This beginner’s guide will explain exactly what email marketing is and how it works. By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp of the basics along with the know-how to launch an effective email marketing strategy for your business. ?
Email marketing is the most profitable and cost-effective direct marketing channel, generating an average return on investment of $42 for every $1 spent (DMA, 2019).
For this reason alone, email should be a key pillar of your digital marketing strategy. Not doing any email marketing is like leaving money laying out on the table. ?
But if you’re a bit confused about where to start, that’s totally normal. Email is a vast discipline. It’s easy for beginners to get lost in a sea of tools, techniques, and terminology.
To learn more, stick around for everything you need to know about email marketing:
What is email marketing
Why your business needs email marketing in 2022
How does email marketing work
How to start email marketing: tools and tips
How to launch your first email marketing strategy in 8 steps
10 strategies for successful email marketing
What Is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is sending commercial emails to a list of contacts who have given their express permission to receive email communications from you.
You can use email marketing to inform your contacts, drive sales, and build a community around your brand, like with a newsletter.
Modern email marketing has moved away from one-size-fits-all mass mailings and instead focuses on consent, segmentation, and personalization. ? This may sound time-consuming, but marketing automation does the heavy lifting for you.
Examples of different types of emails in marketing
Emails can be promotional, informational, or serve a specific purpose in the buyer journey.
Email marketing campaigns are used to promote special offers, new product releases, gated content like ebooks and webinars, and your brand at large. A campaign could consist of 3 – 10 emails sent over several days or weeks.
Promotional emails have a clear call-to-action — or CTA, for short. The CTA represents the specific action you want the reader to take, whether it’s visiting a page on your website or using a coupon to make a purchase.
Your business’s sales and marketing rhythm should determine the frequency of this type of marketing email. ⏱️ During crucial periods like Black Friday, you may be sending multiple promotional emails in the same 24-hour period. During slower periods in the marketing calendar, there may be a few weeks between your promotional campaigns.
