The real answer is, it is the way you make money with an online business or even with a brick-and-mortar business. A more accepted definition is that Email Marketing is the promotion of products (of any kind) using email as the medium of communication. Like everything in life and Business trust is the fuel that fires the success of your Business.
Many years ago, I listened to a Pat Flynn podcast on the importance of having an Email List. You only have to do a google search and see how many entrepreneurs wish that they had started building their email list at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey.
Email marketing provides you with an opportunity to communicate directly with your customers. Email is the often underrated but powerful marketing tool. Research shows, we do love our science here at Hippos to Horses Marketing, that by the end of 2021 there will be 4.1 Billion Email users[1] . The sheer volume of users makes it a potent weapon in your marketing arsenal.
In this blog article you will learn all about Email Marketing and why it is important for online business.
Why is Direct Communication Important?
Email as a means of direct communication adds to its repository. Email is delivered directly to your customers, without being intercepted by a 3rd party. Think of the power you have as a business owner to have such a channel. Keep in mind the Peter Parker principle “With great power comes great responsibility”, is an aphorism popularised by the Spider-Man comic books writer Stan Lee. You must not spam people with your emails. You have to get permission to write to them, and you must write emails that add value to them.
What Can You Do with Email Marketing?
It is used to directly communicate important news such as a new product launch, exclusive perks for those subscribed to your list. Do you ever receive emails from the companies that you have subscribed to inviting you to special events or pre-sale exclusives before it is shared with the rest of the world? Notice how these privileges make you feel important because you are privy to knowledge that only a limited to the chosen few.
Email Marketing an Excellent Tool for Engagement!
As a social media account holder (fact taken for granted here), you have come across the term engagement. It is the ability to share content and respond to your followers consistently. Email Marketing another engagement platform.
Email can be set to facilitate two-way communication with your customers. If you are adding value, you remain relevant. Do not think of the term value as big and audacious. Value is sharing your vulnerability, your story, tips and hacks, a picture, a motivational message. This list is endless.
Consistency is Your Superpower.
Consistency is a superpower, small things that are done purposefully become Phenomenal. Consistency as a superpower is that well laid out in a book by James Clear Atomic Habits. Consistency helps you to build your credibility in your industry. The more content you produce and share your opinion of a given matter, the higher the chance, that you will be viewed as a Guru. Consistency and engagement are the keywords to remember.
Email Marketing is a Solution Giving Platform.
A great channel to react to the issues that have arisen in your engagement’s session with your Tribe. You can solidify your credentials by giving solutions to these problems. These solutions will be your income stream. As a business owner, your number one agenda is to serve. You will help your audience by selling and or giving to them the following solutions :-, a course, a blog post, a how-to list, e-book, Q & A session and any audio /video content.
Email the Friend that Leaves you Feeling Better!
The content that you use in your Email Marketing strategy should instil hope. Hope or a reason to believe that there is a solution to the problem is essential because customers, i.e. Schwartz, D in his book, ‘The Magic of Thinking Big,’Writes the following, ‘…when you believe there is a way you automatically convert negative energy (let’s quit, let’s go back) into positive energy (let’s keep going, let’s move ahead).
Your Email content should project to your subscribers a ‘can do’ attitude. This content will keep them coming back for your email elixir, and they will be more inclined to purchase your products.
Knowledge is Power
Hippos to Horses Marketing knows only too well that nothing in life is perfect. We also believe the everything is an art and a science… It never linear, it’s always multidimensional. Knowledge is power now that a perfect statement. Nothing you learn is ever wasted; at some point in your life, you will be called upon to draw upon that knowledge.
If you remember Economics 101, perfect markets do not exist. Imperfect markets do. The people with more knowledge (power) can take advantage and profit from this knowledge.
Pfizer was the first company to produce the Covid19 vaccine. People who bought Pfizer shares before the announcement made a dollar or two. Our challenge to you, using the imperfect market analogy … is that you should give a dollar or two to your customers.
Show Me the Money!
Ever watched the movie, Jerry Maguire. , then you know the phrase, ‘Show me the money!’. The Email list is the money. You know this is true. Think of all the products you have bought because you received an email. An email from a company that you are subscribed to and have your permission. Not spam Email.
Notice the emphasises on permission marketing. The email marketing where you receive permission from your subscribers to reach out to them. If you want a valuable list, one that will generate income for your Business then get their approval.
The Money is in The List.
Permission Marketing will help your Key Email metrics.
The following metrics will help yous who received your Emails, where they came from and the action they took. ( These will be provided by your Email Service provider (ESP))
- Total recipients: Total number of people that the email was sent.
- Successful deliveries: Total number that the email got through
- Bounce: Unsuccessful deliveries
- Recipients who opened: email addresses of those who received and opened an email
- Total opens: received and opened an email.
Of particular interest here will be the recipients who opened your email. They will
if they permitted you in the first place. They will click on links because they want to consume more of your content.
This Thing With Tommy Hilfiger
You know that we have a thing for Tommy Hilfiger. Maybe it has to do with the fact that growing up, Tommy was a very aspirational brand. It was the brand that was worn by ‘Pop iconic’ Americans. We also generally like the quality and the price points of their lower-tier brand Tommy Jeans.
So it comes as no surprise that we open and click on all emails from Tommy, that has the heading ‘Sale’. We pride ourselves at being smart shoppers. We limit our Tommy purchases to sales.
We buy because we are subscribed to their newsletter and loyalty membership. This subscription comes with some perks. We are often alerted of exclusive sales news, new product launches, events, and best of all, special discount codes.
Hippos to Hippos will spend its hard-earned money on Tommy sales because we are consistently receiving all sorts of communication from them daily. The Tommy brand remains top of mind. Top of mind, so whenever a need arises that Tommy can solve, they will be our first port of call.
Do you see the importance of Email marketing? And the power of a list that is consistently communicating with its subscribers? Download our Hippos to Horses Reflections to solidify your understanding of Email Marketing.
[1] The Radicate group 2017: https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Email-Statistics-Report-2017-2021-Executive-Summary.pdf
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Related Topic : How to start Email Marketing