There are many channels you can use to reach out to your potential customers, but email marketing remains one of the most powerful. Of course, if you know how to leverage it.

Not all emails lead to conversions, and many of them are not even opened, but go straight to the trash. 

So, whether you’re just starting your journey to leveraging email marketing to boost your sales or you’ve tried it before and it didn’t work, there are key strategies you may have been missing.

In this article, we explore effective strategies to help you get the most out of email marketing.

1. Building a strong email list

Before you even do anything, one of the first things to do is build a robust email list. This is the fundamental step that sets the stage for successful marketing. Therefore, it can’t include just any random addresses. 

The list should be made up of contacts that are genuinely interested in your product or service to ensure that your message doesn’t come across as spam and has a higher chance of appealing to your audience. 

After all, emails are the only platform where you, as a digital creator, have full control of the audience that will see your content, and the more engaged this audience is, the better results you can expect from your marketing efforts. 

Here are some effective strategies to help you build a robust and engaged list:

• Use ebooks, templates, discounts, or downloadable guides within your content to encourage readers to provide their emails in exchange for their sign-ups.
• Place prominent opt-in forms on your website, particularly on pages and blog posts that get the most views. 
• Add pop-ups, slide-ins, and exit-intent forms that can catch the eye and prompt your visitors to subscribe before leaving your site.
• Leverage your social media presence by promoting your lead magnets and offering exclusive content to your followers. Direct them to dedicated landing pages where they can sign up for your email list. You can kick-start your social media followers with BuySocialMediaMarketing

Building a mailing list isn’t a quick process. It requires time and consistent effort. Moreover, it’s not a one-time procedure. You will need to put in the effort to grow this list so that it continues to expand and evolve alongside your digital presence. 

Just in case you’re wondering if you can buy a list to boost conversions, we want to warn you against it. These lists usually contain random selections of emails, which means they will not deliver the expected results. Even worse, it will lead to a high unsubscribe rate, negating all your marketing efforts.  

LEARN: How to Grow Your Email List From Scratch as a Digital Creator

2. Creating engaging email content

Once you have a growing mailing list, it’s essential to think about the type of content you want to share with your subscribers.

Content is king. And while this may sound like a cliche, it couldn’t be more true when it comes to emails. If your emails don’t look attractive and valuable, even the most motivated customer can eventually get bored and decide to opt-out. 

Let’s see what you can do to increase the level of engagement with your customers. 

• Divide your subscribers into segments based on interests, demographics, and engagement levels. By doing so, you can tailor your content and offers to each group’s specific needs.
• Use compelling subject lines that pique curiosity, offer a benefit, or create a sense of urgency. Experiment with different styles and A/B testing to find out what resonates best with your audience. 
• Address your subscribers by their first names and use conversational language to establish a personal connection. To engage readers emotionally, you can also include storytelling, which will help make your emails more relatable. 
• Enhance your emails with visually appealing images, videos, or GIFs. Visual content grabs attention and helps convey your message more effectively. 
• To ensure your emails make a lasting impression, consider utilizing professional PSD to email conversion services. Converting your PSD designs to email templates ensures that your emails have a visually stunning and consistent layout across various email clients and devices.
• Conduct A/B testing to find out which layouts and CTAs work best to identify the most effective combinations. Regularly test and refine your approach based on metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. 

LEARN MORE: How to Write Great Emails to Sell Out Your Products

3. Nurturing relationships and driving conversions

The next step is to build a marketing strategy focused on developing relationships with your subscribers. This is the key to driving conversions and growing your business.

When people recognize your brand and find the content you send valuable, they are more likely to take the desired action rather than simply close your email or trash it.

This rule also works effectively in social media marketing. Your goal is to offer value to the customer. 

Here are a few strategies to help you achieve this goal:

• Create a series of emails to greet and onboard new followers. Use it as an opportunity to introduce yourself, provide a warm welcome, and show your readers what makes you different and unique.
• Focus on delivering content that educates, entertains, or solves the problems of your subscribers. People love when brands share their expertise or offer valuable tips or advice. This keeps them engaged and creates a sense of trust and loyalty to your brand.
• Set up automated email sequences based on user actions or specific triggers, such as a completed purchase or a certain time since their last interaction. By sending emails at the right time, you can increase engagement and the likelihood of a conversion. 
• Use compelling call-to-action (CTA) buttons that stand out and encourage your followers to take action. Make sure they communicate a clear message that is the same across all your channels. 
• Build trust and credibility by showcasing social proof, such as customer testimonials, success stories, or positive reviews. Sometimes, all subscribers need is that extra reassurance. 

LEARN MORE: Email Nurturing: How to Turn Leads into Customers

4. Optimizing email campaigns for success

Now that you’ve set up your emails and have a strong strategy in place, keep a close eye on your analytics.

How your emails are resonating with your audience and whether they need any improvement can be tracked by analyzing metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribe rates. 

Sure enough, you can’t stop people from unsubscribing, and there will always be someone who will opt out, but the number of subscribers shouldn’t exceed a threshold of 0.5%. 

Aside from tracking metrics, it’s also important to regularly clean your mailing list. If you find that some subscribers have been inactive for a long time, there’s no need to keep them in the system. Instead, focus on those who are interested in your content. This will not only help maintain a healthy deliverability rate but also improve your engagement metrics. 

It goes without saying that your emails should also be optimized for mobile devices. With over 6.6 billion smartphone users worldwide, it’s best to ensure that your content is accessible and visually appealing on smaller screens.

Here’s what you should do:

• Don’t use too many elements in one email so it doesn’t look cluttered and difficult to read.
• Keep your lines interesting but short. Any line that is longer than 50 characters runs the risk of going unnoticed on a smartphone screen.
• Add emojis. Emails with emojis in subject lines tend to have up to 56% higher open rates than those without them. 
• Use ample white space to improve readability and ensure that buttons and links are easily clickable. 
• Optimize your images so that they don’t take ages to upload. 
• Include alt text in all images to ensure that readers get the message even if the image doesn’t display. 
• Choose a legible font and a font size of at least 14 pixels.

Remember, email marketing is an iterative process. It’s not something you do once and expect immediate success. Continuously test different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, CTAs, content length, and visuals. A/B testing allows you to make data-backed decisions and optimize your emails for higher engagement and conversions. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Email Marketing

We’ve shared the best practices to incorporate into your email marketing strategy, but it’s also important to mention the common pitfalls, so you can recognize and avoid them. 

These are some common email marketing mistakes to avoid;

• Don’t bombard your subscribers with too many emails. They can be as educational and engaging as possible, but if you send them every other day, your readers can get bored easily.
• Don’t keep subscribers that don’t engage in your mailing list. While quantity is important, quality comes first when it comes to EM success. 
• Don’t use generic, one-size-fits-all emails. People don’t like to be treated as a mass and on receiving emails like this are more likely to skip them. 
• Don’t ignore analytics. Failure to analyze the performance of your EM campaign and understand subscriber behavior can hinder the success and growth of your efforts. 

Integrating Email Marketing With Other Channels

To reach out to more people and maximize your impact, you should integrate your email marketing efforts with other digital channels. 

Here’s how;

• Use email to complement and amplify your social media and blog content. Share teasers, exclusive content, or behind-the-scenes insights via email to drive traffic and engagement on other platforms. 
• Create targeted emails to announce new product launches, special offers, or upcoming webinars. 
• Promote your podcasts, YouTube channels, or other digital platforms through your email campaigns. Make sure to include links to your latest videos or live streams, enticing subscribers to explore your content. 

Ready to Begin Email Marketing?

Despite an abundance of marketing channels, email marketing remains a highly effective strategy for you to connect with your audience, foster relationships, and boost conversions.

By implementing the strategies we’ve shared in this article, you can enhance your email marketing efforts and be more successful in achieving your business goals.

Remember, email marketing isn’t something that can be done and forgotten. It requires continuous optimization and refinement. So, make sure that you test your email elements all the time to find the most successful combinations that best resonate with your audience. 

With our guide, you’ll have a solid foundation to kickstart your journey as a digital creator and achieve success in connecting with your audience and driving conversions.

Author bio:
Dmytro Sokhach is an entrepreneur and the 6-Figure Flipper Club member. Founded Admix Global (web agency) that builds websites, makes them profitable, and sells them as a business.