Month: March 2019

Why do 60 percent of marketers say email is their biggest source of ROI? For starters, there are nearly 4 billion email users worldwide, a number that’s expected to keep rising. It’s also an easy way to reach out to on-the-go searchers with devices they can use to quickly check their inboxes. If you happen to be wondering where to invest your marketing efforts as a small business owner, email is definitely worth considering. If you’re looking to get the most out of your email marketing efforts, here are some tips to point you in the right direction, brought to you by Saba SEO, the experts in Internet marketing San Diego businesses rely on for marketing strategies that get high-quality results.

1. Know Your Goals

Before you do anything email related for your small business, set goals for your various campaigns. Understand the journey your customers typically take from the point where they first discover your business to the point where they’re ready to make a purchase or buy something else from you.

2. Tell People What Subscribing Involves and Throw in an Added Incentive

Legally, most states require you to let people know what they’ll be getting if they sign up to get your emails. You’ll also generate more interest if you let people know they’ll get things like early notifications of upcoming events or promotions, first crack at purchasing any new products you have available, or special email-only coupon codes.

On a related note, give people more of an incentive to agree to receive your emails. Luckily, you don’t have to blow your budget to do this. Simple yet effective incentives can include:

• Raffle or contest entries
• Special purchase discounts just for signing up (e.g., “10 percent off the first order if you sign up for our email newsletters”)
• Free ebooks

3. Segment Your Email Marketing Lists

Further increase the ROI potential of your email campaigns by separating your lists by categories, such as past buying habits, age, gender, and location. You may not be able to do this right away if you have a small email marketing list, but you can make segmentation work for you as your list grows.

4. Create Emails in Line with Your Brand

Don’t just settle for generic emails. You can use a template to get started, then personalize it with your logo, color combinations, and related images that are reflective of your small business. Also, if you have other marketing materials that have a certain style and tone, be consistent and do the same thing with your emails.

5. Have an Appealing Subject Line and Be Personal

In 2018 alone, there were more than 100 billion business-related emails sent, which is a lot of emails competing for the attention of intended recipients. An appealing subject line can increase your odds of piquing recipients’ curiosity enough for them to open your email. While you want something unique, it’s also best to clearly state the main point of the email. One way to do this is to put your main incentive front and center (e.g., “25 percent off holiday merchandise, 2 days only!”). As for the content of your emails, be as personal and engaging as possible, and use recipients’ first names from the info you got when they signed up.

6. Be Consistent with Your Email Deliveries

If you told subscribers to expect a new email newsletter every month or emails with your weekly deals, be consistent and follow through. If you go too long without reaching out to subscribers, they may forget about you and move on to your competitors. An easy way to do this is with a publishing calendar.

7. Test, Analyze, and Optimize

Before you send out emails, take some time to test such things as your subject lines, content presentation, and calls to action to determine what’s likely to get the best response. Once you get your various campaigns going, tap into your stats to keep track of your results so you optimize properly. Key email stats you’ll want to track include:

• Open rates
• Unsubscribe rates
• Click-through rates (CTRs)
• Recipient actions after emails are viewed

If you’ve been hesitant to put too much effort into email marketing because of a lingering misconception that it’s on its last legs, rest assured email is alive and kicking. In fact, more than 90 percent of consumers report checking their email daily on their smartphones. If you want to get the attention of the habitual email checkers likely to be interested in what your small business has to offer, use the tips discussed here to make email a smart, effective investment.

The SEO and Internet marketing experts at Saba SEO, one of the most trusted San Diego marketing companies, can help you create an email marketing strategy designed for optimal customer engagement and retention. With more than a decade of experience helping businesses optimize their marketing efforts, we assist clients with social media marketing, SEO, PPC, web design and development, and Internet marketing. If you need help developing a marketing strategy that takes your business to the next level, call one of our specialists today at 858-277-1717.