What does your email marketing campaign look like? If you’re already puzzled by that question, then it could be that you don’t have an email marketing campaign. Any sort of organisation or strategy for using your customer’s inboxes to make connections, build relationships, grow trust and SELL.

It’s true that emails help to keep your brand top-of-mind.

There is value in your business name making regular appearances within your target market’s radar. Click To Tweet

However, if you’re not planning those emails with a strategy that’s tailored to what your ideal customers really want to know, then you’re just annoying them. They won’t engage. They won’t share. And they will unsubscribe…cutting all ties with your business.

We can’t have that happen.

So I’ve put together some advice for building an email strategy that works!

Here are my top tips:

Use a 3:1 Ratio.

• Sales is more about service than it is about sales. That means if you’re using the email addresses people have entrusted you with strictly to sell to them. You’re going to lose their permissions (and more importantly, their trust). Instead, build an email campaign that’s heavy on delivering exactly what your target market is looking for. Do they want helpful tips? Funny stories? Time- or money-saving advice? An insider perspective? Give them that first, and then when it comes time to promote an upcoming event or product. Do so in a spirit of service—light on the sales-speak and heavy on value.

Personalise Each Email.

• Yes, your email management software should address each recipient by name. However, if you stop there your emails will look just like the spam. Your recipients have become so accustomed to receiving (and deleting). Instead, segment your audience and send only the emails that are applicable to each group. For instance, if your market is divided by geographical region. And you have events running in each of them, target only those who would be interested. If your ideal customers are at different phases in their journeys. Therefore interested in different topics, then the emails they receive should reflect that. Remember, your potential customers’ rubbish detectors are acute. If you’re sending an email just to say you sent one, you can’t possibly expect to build relationships.

Pay Special Attention to Subject Lines.

• It’s true that your subject lines should be provocative and curiosity-inducing. So that recipients will want to open that email and learn more. Contradictory statements, challenges to status quos, cliff hangers and more can be clever little tricks to get those emails opened, but that’s not all. The lengths of your subject lines matter, too. Those less than 50 characters are generally more appealing. Whilst those 70 characters or more are more likely to make people want to read on.

Always Give Them a Next Step.

• So you’ve sent a tantalising email. Your ideal customers who’ve read it are intrigued. They want to learn more about your business…and they have no idea about the best way to do that. If you’re not directing people to their next step with every email, then your campaigns’ effectiveness will suffer. Give them a link to your website, to your book’s page on Amazon. To a blog post that will help them to better understand the topic at hand…whatever is necessary to keep them moving forward with your business.

Be Generous, Whatever it is.

• This goes back to putting service first. In every email, make it clear that your intention is to give something away. Whether that’s knowledge, entertainment, encouragement or a free gift. And when you do that, make sure it exceeds expectations. Make every communication valuable, so they’ll open the next one.

Target Special Groups.

• Think about the different levels of engagement you have within your target market, and use your email campaigns to customise the experience of each group. Some of your most loyal customers are on your email list (in fact they should all be on it). Use emails to acknowledge them and to reward them. At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who barely engage with your business but are still on your list. Give them a reason to get more involved. Invite them and incentivise them. Be the one brand that reaches them and captures their attention.

Find Optimal Times.

• Every target market has a daily, weekly and monthly routine…and that includes times of the day and days of the week that they generally check and read emails. You might just have to ask some of your ideal customers to tell you when they prefer to receive communications. You can also gather clues from the software you’re using and other online activity (including social media).

You should now feel more prepared to fashion your own email campaign—one that tightens the ties within your tribe and ultimately results in more engagement and sales for your brand.

You can also get all 11 tips and more in our Free Email Marketing guide! Get it now!

However, in many ways, this is just the beginning of what you’ll need to start and build your business. You can begin the right way—or get your business back on track—with the support of the Fempire Academy, a rich online resource and community of women supporting women, learning to get paid doing what they love in a safe, supportive environment. Join us today!