As a small business owner, you know the importance of marketing and advertising to drive your website's traffic and sales. Email marketing is a powerful and cost-effective tool that can help you reach a wider audience, build customer relationships, and drive sales. However, implementing an email marketing strategy can be challenging, especially if you're on a tight budget.
This post will provide tips and strategies for implementing email marketing on a budget and actionable recommendations for small businesses. Following these tips, you can create a successful email marketing strategy that helps your business grow and thrive.
Use a free or low-cost email marketing platform.
One of the biggest challenges of implementing an email marketing strategy is the cost. Many email marketing platforms charge monthly fees or require a long-term contract, which can burden small businesses with limited budgets.
To save money, consider using a free or low-cost email marketing platform. Many platforms offer basic features and tools for free or at a low cost, which can be sufficient for small businesses. Here are a few options to consider:
- Mailchimp: MailChimp is a well-known email marketing platform that offers a range of plans suitable for businesses of all sizes. The platform includes customisable email templates, list segmentation, and detailed analytics to help businesses better understand their audience and email campaign performance. Mailchimp's free plan allows up to 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 monthly emails for small businesses on Shopify, making it an excellent option for those just starting out with email marketing. The free plan includes access to email templates, segmentation tools, and analytics, making creating professional and effective email campaigns easy.
- Klaviyo: Klaviyo is a comprehensive email marketing solution suitable for businesses of all sizes. It offers a range of features that can help small businesses on Shopify to grow their email lists and increase sales. These features include email templates, automation, and analytics, which can help businesses to create professional-looking emails, automate their email marketing campaigns, and track the performance of their emails. Additionally, Klaviyo offers a free plan for businesses with up to 250 email contacts and paid plans for businesses with more extensive email lists or more advanced email marketing needs.
- Seguno: Seguno is an email marketing platform that offers a range of plans for businesses of all sizes, including a free plan for businesses with up to 500 email contacts and the ability to send unlimited emails. Seguno also provides paid plans for businesses with larger email lists and more advanced email marketing needs. In addition to email templates and automation, Seguno offers customer support and a range of resources and content to help businesses sell more online. Paid plans start at $20 monthly for 1,001-2,000 subscribers and include a 10-day free trial.
Using a free or low-cost email marketing platform can save money and still access the tools and features you need to create an effective email marketing strategy.
Build a targeted email list
You must have a targeted email list of interested and engaged subscribers to get the most out of your email marketing efforts. A targeted email list is more likely to result in higher open and click-through rates, which can lead to more sales and conversions.
Consider collecting email addresses from customers and website visitors to build a targeted email list. You can use opt-in forms on your website, social media profiles, or offline channels like in-store sign-up sheets or event registration forms.
You can also use lead magnets to encourage people to sign up for your email list. A lead magnet is a free resource or offer that is provided in exchange for an email address. Examples of lead magnets include ebooks, webinars, discount codes, or free trials.
To make the most of your email list, segment it based on location, interests, or purchase history. This will allow you to send targeted and personalised emails that are more likely relevant and engaging to your subscribers.
Actionable tip for small businesses:
- Use opt-in forms and lead magnets to collect email addresses from customers and website visitors.
- Consider offering a lead magnet like an ebook or webinar to encourage sign-ups.
- Segment your email list to send targeted and personalised messages.
Personalise email messages
Personalisation is a key element of successful email marketing. When you personalise your emails, you are more likely to capture your recipients' attention and increase engagement and conversions. This is because personalised emails feel more relevant and targeted to the individual, making them more likely to be opened and read.
There are several ways you can personalise your emails to make them more effective. One way is to use tools like merge tags or dynamic content to insert personal details like the recipient's name or location. This can make your emails feel more personal and unique. Another way is to use segmentation to create targeted and personalised emails based on factors like interests or purchase history. This allows you to create emails specifically tailored to the needs and interests of different subscribers.
In addition to using personalisation tools, writing engaging and relevant email copy that speaks to your audience is important. Consider using a friendly and conversational style, as well as highlighting the benefits and value of your products or services. By taking the time to personalise your emails and create compelling copy, you can increase engagement and conversions from your email campaigns.
Use a clear and compelling call-to-action
As a small business owner, it's essential to include strong calls-to-action (CTAs) in your emails to encourage your recipients to take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for your newsletter. To create effective CTAs, consider the following tips:
- Keep it clear and concise: Use actionable language, such as "click here" or "buy now," to communicate the desired action clearly. Avoid using too much text or jargon that may confuse or overwhelm your recipients.
- Make it stand out: Use contrasting colours and an eye-catching design to make your CTA prominent and easy to spot. Place it in a prominent location above the fold or in the middle of the email to ensure it catches your recipients' attention.
- Test and optimise: Use A/B testing to try out different versions of your CTA and see which one performs best. This can help you identify which elements, such as colour or language, are most effective in driving conversions.
- Regularly review and update: Keep an eye on your CTA performance and adjust your strategy as needed. For example, if your CTA isn't driving the desired action, consider changing the language, design, or location to see if it has a better impact.
Following these tips can create compelling and effective CTAs that drive conversions and help your small business succeed.
Include social media buttons
Including social media buttons in your emails is a simple and effective way to expand your reach and increase engagement. When recipients of your emails can share your emails or follow you on social media, you can attract new followers and customers. This can help to grow your online presence and reach a wider audience.
Incorporating social media buttons into your emails is easy to do. Many email marketing platforms provide tools or features for adding social media buttons to your emails. Alternatively, you can use social media icons from a website like Flaticon and add them to your email template, linking them to your social media profiles.
If you still need to include social media buttons in your emails, now is the time to start. This simple step can have a big impact on your online presence and the success of your business.
Use a professional email template
Having a professional email template is crucial for the success of your email marketing campaigns. Not only does it make your emails look more visually appealing, but it also helps to create a cohesive and consistent brand image. Here are some actionable tips for small businesses looking to create a professional email template:
- Keep it simple: Avoid using too many fonts, colours, or graphics, as this can make your emails cluttered and hard to read.
- Make it responsive: Make sure your email template is responsive and looks great on different devices and screen sizes.
- Add branded elements: Use your logo and brand colours to create a cohesive look and feel.
- Use high-quality images: Use high-resolution images to make your emails visually appealing and professional.
By following these tips, you can create a professional email template that helps to increase the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.
Segment your email list
Segmentation is a powerful tool for creating targeted and personalised emails for your subscribers. By dividing your email list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or interests, you can create email campaigns that are more relevant and engaging to your audience. This can lead to higher levels of engagement and conversions, as well as increased customer loyalty.
There are many ways to segment your email list, including by location, age, gender, interests, or purchase history. You can use tools your email marketing platform provides to segment your email list or create segments manually. For example, if you own a clothing store, you might create segments for men's, women's, and children's clothing so that the emails are tailored to each buyer's specific needs and interests.
To make the most of segmentation, it's important to create relevant segments for your business and audience. This will help you create email campaigns that are more effective and successful. Additionally, review and optimise your segments regularly to ensure they are still relevant and effective.
By segmenting your email list, you can create targeted and personalised emails more likely to engage and convert your subscribers. This valuable strategy can help you grow your business and build customer loyalty.
Use A/B testing
A/B testing is a valuable tool that allows you to optimise various aspects of your emails and improve their performance. By comparing two versions of an email, you can determine which performs better and make informed decisions about how to improve your emails going forward.
To use A/B testing, you'll need to create two versions of an email and send them to a small portion of your email list. This allows you to compare the results of the two emails and see which performs better. You can test various elements of your emails, including the subject line, email content, and call-to-action (CTA).
To make the most of A/B testing, it's important to test only one element at a time and use a large enough sample size to get accurate results. This will help you identify patterns and insights that can inform your future email campaigns. Additionally, be sure to track and analyse the results of your A/B tests so you can continually optimise and improve your emails.
By using A/B testing, small businesses can optimise their emails and improve their performance. This can help to drive traffic, sales, and customer loyalty.
Monitor and analyse your email campaign performance
Monitoring and analysing the performance of your email campaigns is crucial for understanding what works and what doesn't and identifying opportunities to improve. By tracking key metrics and gathering feedback from your subscribers, you can gain valuable insights into your email campaigns and make informed decisions about optimising and improving them.
To monitor and analyse your email campaign performance, you can use tools provided by your email marketing platform. These tools can provide valuable insights on metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. By tracking these metrics, you can see how your emails are performing and identify areas for improvement.
In addition to using these tools, it's also a good idea to ask your subscribers for feedback on your emails. This can help you understand what they like and dislike about your emails and give you insight into how you can improve them. Gathering feedback from your subscribers can ensure that your emails are relevant, engaging, and valuable to your audience.
You can improve their performance by monitoring and analysing your email campaigns and drive traffic, sales, and customer loyalty.
Maintaining a healthy email list is also important by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers. This can help improve your email campaigns' overall performance and ensure that you are only sending emails to engaged and interested subscribers.
To keep your email list healthy, you can use tools your email marketing platform provides to identify inactive or unengaged subscribers. You can then use this information to send a re-engagement campaign to these subscribers, offering them an incentive to remain on your list or giving them the option to opt out.
It's also a good idea to set up a preference centre or double opt-in to ensure that your subscribers are interested in receiving your emails. This can reduce the number of inactive or unengaged subscribers on your list and improve the overall performance of your email campaigns.
By maintaining a healthy email list, you can improve the performance of your email campaigns and ensure that you are only sending emails to engaged and interested subscribers.
Use email automation
Email automation is a powerful tool that can help small businesses save time, increase efficiency, and improve the effectiveness of their email campaigns. Small businesses can use email automation to streamline their email marketing efforts and drive better results by setting up specific triggers or actions and creating engaging and relevant email content.
To make the most of email automation, reviewing and optimising your campaigns regularly is important. This can help you ensure that your emails reach the right people at the right time and perform as well as possible.
In addition to using email automation, small businesses should also focus on keeping their email lists healthy by culling inactive subscribers who are not interacting with their emails. This can improve the overall performance of your email campaigns and ensure that your emails reach an engaged and interested audience.
By following these tips and best practices, small businesses can use email automation to drive success and growth through email marketing efforts.
In conclusion, this overview of email marketing best practices has been helpful to you. By following these guidelines, you can create effective and successful email marketing campaigns that drive traffic and sales for your small business. These strategies will help you create email campaigns that are relevant, engaging, and effective for your business and audience. There is, of course, so much more to learn about email marketing, so be sure to follow us for more educational content that will equip you with the tools you need to crush 2023.