It is possible that as the owner of a small company, you’d previously thought that email marketing is not effective and that it is only for large corporations with large contact lists. We feel the need to tell you that it is time to change your mind and start taking advantage of all the benefits you have available for creating email marketing campaigns for small businesses thus making your brand, services or company widely known.
Email Marketing is increasingly cited by marketing specialists as one of the most important forms of digital marketing to consider in a communication strategy. Applying the right strategies and setting clear objectives, by investing just a few dollars, it is possible that you get important opening numbers that will turn into returns for your business investments.
Creating an Email Marketing campaign is easier than you can imagine and it is not necessary to have lots of resources. It is only necessary to use the services of a good professional email marketing software to manage your mailings. Almost all emailing tools offer the same tools, but it is important to choose the software that allows you to create effective campaigns in an easy way, with customer service able to clear your doubts and accompany you through the management and delivery of your campaigns.
Create an email marketing campaign for Small Businesses from scratch
If you are taking your first steps in email marketing, it may sound complex and like it demands long hours. We will give you some steps to start creating a successful campaign from the very start:
- Start with your contact list
Before starting to send emails, it is necessary that you have a list of contacts. You can start creating this list in different ways, the important thing is that you always make sure that these contacts are obtained legally. Never use lists of purchased contacts or contacts that have not been authorized to be part of your newsletter. The goal is to create a lasting relationship with your clients, not ending up in their SPAM folders.
You can start creating a contact list in the simplest way, for example, if you have a physical store, it can be as simple as picking up a list of emails from customers who arrive at your store. Yes, with pencil and paper, you do not need to accumulate dozens of contacts to get started. In its free version, Mailpro offers up to 500 credits to start sending your campaigns.
Use the resources you have, either by creating paid campaigns on social networks or through your website, using the subscription forms. It is important that you have your subscriber’s consent, and that they validate your data through the double acceptance forms. Remember that there are privacy policies that you must comply with in each country, and whether your clients are in US territory or not, you will have to comply with laws such as RGPD.
Read more about managing and managing contact lists in Mailpro functionalities
- Decide the type of email you want to send
You have created your contact list, now it's time to decide what that email your sending will be like. The type of email, as well as the frequency it is sent at, will depend on the type of company you have.
An email marketing campaign for small businesses could start by making a first contact with that customer who has trusted you and is registered to your newsletter. As your contact list increases and you define your strategy, you can send messages to communicate more directly.
- Messages by special season: you can take advantage of special dates such as mothers' days, Christmas, special events, etc.
- Send promotions: if you are planning a special sale per season, it is appropriate that you take advantage of the moment to get the information to your contacts. Also, segment by means of dynamic fields to send special offers to a specific customer segment.
- Automated emails: with these, you can make reminders of appointments, reservations, congratulate your customers on their birthdays or send a reminder of the products left in your shopping cart.
Always remember that your subscribers are the main focus, so all the content you decide to send has to have value, it must be relevant. If you think about placing a call to action, this should be clear and precise so that the reader can generate the interaction you are looking for.
- Create the ideal design and message
When you have planned what type of email you want to send, take the time to create the content and to design the message.
Do not worry if, as a small business taking its first steps in email marketing, having a graphic design team is out of your budget. The most important thing is that the tool you use allows you to design responsive emails, that is, adaptable to all mobile devices.
When you use a professional tool like Mailpro, you can have access to more than 500 templates on various topics that will help you save time and a Drag & Drop editor that facilitates the construction of your newsletter.
When designing your newsletter, be sure to clearly add the calls to action (CTA) that correspond to the offer or action you offer and make it clear to your readers what they should do.
The calls to action could be:
- Downloading an Ebook or instructional guide
- Link to a website article
- A purchase through a discount coupon
There are infinite possibilities of actions that you can generate by placing a CTA. As we have mentioned before, the important thing is the content that you deliver your subscribers.
- Test ... Send and Analyze
You already have the design of your newsletter, the message and the call to action well placed, and it is time to send it. But, before pushing the final send button, it is necessary that you make a first trial delivery. Make sure this first test reaches your communication team, the customers or those involved with the brand or product.
Send the trial submission as many times as you think necessary, check the links you have placed, and how the design and content looks on a mobile phone. Take into account the viewing experience on mobile devices, as a very crammed design or long paragraphs of text will be difficult to see from a phone.
When you have tried everything and are sure of the message that you want to communicate, you only have to click on the send button.
The best part is yet to come, which is seeing and analyzing the results of the well thought out strategy you designed. Analyze your campaign will not only tell you the number of emails delivered, but also the opening rate, location of your subscribers and other important metrics to know if you have reached the goals you set for your campaign.
The statistical information that your email marketing campaign will provide will help you to know your subscribers, the way they interact with your emails and will help you create better campaigns in the future.
Learn about the main metrics and how to measure them in our blog article
Email marketing campaign for small businesses is a great opportunity to reach your customers, try the resources provided by platforms such as Mailpro and start designing successful email campaigns today.
Read Also: Email Marketing Guide for Spas, Wellness Centers and Beauty Salons.