Email marketing is a vital and effective tool when it comes to marketing for your business. You’ve started to build an email list and are ready to take the next steps, but how can you make the most of your list?

This session will take you through some steps on how to achieve more with your email list.

Segmenting your email list

If you want better open rates and higher conversions, then you should segment your email list. Segmenting your list involves splitting your email list into smaller ‘segments’ or groups. It allows you to send out tailored, targeted emails to your list. This then creates higher engagement and less unsubscribe statistics.

You can segment your email list by;

• Using Email Segmentation Software. Email service providers such as Aweber and MailChimp allow you to segment your email list.
• Page-Level Targeting. You need a tool, such as the brilliant OptinMonster. This helps audiences to sign up to the appropriate segment for them.
• Lead Magnets. Give your audience the ability to self-identify with which category they want to sign up to. A lead magnet is an offer that you send to your visitors if they sign up. This could be free downloadable content or a voucher. Get creative with this and you will see an increase in visitors signing up.

Targeting messages

By segmenting your email list, you offer value with targeted messages and emails. You are also enabling the ability to send the right message, to the right person, at the right time.

Emails then come across as more personal. You are able to create tailored offers and content to each segment of your email address.

This builds trust between the audience and business. It adds value to those that receive the emails as they are more relevant and persuasive this way. You are taking into consideration their needs and desires. This way, you can focus on creating brilliantly effective content for one segment at a time.

What is email automation?

Email automation is the ability to send time or action triggered emails to subscribers with relevant information.

- CampaignMonitor

It takes the hard work out of creating and sending email marketing campaigns. It can be a triggered workflow, which helps to take new leads through a sales funnel. It could also be a birthday campaign email or business updates in the form of a blog.

You only create the email campaign and set it up once. Then it is automatically sent to an individual that meets the criteria.

For example, each time someone signs up to your emails, an automatic ‘Welcome’ email goes out. If they enter in their birthday, an automatic email sends containing a special offer.

Email service marketing tools will send out an email each time someone activates the trigger associated. This is an evergreen marketing tool, as you create the campaign once and it keeps going as people keep signing up.

Know when your customers are online

You can use analytics to discover when your customers are online and active. Keep track of what your statistics say on your email marketing service provider. Watch the bounce rate, unsubscribe statistics, open rate, and click through rates.

All this data will tell you exactly how successful each email campaign is.

Some tools, such as MailChimp, allow you to link with Google Analytics. This is a great way of finding out when your customers are online and checking their emails. So, you can send out newsletters or campaigns at the perfect time that will maximise your chances of success.

You could also experiment to start with, using different times and days to send out emails. You then find out which are the most successful. From there, you can tailor when your email sends with the times and days that deem to be the most popular.

List building and social media

There are Facebook plug ins which allow you to place an opt in form on your profile to help gather emails for your list. This integrates your email-marketing tool and you collect emails via social media.

Follow the guides on your email-marketing providers, such as Drip, to install the plug in. You can then share this form, pointing your audience in the right direction. You can use a lead magnet and encourage them to get them to sign up.

Don’t forget the real world

It is easy to forget that not all communication and marketing tools take place online. We live in a very technologically advanced world these days. Yet, the most effective form of contact is face to face. Next time you are at a live event, ask for emails there too.

You can take along a form with you to the event and get people to fill in their email addresses then and there. Make sure to put their minds at ease when it comes to privacy and GDPR. State that the emails provided will be only used for your business to contact them.

Make It Happen In Your Business

This guide has given you the tools to power up your list building and achieve the most out of your email list. With time, you will see how powerful email marketing really is.

Your audience will build further trust with your online business with each time you communicate directly with them. Get the right tools and set up some email sequences and you will be well on your way to achieving great results.

Next Steps:

• If you haven't already, make sure that you are set up with an Email service provider like ConvertKit or Mailchimp.
• Consider how you could use email automations in your business to create a welcoming customer onboarding experience and a stellar customer service journey.
• Begin the process of segmenting your email list by grouping together customers who share similar traits, buying habits or interests.