Generating leads is only the first step in building your business. You must also convert those leads into paying customers. One of the most effective ways to accomplish that goal is through the use of email marketing. While email marketing may seem like a fairly forthright matter, there is some art to the process. Here are some five simple steps to help you on your way with successfully nurturing your email lists:
- Choose an end goal – As with any other activity in life, it is essential to have an end goal before even starting the process. With emails, you or your marketing team must decide what each one is intended to do. Some more common examples of goals include making a sale, downloading content or scheduling an appointment. Of course, depending on the nature of your business, there are any number of other sensible goals.
- Determine the timing – Nurturing an email list is an iterative process. Your first emails will be merely exploratory – determining the needs of your potential clients – or expository – explaining to them how you can meet their needs. Once the ice is broken and the potential client offers feedback on the email, you can move on to the second step, whatever that may be. To this end, it is essential to send the various emails in the proper order and to allow clients enough time to respond for maximum effect.
- Create your content – In a similar vein, it is absolutely essential that each email be crafted towards a specific and well-defined goal. The “shotgun” approach – where a single email is created with everything you have to say about a product or service – does not work nearly as “telling your story” over multiple emails each detailing a specific aspect of the product. Also, this strategy allows you to keep the emails relatively short ensuring a better chance that the prospect will actually read it.
- Craft the subject line – As the old adage says, “Nothing succeeds like success.” So, develop several subject lines for each email and then A/B test them on a small segment of your list. Then use the one with the best response rate. Also, be sure that it actually relates to the subject matter in the body of the email. No one likes “bait and switch” tactics. Not only will this email be deleted but your future ones may even get blocked.
- Automate the process – Some extra effort at the beginning of the process to automate the delivery of emails will save you an enormous amount of time in the future. Start by double-checking the content, the order and the timing of each series of emails. In addition, trigger the the email series with a specific starting action like filling out a form or downloading a pdf. This automation lightens the load on you and your team especially as it relates to the beginning of the cycle. You can then concentrate on closing those customers who have shown a significant degree of interest in your product or service.
For more details information on successfully nurturing your email lists, please contact us at Touchline Marketing. Find us online at touchlinemarketing.com.
