by Jaclyn Carlson, Blog Society
Image features Paper Boat Press captured by Mark Lobo at our Brisbane AW16 Market
As a small business owner you’re probably used to wearing many hats and moving at a fast pace. The world of marketing moves at a similar pace and I’m a huge fan of making sure entrepreneurs make the most of their already limited marketing hours by working smarter not harder. I wanted to pass along a few tips here and ensure you’re shining a much needed spotlight on an area of marketing that can have a huge impact on your bottom line: email marketing.
Now first let me say for the record I’m a marketing addict. I believe that marketing should make you feel shaken up, alive, as if you are being launched out of your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be scary or full of confusion. I want to pull back the curtain on a world that glitters with connection, provides glimpses into fascinating data and insight and provides you with a quick and direct connection to the very readers and customers that you want to speak to. It’s time to put on your marketing hat and begin to view your business through the eyes of a digital marketer.
The power of email marketing should not be underestimated. That targeted opportunity to deliver your key message right into the mailbox of your key customer? Priceless.
Unfortunately, in today’s social centric world, email marketing often feels like the ugly stepsister to the flashy world of social media marketing, but take it from me, email marketing can transform your business. Email marketing is one of the most cost effective marketing tactics out there. It’s relatively cheap (a big win for all you small business owners) and you can create a tailored (and measurable!) message that is delivered straight your ideal customer. It doesn’t get more powerful than that.
Personally I think spam has taken the shine off email marketing. Anyone who has ever had to clean out their inbox full of salesy, unrelated, off-target emails knows what I’m talking about. But email marketing is here to stay and I want to teach you a few tips to effectively to transform your business. Let’s get started.
Let’s focus on your number one business weapon: your email list.
The Secret Weapon
Now take this one lesson from me. I was late to the game in building my Blog Society email list. Instead I found joy in social media and growing my tribe online, and didn’t actively focus on growing my own email list until much later in the game. Big mistake. Your list is gold.
- If all of your social media followers disappeared tomorrow (and they could – just look at recent changes to both Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms), what would you be left with?
- What impact would that have on your business?
Consider your social media community “rented” where your email list is “owned property”. See the difference? Both areas of marketing are important, but you need to know how to leverage both. Email marketing shouldn’t be forgotten.
Take it seriously and you will reap the benefits. Your own email list should be your number one priority, so the first step is changing your mindset and making sure you actually have an email list which is what I want you to walk away after reading this!
Which Provider is Right For Me?
The world of email marketing is a vast one and we’re just scratching the surface here. Step one is always understanding the importance, step two is about action. I want to give you a few tips on choosing a reliable email service provider that will help organise your lists and ensure a seamless and easy way to distribute your content. When it comes to choosing an email provider I suggest doing a bit of research to find out which one is the best fit for you and your budget. There are some great options out there, but ask around, get second opinions and determine your budget. Some of the most popular are:
Some of the above options allow free usage depending on the number of subscribers you have in your database, while others charge you by the number of emails you send. All are reputable but the choice you make needs to fit with your marketing vision and how much support you will or won’t need. If you are new to this type of thing, it’s always helpful to stick with provider that has a strong customer support team so you have access to the experts when you need them.
Once you get yourself set up you’re ready to go. You’ll then want to focus your marketing efforts on growing that list and using that list to regularly communicate with your customers. Email marketing is a way to grow and build trust with your community while telling your brand story in a way that provides value,which after all is what marketing is all about.
Start the mindset shift today and watch email marketing take your business to new heights.
Jaclyn Carlson
CEO of Blog Society and Australian Editor of Flo & Frank
Originally from Boston, Jaclyn is the founder of Blog Society, a global community where blogging, business and creativity collide. A passionate creative matchmaker, she is a social media addict prone to wasting hours on Pinterest and has had a long love affair with the digital marketing world. She believes in the power of collaboration and has a passion for helping businesses and bloggers tell their brand story. She aims to offer like-minded and passionate individuals the opportunity to connect and inspire one another through her Digital Bravery E-course and a variety of national workshops, events and gatherings both online and off.
The Finders Keepers Markets take great pride in creating and sharing information and resources with our lovely community. With the content we provide, we trust you will use what it is you’re looking for within those articles.
To be super clear however, we don’t give “advice”. We don’t publish this information with the intention of providing an absolute safeguard from failure, as everyone, and every business, has it’s own methods. It’s a guide for designers, artists and makers to get some inspiration from, not a life or business instruction manual. Even we don’t have one of those.