or do it yourself?” Oftentimes, it takes the help of professionals in the industry to guide you in the best practices and help you deliver results. If you choose this option, it is important to do your research beforehand and check out all of the players in the game. Most reputable Email Marketing Companies will offer a full, turn-key solution to accommodate those that lack the manpower or experience to properly manage and execute everything involved in an ongoing email campaign. A Managed Email Marketing Service typically includes the planning and development stages of your email creative, the execution and deployment of your campaign, and managing deliverability.
9. What are the main factors that contribute to a successful email marketing campaign?
There is really no Big Mystery Behind Effective Email Marketing. This blog article outlines four major components that can be attributed to delivering a successful campaign: quality data, quality IP addresses, having your DNS setup properly, and delivering a quality creative with captivating, non-spammy subject lines. If all four of these items are in check, then you can focus your attention on crafting an aesthetically appealing creative offer and an informative and relevant landing page.
10. How can I measure email marketing success?
As discussed previously, one of the benefits of email marketing is its real-time tracking capabilities that allow you to view the number of emails sent, the number of emails delivered and opened, and the number of click-throughs to your website. However, you can’t rely solely on these metrics to gauge the success of your email marketing campaign. The blog article entitled, “Your Email Marketing Campaign Metrics Are Fooling You” will uncover how you can truly measure your email marketing success.
Overwhelmed yet? Or hungry for more?
Feel free to Contact Us with any questions, as it is never too late to begin again and find the right email marketing company to partner with and lead the way.