Some business owners may be hesitant to start email marketing because they fear it will be too overwhelming for their customers. Perhaps, there is a concern that email marketing will make customers feel uncomfortable or perceive the marketers as spam. However, that's not always the case. It all depends on how we create our email marketing.
Creating good and engaging email marketing may sound hard. However, it actually is not as complicated as it sounds. Instead, this is one of the easiest ways to promote your business. Also, email marketing can be a great way to connect with customers, especially if you can make it sounds personal.
Are you one of those business owners who are hesitant to start email marketing? Do not worry. We will help you prepare what you need before starting email marketing for your business. Here are four important things you need before starting your email marketing.
An E-Mail Marketing Platform
First of all, you have to set up an email marketing platform. Some of the marketing platforms you can choose from include MailerLite, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign. Some versions offer free packages. Meanwhile, others might offer a free trial and paid programs for the full version. However, you don't need to worry because they usually offer the full version at a low cost.
The advantage of using an email marketing platform is that you can create schedules. Also, the way to use it is easy, just like when writing a regular email. After writing the subject, email address, and email body, you can send it directly or choose to schedule it. So, you can create a schedule for a long period all at once.
An Audience
Before starting email marketing, of course, you need the email addresses of your customers. Some email marketing platforms have features that allow you to import data from your website or online store. However, you should double-check the data before importing it.
The strategy that you can do to get your customer's email address is to add an "email address" field to your registration or order form. In addition, you can also make it a condition to sign-up before shopping at your store. This method has been used by many e-commerce and websites. So, for customers, it is only natural that you ask for their email addresses.
Your Computer
The third thing you will need is a computer. You can use a desktop computer or a laptop. It doesn't need to be too sophisticated. Just choose that one that you can use to type and send emails. However, it will be easier if you choose a laptop because you can take it anywhere.
While you can use your phone or a tab, writing and sending emails using a computer is more convenient. Apart from having a wider screen, using a computer will also make checking several files at once easier before sending them to customers. That way, you can avoid sending wrong content or other embarrassing things.
Your Brain and Ideas
Lastly, and most importantly, you need a creative brain and bright ideas. Think about what you want to share with your audience. If necessary, outline beforehand and list the information you want to include in the email. Make it as detailed as possible to make your writing process easier. After that, you can start to write them into paragraphs.
Also, don't forget to consider your target audiences, such as their age, status, occupation, and economic status. This step is needed because it will affect the language you choose, for example, whether you should use a formal or informal tone. In addition, these considerations will also influence you in determining what kind of content you want to share in your email marketing.
Those are the four things you need for email marketing. Pretty easy, right? It turns out email marketing is not as difficult as you might think. What's important is how you plan and formulate the email you want to send to customers. You may have to think hard at first, but everything will go smoothly once you find the right formula.
In addition, if we compare with other promotional media, email marketing is the cheapest. The only cost you need to incur is to pay for an email marketing platform subscription, which is still much cheaper than advertising on television or billboards. Furthermore, email marketing can create a more intimate connection between you and your customers to make the content feel personal.
The content you share doesn't have to be just about product promotions or advertisements. To keep your customers interested, you can occasionally post educational content or trivia. In other words, you can also use email marketing as a medium for sharing knowledge. If customers find your content interesting, they may even be waiting for an email from your company.
