3 Steps to Effective Email Marketing

Krista Neher

May 23 2023

3 Steps to Effective Email Marketing

Email is a popular digital marketing tool because it reaches almost everyone, and it is effective at multiple marketing objectives. Beyond creating a clearly defined strategy and execution plan, there are three main stages to effective email marketing:

• Collect email addresses
• Drive opens your emails
• Generate action

Collect Email Addresses

It is not surprising that to send emails, you need to have addresses. Start collecting email addresses as soon as possible in as many places as possible. Over time, your list will grow, and email will become a more strategic part of your efforts.

Where to Ask For Emails

Next, you can collect email addresses anywhere and everywhere. I’ve seen small businesses and retailers request email addresses in the checkout process, B2B companies get emails at trade shows and email opt-in forms in almost EVERY digital channel.

The best way to approach collecting email addresses is to do a touchpoint analysis for your business. Consider all the touchpoints that you have with prospects and customers (or whoever your target audience is) and evaluate each touchpoint as an opportunity to request email addresses.

Some of the most common places to build your email list are:

• Website
• Lead ads
• Contests
• Checkout (in person and online)
• Social networks
• In-store
• Trade shows or events
• Networking events
• Business card drop contests

Power Tip:

Even if you aren’t ready to send emails, start collecting them! Let people sign up for your upcoming newsletter. This way, when you launch your email efforts, you will already have a list to market to!

Get Your Emails Opened

A list of 4,000 emails is great, but if only 25 are opened, your emails are not working. Getting your emails opened comes down to two things: 1) Your subject line and 2) Your historical emails.

Some pro-tips for subject lines that work are:

• Short (<30 characters perform best)
• Grabs attention
• Personalized
• Avoid spammy words
• Don’t mislead

Additionally, one of the track records to impact your open rate is your historical emails or previous emails you have already sent. Moreover, their value to people is important. Track your analytics and look for negative feedback (unsubscribe, low clicks, low open rates) this signals that your emails are not adding value.

Want to improve your skills? Check out our Email Marketing course to get your emails from spam to land!

Drive Action From Your Emails

Even if people open your emails, you are not done yet! You need to drive ACTION! Each email should have a clear and single purpose. Do not get lost in the weeds of scheduling, timing, and delivery. In addition, make sure your email has VALUE and a CLEAR Call-to-Action.

This is an excerpt from Krista Neher’s best-selling book, “Digital Marketing That Actually Works.” You can find this and more books at Boot Camp Digital 

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