Guide to Email Marketing

We are aware that using email can be intimidating and frequently overwhelming, yet you earn $42 back for every dollar you spend using it. With figures like that, it is not only cost-effective but also entirely worthwhile. Also, a lot of individuals on your email list have chosen to be on it and want to hear from you. It's vital to have a direct channel to your audience and use targeted email marketing efforts.

We know that more businesses would be using email marketing if they could find an email marketing tool that works for them and a simple, digestible way to learn the tips, steps, and tactics before launching their first campaign. We have seen first-hand the advantages and ROI email marketing has to offer.

Emailing might be difficult and usually overwhelming, yet you get back $42 for every dollar you invest. Given those numbers, it is not only economical but also wholly worthwhile. Many people on your email list have voluntarily joined it because they want to hear from you. Having a direct line to your audience and utilizing customized email marketing strategies are essential.

If businesses could find an email marketing solution that works for them and an easy way to learn the tips, procedures, and tactics before launching their first campaign, we are confident that more businesses would be utilizing email marketing.

• Generates passive money by automatically nurturing your leads, allowing you to concentrate on other responsibilities.

Let's Go For It!

What exactly is email marketing, and why is it so incredibly successful?

An opt-in list of clients and prospects, also known as email subscribers, receives emails on a regular basis as part of the digital marketing approach known as email marketing. Although though it's one of the most traditional kinds of web marketing, it's also one of the best ways to convert your contacts into consumers.

The inbox has been a hallowed place for communication with loved ones, friends, coworkers, and eventually businesses and brands since the inception of the internet. It started off as a one-to-many strategy. Whether it was through a monthly newsletter, a promotional push, or an announcement, businesses typically sent a single message to their entire audience. Inboxes become busier and noisier over time. The batch and blast sends, too? Simply put, they failed to engage subscribers as they once did.

Today, the digital experience has undergone a complete evolution. Despite the fact that your customers and prospects are receiving more messages than ever before, you can now be more engaging in the inbox thanks to improved access to vital consumer data and insights.

In order to move subscribers through the buyer's journey and create devoted consumers and repeat business, modern email marketing is personalized, frequently automated, and tuned to each subscriber's unique experience.

What is the buying process?

The process by which a buyer recognizes they have a problem that needs to be solved and seeks information prior to making a purchasing choice is known as the buyer's journey.

What are the phases of the purchasing process?

• Awareness: The customer is aware that there is a problem that needs to be fixed.

• Determination: The buyer evaluates the best option after conducting research and comparing brands and products.

• Choice: The customer decides on a remedy for their issue.

The foundation of any successful email campaign is an understanding of the buyer's journey. You may begin a successful campaign by creating customised content that addresses certain demands at specific stages of the buyer's journey by recognizing what stage your customers are at. Let's go over the steps you must take to launch your first email campaign.

How can I expand my email list and find subscribers?

Your list of email addresses is your most important marketing resource as a marketer. Email subscribers that want to join your list do so because they want to hear from you. So make it simple for them to sign up.

Make sure you have email registration forms on every page of your website in order to expand your email list. The bottom or sidebar of your website are excellent locations to include a form. To increase your audience, post links to your subscriber form on social media. Don't forget to physically record emails as well. Employ a tablet, or even a simple pen and paper, to collect names and emails from customers who visit your business or attend a live event.

Your forms need to be permission-based and compliant. Make sure your forms have language informing users of how their information will be used (for example, to send them marketing materials) and how they can unsubscribe from your email list at any time.

How can I encourage readers to complete my subscriber form?

There are many various types and sizes of sign-up forms, and it never hurts to add some honey to attract extra flies. Inform your readers that they will receive excellent content if they subscribe to your list. Also, you can employ techniques like providing high-quality materials or offering anything for nothing in exchange for an email address. You can utilize a variety of signup forms to grow your email list, as seen by these examples:

First Subscriber Form

The majority of signup forms come in the form of these. They are a straightforward form that is embedded on your website, typically in the sidebar or footer. A great subscription form makes note of the kind of information you deliver and how frequently you send emails, luring new subscribers and lowering unsubscribe rates in the future.

Pop-Up Ads

Pop-ups are precisely what their name implies. They "pop up" or show up on a website as a user scrolls down or prepares to leave. Employ pop-ups as a last-ditch effort to obtain the email address of your visitor before they leave your website. Before visitors leave your website, enticing them with a discount or exclusive content is a terrific approach to capture their sign-ups.

3. Magnetized lead

A valuable piece of information or service, such as an ebook, whitepaper, guide, checklist, report, free consultation, or demo, is known as a lead magnet. Visitors can exchange their information for a lead magnet by providing it. Once more, getting authorization is crucial. Thus, we advise adding a disclaimer to these forms stating that by submitting them, users give you permission to add them to your email list and enroll them in campaigns. A permission box can also be included for them to check.

What are some subscriber form best practices?

• Voice: Your signup forms' voice should be consistent with your brand. Your firm has a distinct personality, and it should come through in everything you do, from your blog posts to your signup forms.

• Incentive: People only sign up to get your emails if they think they'll benefit from them. Your forms won't be useful if that value is not obvious. Ensure that the value is communicated up front and that there is sufficient motivation for people to share their information.

• CTA: Any signup form must have a distinct and unambiguous call to action. Employ statements that encourage action in your signup forms, such as "Yes, please send me a copy of the benchmarking report," "Start using lovely templates right away," and "Save my position." Also, it never hurts to convey a sense of urgency.

How do I include a registration form on my website?

It takes only a few minutes to add an email newsletter subscription form to your website. In reality, designing and publishing your form using Benchmark Email only takes a few minutes. Let's go over the process step by step.

1. Choose the type of registration form.

You can construct a variety of signup forms by choosing the one you want. The most popular forms for email newsletter signups are pop-ups and embedded.

2. Create Your Registration Form.

A signup form's design should coordinate with the website branding for your business. We advise only requesting a name and email address because you don't want to overwhelm users with too much information. Just asking for their email address would suffice if you want to keep things quick and simple. Once they've enrolled, you can always contact them for more information.

3. Establish a Confirmation.

You want people who join up for your messaging service to feel certain that they've done so correctly. Make sure they see a thank you page and get a confirmation email after choosing to subscribe to your email newsletters. The email should appear the same as the signup form to maintain consistency, and the thank-you page should be kind and encouraging.

4. Make Your Signup Form Public

You will be provided with a piece of code to paste on your website once you have finished creating your signup form.

The web developer for your website will know where to put this code if you send it to them. This code can be included into the custom HTML blocks provided by platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Shopify, or BigCommerce if you are creating your own website from scratch. We offer a plugin that will install the signup forms you generate on your site automatically if you use WordPress.

It's crucial where you place your signup form. To find the locations on your website that make the most sense, you should check at high traffic areas and take the user experience into account. Here are some alternatives to think about:

A footer, a "About" page, a sidebar, a resource page, and an exit-intent pop-up can all be found in blogs.

What should I include in a welcoming email to new subscribers?

When a subscriber joins your email list for the first time, they are most engaged, which gives you a great window of opportunity. In order to make the most of that engagement period, a welcome email is a fantastic strategy.

You should send new subscribers a welcome email as soon as they sign up for your emails. It establishes the tone for your relationship and is essential for fostering trust so that they will begin to view you as a trustworthy source. To help you understand how important welcome emails are, we've provided some convincing statistics.

• Compared to standard promotional emails, they produce 320% more income on average per email. Compared to standard promotional emails, they see three times as many transactions and sales per email.

• Compared to other emails, they have a four-fold increase in open rates and a five-fold increase in click-through rates.

• Compared to other emails, welcome emails typically see a click-through rate of 14.4%.

• Their average open rate is 50%.

• Compared to conventional newsletters, they are 86% more effective.

• Compared to subscribers who have not gotten a welcome email, welcome email recipients are 33% more engaged with a company.

Compared to welcome emails without an offer, welcome emails with offers can boost income by 30% each email and have a conversion rate of 94% on average. A typical email campaign converts at a rate of 1% on average.

While putting together your welcome email, don't just wing it. Be deliberate and make sure you're taking the appropriate steps to get your new relationship off to a good start. Maintain brevity and focus in your welcome email while yet delivering value. Do not forget that this email is typically the one that receives the most opens and engagement.

What are some pointers for writing a welcome email that is incredibly effective?

• Make your welcome emails automatic. Create an automated so that it is emailed to a new subscriber the day after they submit a form.

• Pay attention to the subject line of your email. It has a big impact on whether or not your email is opened because it's the first thing your subscribers see. Be succinct and memorable.

• Make a friendly entrance. Make new members and clients feel welcome, and think about incorporating a special promotion.

• Direct your subscribers' actions. Keep it straightforward and inform them of the subsequent actions they must take.

• Keep your end of the bargain. Your welcome email should include anything you agreed to send them in the signup form's corresponding promise.

• Pay attention to the subject line of your email. It has a big impact on whether or not your email is opened because it's the first thing your subscribers see. Be succinct and memorable.

• Make a friendly entrance. Make new members and clients feel welcome, and think about incorporating a special promotion.

• Direct your subscribers' actions. Keep it straightforward and inform them of the subsequent actions they must take.

• Keep your end of the bargain. Your welcome email should include anything you agreed to send them in the signup form's corresponding promise.

What would a decent welcome email look like?

As every business is unique, some prefer to send a welcome email campaign as opposed to a single welcome email. We advise keeping things straightforward by concentrating on a single email that extends a cordial and beneficial welcome to your new subscribers. The welcome email we send to new users who sign up for our cost-free Starter Plan looks like this:

Let's examine this email in more detail:

• At Benchmark Email, we are aware that logging into a new account is the first thing users want to do. So that people can notice it right away when they open the email, we placed the login button at the top. What will your newest subscribers want to do first? Whatever it is, make sure it is front and center.

• Afterwards, you'll see icons for our social networking platforms. We've observed that users that follow us on more channels receive more of our advice, tactics, and information overall. And the more beneficial materials they see us provide, the more likely it is that they will start to believe in us and stay with us.

• The links to other resources are the final thing you'll see in this email. In order to stay current and consistently offer helpful, up-to-date content, we aim to update these resources every three to six months.

How should an email campaign be put up?

In campaigns, enrolment comes first and conversion comes afterwards. Engagement is the key to everything in between.

You must think about the kind of email campaigns to send to new leads if you want them to eventually convert to customers. This entails thoroughly understanding your prospects and the relationship they have with your brand.

Use your buyer personas as a resource

The first step for any organization should be to develop buyer personas. These are thorough profiles of each "person" you are trying to market to. Your personas should have information about their budget, who they report to, their job title, industry, pain issues, and their job objectives and functions.

Use the personas you've created to better understand your audience and to guide the type of content you produce to support the campaigns you'll be launching.

Evaluate the buying process

How do prospects locate your business? What do people do when they arrive at your website? You'll find a ton of opportunities by examining the path your clients take to learn more about your brand and ultimately consider it as a solution to their problems. You'll discover opportunities to communicate with them in ways that will help them advance from one step of the buying process to the next.

Knowledge, Consideration, and Decision

Provide Excellent Content

As we previously stated, content serves as the fuel for your emails. It's crucial that you consistently produce blog posts and tools like whitepapers and manuals that benefit your prospects. The value and placement of this information in the email campaigns you produce will be assured by creating it with the journey and buyer profiles in mind.

Split Up Your Lists

Never send the identical email to everyone on your contact list. Each contact, after all, has a distinct amount of familiarity with your organization, industry, and service/product offerings. For sending targeted information, segmenting your list is essential. Leads that are in the same stage of the buying process should be placed on the same list so that you may send them material that is most appropriate for that stage. Segmenting based on particular demographics, such as region and industry, is also a good idea.

A tailored experience increases purchase likelihood for 80% of consumers.

Shopping cart abandonment statistics are available at https://99firms.com/blog/.

Where can I discover the best email marketing software?

An email marketing tool may be exactly what you need to make your approach really effective because we live in a world where there is typically a tool that may assist you if you are unsure how to do something.

Be sure the email marketing software you select for your company meets your budget and available resources. Knowing how many people are on your email list and how many emails you intend to send each month will be important before beginning your investigation. As the majority of platforms charge based on the number of contacts you upload to their system or the number of emails you send each month, you can quickly determine if a solution is within your budget by doing this.

You can choose a platform that best meets your needs by identifying the characteristics you need (and don't need!). Avoid paying for features you won't ever use. Some email marketing platforms offer a somewhat diverse feature set that goes beyond email marketing and may overlap with features offered by other platforms, such as online advertising or website builders.

The majority of solutions also provide a free email marketing account or a free trial so you can try them out before you buy.

Building Email Campaigns: A Guide

Nurturing programs, often known as "drip campaigns," are a series of emails you send to your prospects in which you include individualized information. Using the insights you obtained from studying your audience personas and the buyer's journey, you should build out these campaigns as an email marketing funnel that also incorporates the high-quality content you produced.

Make Your Own Email Lists

Based on how you wish to divide up your leads, create your email lists. Segmentation may be done by job title, industry, business type, or geography. Cross-segment your audience according to where they are in the buying process.

To avoid sending emails too frequently or too infrequently, give each one some breathing room. Without bothering them or sending them an excessive amount of emails, you want to stay in their minds. We advise sending an email about once each week.

3. Evaluate Outcomes

Maintain tabs on the effectiveness of your emails. This enables you to assess whether your emails are having an impact on your readers and can help you improve your results over time. In order to ascertain whether your emails are accomplishing the goals you set for them, look at engagement metrics like bounce rate and click-through rate.

4. Update When Required Companies Change. Occasionally your target audience changes, so you update existing content or produce new, more helpful information. Make sure to set aside time to revamp your drip campaigns so they may stay effective.

How can I win back my lost customers?

Never stop trying to please your customers. Just because someone leaves their basket empty doesn't guarantee they won't make a buy later. Here comes the tried-and-true cart abandonment email.

Successful abandoned cart emails account for 28.3% of all eCommerce sales.

Shopping cart abandonment statistics are available at https://99firms.com/blog/.

Your abandon cart emails can be automated, allowing you to close sales that would have otherwise been lost without investing any more of your precious time. Is email automation not wonderful?

Why was the cart abandoned?

Abandon cart emails are one of the most popular email automations, right after welcome email automations. Yet in order to create successful abandon cart emails, you must first comprehend why customers abandoned their carts in the first place.

The top three reasons why individuals quit their shopping carts are: • Surprise shipping and tax expenses • Cheaper prices elsewhere

• A convoluted or drawn-out shopping cart process

You can develop and test different cart abandonment methods in light of this information to discover which ones best address and address the causes of abandonment.

Setup Instructions for Cart Abandonment Emails

You can easily integrate Benchmark Email with an eCommerce platform or online store, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, etc., to quickly create a cart abandonment email.

You may implement a cart abandonment strategy on your website even if you don't have an eCommerce-specific or online store by using Benchmark Email's Automation Pro marketing automation function.

Provide enticing offers. This is a tip for cart abandonment emails. The easiest approach to get customers to come back to your store is to offer free shipping, deals, and bundles. Recall that unexpected costs or finding a better deal with a competitor are the two reasons people depart an online shopping basket. Test various offers to determine which one is most effective in luring customers back.