Email marketing is a powerful marketing tool for reaching your clients directly. And, contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for large-scale businesses with big communication budgets. Whatever the size of your business aspirations, email marketing represents a major opportunity to build your client base and up your sales!
For those of us who don’t have the resources of an entire marketing department, there are marketing email services out there that offer tools to deliver professional outreach and insight at a reasonable price.
Let’s walk you through the basics of using these tools to build your business around a professional email marketing strategy!
How do I get people’s email addresses?
First, gather what you already have: Make your current customer base your first email marketing audience. You should have a list of your current ASEA downline’s email addresses from when they enrolled. Once you’ve found it, you can begin increasing communication with your team by sending regular updates via email.
Next, you can look to grow your list using a few online resources. Your replicated website offers a form to collect potential customer information!
Another way to gather email addresses is by using the call to action (CTA) feature available for Facebook pages (while pages have this feature, personal profiles do not). You can add a “contact us” CTA to your business page which sends people to a landing page where they can sign up for your email list.
One final way that you can gather emails without going digital is by offering a sign-up sheet at the meetings you host. Have people put their information down so they can stay in touch with you for the latest deals and promotions!
I have a contact list… Now what?
Now you need to choose the email service provider (ESP) that works for you and your budget. We’ve listed a few of the more popular ones below:
MailChimp
Mail Chimp is a well-recognized, easy-to-use platform that has a free option for sending up to 12,000 emails to 2000 subscribers. This is great for anyone who is just getting started. While some of the tools and reports are limited in the free version, the basic functions for an email marketing beginner are there.
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor offers templates that will step up the look and feel of your emails. These templates are easy to use and add an extra touch of professionalism to your communications. It also has testing functionality that lets you know how your emails are preforming. While not free, the $9/month plan is quite affordable.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact is a large email marketing company. This platform makes it easy to manage emails, your contact list, and it offers social media integration so sharing your emails is as simple as a few clicks. Constant Contact users gain access to online training and seminars to better understand the tool’s full functionality. . You can start a 60-day free trial with no charge.
Looking for more options? Check out this article.
What’s next?
Once you’ve chosen your email platform. It’s time to start sending emails! Since each email platform operates a little differently, you’ll want to take advantage of the tutorials and help section provided by the specific one you’re using. Visit their help section or search YouTube for tutorials on getting started.
Some of the basic things you’ll need to learn before you send an email are how to import your contacts, how to set up a sender profile, and how to build emails! Most email platforms are eager to teach you how to get started, so there are plenty of resources available.
Once you feel comfortable with your email tool, you’re ready to prepare your first email! Consider letting your downline, preferred customers, or perspective customers know about current promotions or upcoming meetings!
Sending that first email can be a little intimidating. You might notice some unsubscribes and low open rates while you work to dial in your methods, but just remember that the majority of your downline is looking to you as a resource and an expert. You have a lot of knowledge to offer!
If you’re interested in learning more about leveraging email marketing for your business, check out the resources below: