Your 2022 Guide to Crushing Your Email Marketing Strategy
Email Marketing For Small Business Owners
In a world where TikTok and Instagram have taken society by storm—it’s only natural that small businesses will invest in a social media marketing strategy.
But, over the years we’ve learned spending your valuable marketing dollars on social media may not be worth it. There are many statistics out there showing investing in a good email marketing strategy is the way to go.
A well-planned out email marketing strategy has the ability to transform a small business, and often shows greater ROI than a social media marketing strategy.
Studies show email marketing generates $42 for every $1 spent. This is a mind-blowing 4,200% ROI—thus making it one of the most effective marketing strategies available (HubSpot, 2022).
As a small business owner, don’t make the mistake of overlooking your email marketing strategy. Here are some tips to keep in mind when developing an email marketing solution that works for your business:
Know who your ideal client is
During my time working with small businesses, I can’t tell you how many times clients don’t know who their target audience is.
In order for your email marketing strategy to work, you need to get into your ideal client’s head:
Who are they?
What are their major pain-points?
How can your product/services combat their pain-points?
What are their fears?
What are their wants?
Oftentimes, I visualize that I am talking to one person when writing a newsletter. I’ll be sure to get extremely specific on who this person is.
For example, if you’re writing a newsletter that’s geared towards busy individuals who want to squeeze in an at-home workout, try visualizing someone like this:
A working mom of 2 who is trying to juggle being a parent, while also having her me-time. She’s running a mile a minute and is always tending to the needs of her kids and loved ones. Her days consist of waking up, getting ready, getting her kids ready, packing lunches, and running out the door for work. When she comes home she spends time with her family, as she misses them all day. She wants to make more time for herself, but just doesn’t know how. She misses going to the gym for her daily yoga class, and is looking for a way to workout that is easily accessible. The app your client has created offers at-home yoga workouts geared towards working parents. They are short and can be performed from the comfort of their own home.
You’ll notice this visualization is very specific. If your email is not specific and is trying to talk to everyone—I can assure you it’s talking to no one.
It’s important you’re able to visualize who your exact audience is, so you can write as if you were talking directly to them.
This is what will help you nurture a strong relationship with these clients over time.
Don’t be too pushy
Newsletters are all about nurturing a relationship with your readers.
I know you don’t like when a salesperson is pushy at the store—and I can assure you your readers don’t like when you do that via email either.
Your email marketing solution should consist of a mix of providing value, having a small CTA, and then having a bigger CTA.
Generally, the rule of thumb is the more expensive a product/service is—the longer you need to nurture a relationship with a client before asking them to make a sale.
Think of your clients as friends.
Friendship is a 2-way street, and you need to provide your clients with value in order to build a relationship with them.
Your newsletters should always have some sort of CTA in them (such as following your brand on social media, adding their name to a waitlist, etc). But, the biggest ask should always be made once you’ve provided your readers with some value and nurtured a relationship with them.
Let’s say you’re launching a new holistic wellness community that you want your readers to subscribe to. Some examples of value you could provide them in newsletters include:
One free guided meditation
A free guide on how to be more mindful in their daily life
A daily journal prompt to follow
By providing your clients with value, you’re giving them a better idea of who you are as a brand.
When it comes time for you to have a big ask/CTA, these individuals are more likely to buy from you because they already have established trust with you.
Stay engaged but not TOO engaged
We all know that feeling of having your inbox flooded by brands that just can’t seem to take a hint.
People don’t want to be bombarded by emails.
There’s a fine line between staying engaged with your clients via email, and just being annoying. You need to make sure you’re sending out emails frequent enough that your clients know who you are—but not so frequent that they get annoyed.
The best email marketing strategy for small business that we’ve seen—is to send out weekly emails.
The best days to send out email newsletters are generally Tuesday-Thursday mornings, as this is a time when more people seem to be engaged.
Pick a day and time that you notice your open rates for emails are highest. This may take some trial and error, but once people get into a pattern of expecting when they are going to hear from you—they’ll remain more engaged.
If you want some help writing newsletters and looking at the analytics behind them—reach out to a specialist.
This small investment in your business has the potential to bring in a huge ROI for your brand.
Don’t underestimate the power of a catchy subject line!
Subject lines are the most valuable piece of real estate within an email newsletter. Knowing how to entice a client using a few words is an art of its own.
As a copywriter, I don’t condone the use of click-bait subject lines. When operating a small business, your email marketing strategy should always be fueled by integrity. And it’s still possible to do this in a way that gets your readers to engage with your small business!
A good email subject line:
Sparks curiosity
Evokes urgency
Speaks to your client’s pain-points
Some examples of subject lines I would use for a client operating in the health and wellness space include:
Does the thought of going plant-based make you feel 🤯 too?
Your challenge for the week 🔥 + a SPECIAL gift 🎁
Unfortunately, I totally get it 😩
These subject lines talk directly to my clients, and they directly relate to what I talk about in my email.
A good email subject line sparks curiosity and interest, while still giving clients an idea of what your newsletter is going to say.
We hope you found these email marketing tips & tricks helpful!
Which one will you try next? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re ready to hand over your email marketing strategy to the pros, Kals Agency is here to help you!
Schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we help you develop email marketing campaigns that convert!
