Email Marketing: The Savviest Strategy for The Smart Small Business

Email – the necessary evil of our B2B existence! Whether we like it or not, most of us working professionals spend a lot of time in our inboxes. The sheer number of people that depend on email every day is one of the top reasons email marketing is still so effective. In fact, it’s widely considered one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience, drive sales, and build long-term relationships.

It’s true, social media is extremely important for small businesses. However, your success is partly determined by each platform’s unique algorithm. And their algorithms are famous shapeshifters. When you press send on an email, however, you know it’s traveling from you straight to your intended recipients. You have unique control over reaching the right people at the right time!

Here’s why you might consider dipping your toes in.

Social media’s constant shifting is part of what makes marketing on the platforms so challenging. Prioritization of different content, new features, and policy changes are just some of the things that these platforms can switch up with little warning. Email marketing, on the other hand, gives you direct access to your audience. You own and control your list of subscribers making it one of the most reliable ways to build long-term relationships with customers.

By consistently providing valuable content, exclusive offers, or useful insights, you’re responsible for nurturing your audience and keeping them engaged without the algorithm getting in the way.

Email marketing consistently outperforms other digital marketing channels in return on investment (ROI). While other forms of digital marketing often require a budget for ad spend and time to gain traction, email marketing generates immediate, measurable results.

Market data researchers at Statista report that the average ROI for email marketing is $36 for every dollar spent, although depending on the industry, this can be even higher! This high ROI is due to several factors:

Email’s data analytics combined with tuned-in customization capabilities allow you to deliver personalized, targeted content. Unlike a generic social media post that goes out to everyone in your audience, emails can be sent out to segmented lists based on subscriber preferences, behavior, and past interactions. The ability to drill down to this level of personalization increases engagement and conversion rates. What’s more, emails encourage action. They drive visits to your website, purchases, event sign-ups, and more. Email recipients have been trained to engage rather than passively consume.

Before you start shooting off emails, it’s important to know what you’re hoping to achieve! Your content and how it’s presented should support your goals.

Whatever strategy you go with, there are best practices and considerations you should keep in mind no matter what you’re choosing to put out there.

Make Your Emails Skimmable

People scan emails quickly. If your message is hard to skim, subscribers will move on. Keep your emails reader-friendly by:

• Using short paragraphs and bullet points for clarity.
• Highlighting key takeaways with bold text or headings.
• Including a clear call to action (CTA) that tells readers exactly what to do next.
• Adding images to visually convey your message.

Decide on Your Send Cadence

How often should you send emails? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but it’s good to be consistent. Consider:

• Your audience’s expectations: If they signed up for weekly updates, don’t go silent for months, you’ll lose momentum!
• Your content quality: Don’t send emails just for the sake of it. Doing so can erode your credibility. Make sure you’re deliver value and staying true to your strategy.
• A/B testing: Experiment with different frequencies and send times to see what works best for engagement with your audience.

A good starting point for most businesses is a biweekly or monthly schedule, depending on the type of content you’re sending. But, if you have an engaged audience and can deliver consistent value, a weekly email may work well.

Make It Easy to Subscribe

What can you do to grow your audience? The more accessible your sign-up form, the easier it will be for folks to sign up, the faster you’ll grow your email list. Think of the small and large touch points you have with clients. Here are a few examples:

• Feature it prominently on your website
• Use strategic pop-ups on your website that demonstrate value.
• Promote it on social media and share the benefits of subscribing.
• Mention it on your receipts or invoices.

Email marketing is a great tool to help you achieve your business goals whether you’re looking to get more connected to your audience, drive business, or stay top of mind. With a huge return on your investment, email allows you to market in a way that’s cost-effective, personal, and entirely within your control. If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, let’s get started on your email marketing strategy today!