Email Marketing That Doesn’t Suck (and Actually Works)

Email marketing is more than just sending out newsletters; it’s about building relationships, driving sales, and fostering brand loyalty. But where do you even begin? Is it really possible to master email marketing without spending a fortune on fancy tools? I’m here to tell you that with the right approach, you can create effective campaigns that deliver real results.

1. Setting Up Your Email Marketing Account

Before you send a single email, you need a dedicated platform. I strongly recommend against using your personal Gmail or Outlook account for marketing purposes. It’s unprofessional, can lead to deliverability issues, and lacks essential features. Platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) are specifically designed for email marketing.

For this guide, let’s use Mailchimp as an example. It’s a popular choice, especially for beginners, due to its user-friendly interface and generous free plan.

1. Go to Mailchimp and click “Sign Up Free.”
2. Enter your email address, username, and password.
3. Check your email for the activation link and click it.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your account. This includes providing your business name, address (required for compliance with anti-spam laws), and industry.
5. Choose a plan. The free plan is a great starting point, but you might need to upgrade as your list grows.

Once your account is set up, you’ll be taken to your Mailchimp dashboard.

Pro Tip: Use a business email address (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com) instead of a generic one (like @gmail.com). This builds trust and improves deliverability.

2. Building Your Email List

Now that you have your account, you need people to email! Building a quality email list is essential for effective email marketing. Don’t even think about buying a list – it’s illegal in many jurisdictions, harms your sender reputation, and rarely yields positive results. Instead, focus on organic list growth.

1. Create a signup form: Mailchimp provides various signup form options. You can embed a form on your website, create a pop-up form, or share a signup form link on social media.
2. Offer an incentive: People are more likely to subscribe if they receive something in return. This could be a discount code, a free ebook, a checklist, or access to exclusive content.
3. Promote your signup form: Make it visible on your website, social media profiles, and email signature. You can even run targeted ads to drive traffic to your signup form.
4. Comply with GDPR and other regulations: Always obtain explicit consent before adding someone to your email list. Provide a clear and easy way for people to unsubscribe.

To create a signup form in Mailchimp:

1. Click “Audience” in the left-hand menu.
2. Click “Signup forms.”
3. Choose the type of form you want to create (e.g., embedded form, pop-up form).
4. Customize the form to match your brand.
5. Copy the code and paste it into your website.

We had a client last year who was struggling to grow their email list. They implemented a simple strategy: offering a free guide on “Top 5 Marketing Mistakes” in exchange for signing up. Within a month, their list grew by 30%, and they saw a significant increase in website traffic.

Common Mistake: Not using double opt-in. Double opt-in requires subscribers to confirm their email address before being added to your list. This ensures that you’re only emailing people who genuinely want to hear from you and reduces the risk of spam complaints.

3. Segmenting Your Audience

Not all subscribers are created equal. Segmenting your audience allows you to send targeted emails that resonate with specific groups of people. This leads to higher open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. A IAB report found that segmented email campaigns have a 14.31% higher open rate and a 100.95% higher click-through rate than non-segmented campaigns.

You can segment your audience based on various factors, such as:

• Demographics: Age, gender, location
• Interests: What topics are they interested in?
• Purchase history: What have they bought from you in the past?
• Website activity: What pages have they visited?
• Engagement level: How often do they open and click on your emails?

To create segments in Mailchimp:

1. Click “Audience” in the left-hand menu.
2. Click “Segments.”
3. Click “Create Segment.”
4. Define your segment criteria using the available options.
5. Give your segment a name and save it.

For example, if you run a clothing store in Buckhead, Atlanta, you could create a segment of subscribers who live within a 10-mile radius of Lenox Square Mall and have purchased women’s clothing in the past. You could then send them a targeted email about a new collection of dresses.

4. Crafting Compelling Email Content

Your email content is what ultimately determines whether your campaign succeeds or fails. Here are some tips for writing effective emails:

• Write a catchy subject line: Your subject line is the first thing people see, so make it count. Keep it short (under 50 characters), intriguing, and relevant to the email content.
• Personalize your emails: Use merge tags to address subscribers by name and include other personalized information.
• Write clear and concise copy: Get to the point quickly and use simple language.
• Use visuals: Images and videos can make your emails more engaging.
• Include a clear call to action: Tell people what you want them to do (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” “Download Now”).
• Make it mobile-friendly: Ensure your emails look good on all devices.

Pro Tip: A/B test your subject lines and email content to see what resonates best with your audience. Mailchimp offers built-in A/B testing functionality.

5. Automating Your Email Marketing

Automation can save you time and improve the effectiveness of your email marketing. Automated emails are triggered by specific events or actions, such as:

• Welcome emails: Sent to new subscribers when they sign up for your list.
• Abandoned cart emails: Sent to people who added items to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase.
• Thank you emails: Sent after a purchase or other action.
• Birthday emails: Sent on subscribers’ birthdays with a special offer.
• Re-engagement emails: Sent to subscribers who haven’t engaged with your emails in a while.

To create an automation in Mailchimp:

1. Click “Automations” in the left-hand menu.
2. Click “Create Automation.”
3. Choose the type of automation you want to create (e.g., welcome email, abandoned cart email).
4. Configure the trigger and schedule.
5. Design your email content.
6. Activate the automation.

We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. We set up an abandoned cart email sequence for an e-commerce client. The first email was sent one hour after the cart was abandoned, offering a 10% discount. The second email was sent 24 hours later, reminding the customer about the items in their cart. The third email was sent 48 hours later, offering free shipping. This resulted in a 15% increase in recovered sales.

6. Measuring Your Results

Tracking your results is crucial for understanding what’s working and what’s not. Mailchimp provides detailed analytics that allow you to monitor key metrics, such as:

• Open rate: The percentage of subscribers who opened your email.
• Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of subscribers who clicked on a link in your email.
• Conversion rate: The percentage of subscribers who completed a desired action (e.g., made a purchase).
• Bounce rate: The percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered.
• Unsubscribe rate: The percentage of subscribers who unsubscribed from your list.

To view your reports in Mailchimp:

1. Click “Reports” in the left-hand menu.
2. Select the campaign you want to analyze.
3. Review the key metrics and identify areas for improvement.

By analyzing your results, you can identify what’s working and what’s not. For example, if you notice that your open rates are low, you might need to experiment with different subject lines. If your click-through rates are low, you might need to improve your email content or calls to action. A recent Nielsen study showed that businesses that regularly analyze their email marketing data see a 20% increase in ROI compared to those that don’t.

Common Mistake: Ignoring your unsubscribe rate. A high unsubscribe rate is a sign that something is wrong. It could be that you’re sending too many emails, your content isn’t relevant, or your subscribers are no longer interested in your products or services. Address the underlying issue to prevent further unsubscribes. For more on this, read about marketing retention’s silent killer.

Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. While it takes effort to set up and manage, the potential return on investment is significant. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create effective campaigns that drive results. Now go forth and build those relationships!

If you’re looking for a more in-depth look at Mailjet email marketing, we have a detailed guide.

To ensure your emails reach the inbox and not the spam folder, you’ll also want to pay attention to fixes for better email marketing results.

And remember, as we head towards the future, email marketing is still your revenue machine.

Stop endlessly tweaking your website and hoping for a miracle. Implement these email marketing strategies today and see a tangible boost in your business within weeks. I guarantee it.