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If you haven’t yet considered an email strategy for your business, it’s high time you did.

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If you haven’t yet considered an email strategy for your business, it’s high time you did. Not only can a strong <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/marketing/what-is" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email marketing</a> strategy help communicate your brand messaging and build brand trust, it’s also an incredibly effective tool for growing sales.E-commerce specialist<a href="https://brynleyking.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Brynley King </a>says it’s vital to ensure that digital marketing strategies aren’t limited to just social media and instead include owned channels like email.“With the endless changes of algorithms and updates of organic and paid traffic channels, focusing on your owned marketing channels that you can control is now more important than ever,” explains King. “Email is often the forgotten channel that is rarely executed well and a crucial part in connecting the acquisition and conversion stage of the buyer’s journey together."

Here are a few things to consider for creating emails that increase engagement and drive sales:

<h2>1. Segment your database to make it work harder</h2>What you put in your <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/tips" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emails</a> is important, but so is ensuring that your emails find their way to the right customers.“Segmenting customers into cohorts based on traits and attributes allows brands to tailor the messaging that makes everything seem more relevant,” says Adam Sharon-Zipser, managing director of <a href="https://elephantroom.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elephant Room</a>.When considering how segmented your list should be, King recommends getting specific.&nbsp;“My standard abandoned cart flow comprises a minimum of 18 emails that are heavily segmented based on new versus returning customer, cart value (for example, under $100 and over $100) and country (for shipping purposes). Every email that’s sent to a customer should be as specific to that customer as possible and on-point with your overall strategy,” she says.&nbsp;

<h2>2. Offer variety in what you send</h2>Many brands make the mistake of treating emails purely as a promotion channel, says Sharon-Zipser. “Many of them only send discount codes and incentivized campaigns to customers, which quickly leads to fatigue — and high unsubscribe rates and lower open/click rates.”

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“Many of them only send discount codes and incentivized campaigns to customers, which quickly leads to fatigue.”— ADAM SHARON-ZIPSER

Instead of only promoting products and services, look to increase sales in a more holistic way.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Sales will be derived from four key domains — promotion, aspiration, information and education. These are the pillars that the modern customer needs in a noisy and competitive environment to help build the trust to spend money with you and continue spending into the future.”For example, Sharon-Zipser says that an aspirational email might promote the kind of lifestyle that can be achieved with your products or services; educational emails would help them understand the benefits of your products or services; and informational emails could alert customers to new products or offerings.&nbsp;This is a strategy that has worked well for Australian linen brand <a href="https://bedthreads.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bed Threads</a>, according to founder Genevieve Rosen-Biller. After transitioning from one email a week that was purely product-focused to a three-pillar approach covering education, inspiration and information, she found traffic increased by five times on newsletter send days and saw a growth in sales the day after send. “You can't just whack three products in there and say, ‘buy our stuff.’ It has to be really considered content.”

“You can’t just whack three products in there and say, ‘buy our stuff.’ It has to be really considered content.”

Rosen-Biller says that Bed Threads sends three or four emails a week, including their flagship inspirational email “The Makers,” which profiles Bed Thread users, as well as emails that educate and inform customers on new products. “So we send up to four, in different formats, but are extremely flexible [on how many and what there are] depending on what's happening in the business.”

<h2>3. Prioritize deliverability&nbsp;</h2>With up to <a href="https://returnpath.com/newsroom/20-commercial-permissioned-emails-not-delivered-inboxes-united-states-canada-according-new-return-path-study/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1 in 5 </a>commercial emails blocked by spam filters, deliverability should be top of mind when creating <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/platforms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email</a>, says King.&nbsp;Your subject line plays a big part in this — avoid spammy words, exclamation marks, capital letters and sounding too salesy (which are all factors that most email providers guard against).&nbsp;Similarly, in the email itself, ensure you’re getting the balance right between images and text.&nbsp;“Many brands load too many images into their emails, which can trigger spam filters,” says Sharon-Zipser. “There are also concerns around accessibility if an email contains no text. Gmail has a file size limit of 100kb before it truncates the content, so good use of responsive HTML tables and some images is the best approach.”Want to check the deliverability of your email before you send? Try <a href="http://litmus.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Litmus</a> or <a href="https://www.mail-tester.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mail-Tester</a>.

<h2>4. Make use of automated campaigns</h2>Welcome <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/how-to-build-an-email-list-from-scratch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emails</a>, life-event emails, abandoned cart emails, win-back emails, even transactional emails — they’re all great opportunities to incentivize, remind and prompt purchase (or re-purchase).&nbsp;“Automation emails based on customer churn risk are awesome as ‘win-back’ campaigns,” says Sharon-Zipser.&nbsp;The best way to do this is calculate the average time between orders and build segments around the customers who haven’t spent within this timeframe. They’ll receive a win-back reminder or discount code, which may prompt them to spend again.&nbsp;According to <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com.au/blog/ecommerce-email-marketing-strategy/#the-11-ecommerce-email-marketing-campaigns-to-put-in-place-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Big Commerce</a>, sending an abandoned cart email can recover 15 percent of sales, and for some has increased online business revenue by 50 percent.Discounts can be an effective inclusion in win-back emails, but King also advises building engagement through curiosity and gamification. “For example, instead of revealing the sale you’re offering, use terminology like ‘Click here to reveal the deal,’ or gamification through offering 100-percent-off discount codes in emails to get as many subscribers clicking through your email, adding items to their cart and reaching the checkout [to discover their discount].”

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All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

Haven't considered an email strategy for your business? Now is the time

How to create emails that drive sales and conversions

How to create emails that drive sales

Want to create emails that convert? Read on.

It’s estimated that 4.03 billion people use email globally – over half the world’s population.“There are three times more email accounts than Facebook and Twitter accounts combined,” explains Leah Miranda, senior email marketing manager at email marketing platform Campaign Monitor. “It’s easy to get caught up thinking about other, newer mediums for marketing, but email is regularly producing return on investment (ROI) as high as XX making it one of the most effective to put your marketing spend.”While email marketing remains one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to talk to your audience, the way success is measured is in for a shake-up.In the past, open rates have typically been the key indicator of success, with the average open rate for all industries sitting at 18 percent, according to Campaign Monitor’s 2021 benchmark report. Click-through rates are another often-quoted measurement (and are 2.6 percent across all industries on average).

<h2>A new way to measure email campaign success</h2>However, a raft of privacy-focused changes, such as Apple’s recent Mail Privacy Protection Update (MPP), will soon make it harder for companies to view users’ IP addresses and track when emails are being opened.So, what does that mean for retailers, brands and small businesses? Miranda says that while it might “sound scary – don’t worry, email’s not dead. Apple’s MPP update is just another opportunity to help us reframe how we think about email marketing.”From now on, businesses need to start focusing on engagement – such as clicks to specific pages as well as conversions – rather than open rates.

Here are some email marketing tips on how to drive engagement – and conversions – direct from the experts:﻿

<h2>Focus on your audience</h2>“Ensure the content is customer-centric. This email is for them, not you, so deliver the content your customers want. In fact, I challenge you to surprise and delight your customers,” urges Miranda, who has learnt some useful email marketing tips during her time as Campaign Monitor.This is true for Shenae Boorman, email coordinator at online cosmetics retailer Adore Beauty, who uses the email platform Emarsys. “Our customer is always front of mind when creating our email campaigns. We A/B test [see below] almost every single eDM (Electronic Direct Mail) campaign to ensure we are always learning and creating a meaningful, engaging customer experience.”Ellie McDonald, head of social and email marketing at Are Media – Australia’s biggest magazine publishing business – agrees: “It’s critical to balance your intent and objectives with the user experience (UX) of the campaign itself.” She believes that “providing your subscriber with a bespoke content experience, personalized just for them, guarantees higher click-through rates.”

<h3>A/B test</h3>“From my experience, you should never make assumptions about your audience and always A/B test before making an informed decision,” recommends Boorman.A/B testing (once referred to as “split testing”) is when two – or sometimes more – variations of an email are shown to users at random to test which performs best. It’s one of the top ways to discover what works for your audience – and what doesn’t.McDonald also regularly A/B tests, particularly subject lines, noting that “learning from the performance of myriad subject lines will set you up for success for campaigns to come.”

<h3>Write effective subject lines</h3>“Fact: A subject line can make or break your campaign,” says McDonald, who names this among her chief email marketing tips. “Keep things short and simple yet descriptive – you can say a lot in just a few words! Take the time to finesse your subject line so it’s as informative as it is eye-catching. You need to motivate your subscriber to open your campaign above the rest of the emails they receive on a daily basis.”Gregory Zakowicz, email marketing expert at online marketing platform Omnisend, agrees: “Surveys have shown that 47 percent of people open an email based on subject lines. This goes for your superfans, too. The average consumer receives around 115 emails per day, so you need to pique their interest.”As part of her email marketing tips, Boorman recommends, Boorman recommends “utilizing pre-header space to include supporting messaging or create a sense of urgency. It’s also important to A/B test things like casing, emojis and personalization, and to make sure subject line length is checked across multiple devices.”Do:<ul><li>Keep it short – between 6-10 words, or 28-50 characters</li><li>Create a sense of urgency</li><li>Use relevant keywords</li></ul>Don’t:<ul><li>Use buzzwords</li><li>Look spammy</li><li>Be aggressive</li><li>Mislead your reader</li></ul>

<h3>Send from a known sender</h3>Given the Apple privacy changes, it’s even more crucial for email recipients to know who you are.“Be a known sender through a ‘from’ name your subscribers will recognize” advises Miranda. Pro tip: “Take it a step further and implement Google’s Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) to help your subscribers see your logo in Gmail.”To be a known sender, you need to authenticate your domain. If you use an email service provider, they’ll likely provide an authentication process for you – as Campaign Monitor does. If not, you may need some technical help to authenticate your email using either Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC), or all three. Google Workspace Admin Help provides detailed setup steps; however, this can be a tricky process.

<h3>Don’t use ‘noreply’ email addresses</h3>This is a straight forward email marketing tip, but one that cannot be underestimated. How would you feel if you were a valued customer receiving an email from “noreply”? Avoid “noreply” emails at all costs.

<h2>Optimize for mobile</h2>“Make the email responsive,” instructs Zakowicz. “Ensure your email translates well, no matter what device is being used to view it.”Miranda advises that the best way is to “create a mobile-first design to ensure your email looks great regardless of screen size. Balance your live text and images — aiming for a 60/40 split between your images and text. And don’t forget to add alt-text to your images to create a better experience if someone has their images turned off or they are using a screen-reader.”

<h3>Clear and clickable CTA</h3>Zakowicz has a number of email marketing tips but stresses the need for a “clear call to action (CTA). Including too many CTAs is confusing. So is including nothing at all. [You need to] clearly direct subscribers where you want them to go with an easy-to-find CTA.”“Optimize your emails to motivate your audience to click on [them],” advises Miranda. “Test button colors, placement and the number of clickable elements.”Pro tip: keep your CTA between two to five words, using active language and strong verbs – “Learn more” or “Read now.”

<h2>Use buttons</h2>Buttons are a top click-through driver, with Campaign Monitor reporting they can raise click-through rates by more than 25 percent.At Are Media, buttons are a tactic McDonald employs. “[Let’s] say you want to drive subscribers to redeem an offer on your website. I would create a clear, purposefully positioned CTA button instructing the subscriber to click the button to redeem said offer,” she explains. “There’s no need for ‘fluff’ when it comes to building eDM campaigns.”

<h2>Set clear goals</h2>“Businesses often ignore the strategy behind email and start sending out impersonal, unsegmented emails hoping it will work. So how do you build an effective strategy to grow your business or impress your boss?” asks Miranda.“First and foremost, define the goals for your email marketing efforts. Are you looking to increase sales or brand awareness? Acquire new customers or build stronger relationships with existing customers?” queries Miranda. “You need to make sure your email marketing objectives are clear and actionable.”From there, every email should have a clear goal. “At Adore,” explains Boorman, “it’s important for us to have a clear goal for each email campaign – whether that’s driving conversion for a specific category, creating awareness for newly onboarded brands or increasing traffic to our on-site content – as it’s essential in deciding which metrics to focus on and what type of content to include.”McDonald emphasizes, “It’s important to be clear about what you’re trying to get across and why you’re creating an email campaign in the first place. Setting your intention and objective for an email campaign from the get-go will help you hone in. A short, to-the-point and objective-driven eDM will maximize your open, click and conversion rates. Because, if you think about it, if the intent of your email isn’t clear to you, it’s not going to be clear to your subscriber, either.”

<h2>Set a content hierarchy</h2>“Create a visual hierarchy and sort your content,” instructs Miranda. “You can do this through colors, typographic hierarchy and white space, with dividing lines and colored backgrounds. Put your content in an inverted pyramid format, starting with the most important information. If you try to emphasize everything, you’ll end up emphasizing nothing.”

<h3>Be unique</h3>“I always tell my teams that the combination of data and creative intuition drives successful marketing strategies,” explains McDonald, who provides her team with a booklet of email marketing tips when they start. While I lean heavily (and quickly!) on past performance data – focusing on patterns across open rates, click-rates, opt-outs, sign-ups and bounce rates – I believe unique, bespoke content experiences really elevate a campaign above the rest of the emails flooding a person’s inbox.”

<h3>Ensure your emails are branded</h3>“Consistency is key. Hold fast to your brand guidelines. Your emails should be easily recognizable from your logo, fonts and colors,” advises Miranda.

<h3>Less is more – and length matters</h3>People only skim emails – they aren’t there to read a novel. Make it sharp, engaging and straight to the point.“Unless you’re running a long-form newsletter, your copy should be between 50 to 125 words. If you’re thinking that’s not enough, consider how long you spend reading a typical email, then apply that to your copy,” advises Miranda.

<h3>Segment your audience</h3>Campaign Monitor reports that “marketers have noted a 760 percent increase in revenue from segmented campaigns.”“Adopting segmentation is integral to producing a higher return on investment (ROI),” advises Zakowicz. “The options to segment are vast, from creating groups based on the subscriber’s geographic location or interests to their purchase behavior or engagement with your brand. Once segments are created and subscribers are assigned, your ability to send pertinent messages skyrockets.”Segmentation is key for Adore Beauty, as Boorman explains. “As a pure-play retailer with a number of brands, categories and price points, segmentation is critical to us. We want to make sure we’re delivering relevant content to our customers’ inboxes to drive engagement and retention. By using customer data to drive our segmentation strategy, we’ve seen significant uplifts across open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates.”Segmentation examples:<ul><li>Email engagement – open or click-through rates</li><li>Using past purchase history</li><li>Content interests or brand preferences</li><li>Stage of the sales funnel</li><li>Weather or location – e.g., promote jackets an unusually cold day; summer sales earlier in warmer climates t ; spring outfits when the sun comes out</li><li>Demographic information – e.g., age, gender, family status, occupation</li></ul>McDonald advises, “Utilize subscriber segments strategically. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to speak to every single subscriber on your database. Depending on your sign-up data capture, you can tailor content based on a subscriber’s age, location, engagement rate and more. Creating a bespoke, tailored email experience for each subscriber will boost click rates.”

<h3>Personalize</h3>Zakowicz stresses the importance of personalization. “There are times when the promotional email is suitable for everyone. But more often than not, emails tailored to a particular audience – such as a particular demographic or a group of customers with typically high average order values (AOVs) who haven’t purchased in a while – are more likely to engage. Research shows that 91 percent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers.”In fact, “63 percent of consumers expect personalization. Personalization can manifest through targeted promotional campaigns, such as an early autumn coat sale for subscribers living in colder areas , or a special gift for your most loyal customers,” he explains.At Are Media, McDonald explains, “Personalizing content for each individual subscriber optimizes click rates exponentially. Make your subscriber feel like you’re speaking directly to them, through tactics such as using their first name in your subject line. Adding a personalization tag in the subject line boosts engagement, too.”Using an email service provider (ESP), like Omnisend or Campaign Monitor, makes it easy to personalize emails.

<h3>Send a welcome email</h3>Miranda explains that one of the common mistakes businesses make is “not sending welcome emails to new subscribers.”“Your brand recognition will never be higher than at this exact moment, which is why welcome emails boast an impressive five times more clicks than regular email campaigns,” she explains. “Make the most of your welcome emails by creating specialized offers or setting expectations of what a subscriber can expect from your newsletter.”

<h3>Set up automated trigger emails</h3>Your welcome email or “welcome series” should be set up as an automated “trigger” email.“Marketers should prioritize automated messages (those immediately triggered by a user’s behavior, such as subscribing to the brand’s communications or abandoning a shopping cart),” explains Zakowicz.“Automated emails show an even higher rate of return, with less work required than manually scheduled promotional campaigns. [Our] customers sent more than 10 billion emails during the first half of 2021, and conversion rates for promotional campaigns were 6.82 percent, while automated messages converted at 33.19 percent.”Meaning “automations made up just 2.4 percent of sends but netted 32 percent of all email marketing orders,” emphasizes Zakowicz. “We can’t stress enough the immense power of workflows in addressing the customer at their point in the journey and thus driving sales.”Effective automated trigger emails:<ul><li>Welcome series</li><li>Abandoning cart series</li><li>Reactivating inactive subscribers series</li><li>Product refills series</li></ul>At vintage clothing retailer Restated Vintage, customers are sent an automated “thank you” email featuring a photo of the team after every order. “Things like that make the brand very personable to people,” says founder Ben Randall.

<h3>Include value-adds</h3>“To help separate yourself from the pack, highlight the additional value your company brings. Include features like free shipping, customer support details and extended return policies,” recommends Zakowicz when sharing ehr email marketing tips.

<h3>Manage your list</h3>He also advises keeping “a clean list.” Remove hard bounces (email addresses that no longer exist) and unsubscribers (if it doesn’t occur automatically). Removing unsubscribers from your list ensures your metrics are more accurate, and not removing them to keep email list numbers up is pointless.Zakowicz explains, “A high-quality subscriber list is important for keeping yourself off an email blacklist that blocks your messages. Since we can’t rid lists of non-openers anymore [due to privacy changes impacting the ability to see open rates], list-cleaning strategies should be formulated by analyzing other metrics that remain available, like click rates or purchase history.”As Miranda reinforces when divulging her top email marketing tips, “While list size and growth are important, it’s best to focus on engagement. I’d rather have 500 engaged subscribers than 500,000 disengaged people on a list.”Filter out inactive subscribers by sending re-engagement emails with a special offer to pique their interest. If that fails, consider simply asking whether they still want to hear from you.

<h3>Don’t buy lists</h3>“There is not enough space for me to list why this is such a bad idea,” says Miranda. “Grow your lists organically or through paid ads, because at the end of the day, you want people in your database that actually want to hear from you.”Invest in an email service tool“Using an ESP , like Campaign Monitor, is the best way to get the most out of email marketing” advises Miranda. “From beautiful email templates to easy-but-powerful email automation journeys and advanced campaign reporting, Campaign Monitor gives marketers everything they need to start sending engaging, personalized emails that get results.”

<h3>Utilize analytics</h3>She also advises using “tools like Google Analytics to track how many people are going to your site from your campaigns.”Google Analytics is free and an easy way to expertly track your click-throughs and the website traffic generated from your email campaigns.Implement a double opt-in and preferences centerHaving a double opt-in will keep your data cleaner and improve delivery rates as you avoid adding inactive or incorrect email addresses to your list.Pairing it with a preference center at the start of the funnel will enable you to segment more effectively immediately. Alternatively, you can offer preferences as an alternative option to unsubscribing.

<h3>Build an informed contact strategy</h3>“Create a comprehensive contact plan to help you determine the who, what, where and when of your email strategy,” recommends Miranda. “Map out the full subscriber journey, beginning with the top of your funnel, keeping in mind you’ll probably have several different funnels for different types of customers or subscribers.”The right email frequency is an important part of increasing and maintaining engagement, too, as is choosing the right day and time.“It’s important to take into consideration the long-term impacts of a high-frequency email calendar,” recommends Boorman. “At Adore, we’ve found it invaluable to utilize segmentation, audience testing and refining our contact strategy to find the sweet spot for our customer database.”However, Zakowicz reminds us that “since email is opt-in, you know you’re reaching someone who wants to hear from you, and quite regularly. More than three-quarters of subscribers want to hear from a brand at least once a week, while 51.9 percent prefer greater email frequency.”

<h3>Test your emails</h3>It may sound like a basic email marketing tip, but nothing deters readers more than a broken link when they want to click. Similarly, typos and mistakes distract readers. Proofread and test each email to ensure it’s responsive, that your subject line fits, that spelling and grammar are correct and that all links are working.You can also send a test email to free platforms, like mail-tester.com, which offer feedback on factors such as readability, image-to-text ratios and the likelihood that an email will get caught in spam filters.As McDonald says, “creating a successful email campaign truly is an art.” But if you can get it right, the benefits are endless – after all, there are over 4 billion people waiting to subscribe!

While email marketing remains one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to talk to your audience, the way success is measured is in for a shake-up.

Email marketing remains one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to talk to your audience. Read 25 tips to make your email marketing even more effective.

Email marketing tips: Read our top 25 email marketing tips 

25 email marketing tips to drive engagement rates and conversions

25 email marketing tips to drive engagement rates and sales

What is email marketing and why it should be high on your small business priority list

For brands and businesses trying to capture their customers’ attention in today’s all-consuming age of information, the number of marketing channels available can seem endless – and overwhelming.From TikTok videos to influencer campaigns to webinars and everything in between, when it comes to effectively targeting your audience it can be difficult to know where to start – or where to stop. While it’s no secret that&nbsp;<a href="https://venturebeat.com/2015/01/20/marketing-technology-innovation-exploding-1876-companies-in-43-categories/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">marketing technology innovation is exploding</a>, there’s one channel that continues to outperform the rest when it comes to return on investment (ROI), and it’s been generating the big bucks for brands since the ’70s. Enter: email marketing campaigns.Today,<a href="https://optinmonster.com/is-email-marketing-dead-heres-what-the-statistics-show/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;experts estimate</a>&nbsp;the average person checks their inbox 15 to 20 times a day, meaning email newsletters or offers is an integral part of any successful brand strategy. But what do marketing emails encompass, and why is it (still) so important? Let’s break it down.

<h2>What is email marketing?</h2>When asking, "What is email marketing?" be prepared for a variety of answers.&nbsp;Email marketing is the use of email as a direct channel to promote a product or service or build a relationship with your customers. Most often,<a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/beginners-guide-email-marketing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;it’s used to generate sales&nbsp;</a>or leads through the use of incentives or advertising material. Essentially, anytime a business sends an email that isn’t to confirm a purchase or respond to a specific query, it can be labeled as part of a broader email campaign and overall strategy.While marketing emails have been around for decades, the possibilities and segmentation opportunities within the field have evolved significantly, as have email marketing tools.Where email marketing was once used to send mass communications to a big list of subscribers, there is an increasing focus on personalization, and sending more targeted communications to subgroups like your VIPs.

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<h2>What are some common types of email marketing?&nbsp;</h2>The explanation to this question should always be followed by the elaboration that there are, in fact,&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.thomasnet.com/types-of-email-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;various types of email marketing</a>&nbsp;that brands can utilize to build customer rapport and drive conversions, including (but not limited to):The welcome email:&nbsp;Your customers will never be more interested or engaged with you than the moment they’ve just signed up to your email list. Therefore, your welcome email presents a crucial opportunity to build rapport right from the start with a catchy subject line and engaging content.<a href="https://www.invoca.com/blog/retail-marketing-statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Research shows that 81 percent</a>&nbsp;of retail shoppers start researching online before deciding on their purchase, and many brands use the welcome emails to start building a customer journey that is more likely to lead to a conversion down the line.The lead-nurturing emails:&nbsp;As the name implies, this type of email marketing strategy involves sending a sequence of strategically connected emails to gradually encourage your customer to take action. Lead-nurturing emails (or lead-gen emails) can be used within your marketing strategy to promote or sell your product or services – or they can help promote content marketing initiatives such as webinars or blog posts. It’s important to send the lead-nurturing emails at the right time to new email subscribers and monitor the open rate of these to ensure they're impacting existing or potential customers in the right way. For example, if someone has just signed up for your email newsletter, don’t assume they’re ready to buy. Start by adding value and building a relationship – send them some tips on how to dress for the season, use your product or keep their pet healthy. When you’ve gained an understanding of what piques their interest – and built a relationship – you can start notifying them of the products or services you can offer.Transactional emails: These are targeted, singular emails triggered by an action your customer has taken onsite, such as confirming an e-commerce purchase and providing shipping details or confirming an appointment booking with the time and date. They tend to have a high click-through rate (CTR) because customers know they’re coming and value the information provided.The newsletter:&nbsp;One of the most common email marketing campaigns, newsletters are a great way for brands to stay top of mind among their customers. Many retailers use newsletters to showcase their bestselling products and discount items or offer adjacent content marketing (such as tips and advice stories or interviews with people aligned with the brand). Meanwhile, service providers often use e-newsletters to showcase employees, share company updates or announce special discounts.The abandoned cart email:&nbsp;These are automated emails designed to re-engage customers by reminding them of the items they were interested in. When done well, they can be an excellent way for retailers to recover lost sales –<a href="https://www.barilliance.com/cart-abandonment-rate-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;research has shown that 10.7 percent</a>&nbsp;of shoppers will complete their purchase after opening an abandoned cart email. This can be done with a clear subject line and quick note that the product is still available.&nbsp;

<h2>Is email marketing worthwhile for your business?</h2>To put it simply, yes. Here’s why:It’s personal:&nbsp;Your customers want to feel seen, heard and special, and no channel can achieve this like email. Research shows personalized emails can increase revenue by<a href="https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-new-rules/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;as much as 760 percent</a>. In an era of oversaturation, personalization is a marketer's secret weapon. Alana Pozzebon, senior global media manager at luxury fashion label Stella McCartney, says email offers an unparalleled level of relationship-building compared to other channels.“Email marketing offers a direct conversation channel between a brand and a consumer. We can use promotional content to speak with an individual, rather than at them, unlike other platforms like print and even social media. Receiving an email addressed specifically to you, with a special discount offer for your birthday along with recommendations based on previous purchases, is a powerful customer experience.”It’s cost-effective and scalable:<a href="https://www.litmus.com/blog/infographic-the-roi-of-email-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Studies show</a>&nbsp;that marketers receive a staggering $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing and that email marketing has a c<a href="https://www.smartinsights.com/ecommerce/ecommerce-analytics/ecommerce-conversion-rates/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">onversion rate of 2.3 percent</a>,&nbsp;compared to 1 percent for social media. Unlike print or social campaigns, you don’t have to pay exorbitant fees to a third-party platform for their space or audience because you’re sending direct communications to your own. You can decide how much you want to spend on your email marketing, whether that’s hiring a dedicated email specialist and graphic designer, paying for high-proficiency software or simply doing it yourself.Sabri Suby, author of<a href="https://selllikecrazybook.com/free/?gc_id=1693741401&amp;wickedsource=google&amp;wickedid=381832564308&amp;wtm_term=sell%20like%20crazy&amp;wdevice=c&amp;wtm_campaign=1693741401&amp;wtm_content=63483057822&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI9kIxB5whmJ8jqQldMRnNfZJqc2Tzp2emZUt1xAjd2vMuNfHMv41PsaArHiEALw_wcB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://selllikecrazybook.com/free/?gc_id=1693741401&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI9kIxB5whmJ8jqQldMRnNfZJqc2Tzp2emZUt1xAjd2vMuNfHMv41PsaArHiEALw_wcB&amp;wdevice=c&amp;wickedid=381832564308&amp;wickedsource=google&amp;wtm_campaign=1693741401&amp;wtm_content=63483057822&amp;wtm_term=sell%20like%20crazy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sell Like Crazy </a>and founder and head of growth at leading marketing consultancy<a href="https://kingkong.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> King Kong</a>, says: “Email is the engine that’s generated millions of dollars for my marketing business. It can sell to 10 people as easily as it can to 100,000 people. In other words, it scales! I once spent 30 minutes writing an email, which has made AU$467,163 to date. Thanks to the power of email marketing and automation, this one email has been a workhorse that keeps grinding to bring in revenue, with no further input from me.”It can reach a vast audience: Profitability and personalization aren’t the only benefits that email has over other marketing channels – it can also reach the most people. Having an active email address is the prerequisite for an account on any other digital platform, so in effect, it’s the currency of the internet. Research shows that<a href="https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/consumers-want-email-from-brands-do-it-well" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 61 percent of consumers</a> choose email as their preference for hearing from brands.Chad S. White, head of research at Oracle Marketing Consulting and author of<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Email-Marketing-Rules-Checklists-Frameworks/dp/1546910638/ref=asc_df_1546910638/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=347664591317&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=2196816164576066377&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=1000339&amp;hvtargid=pla-332228958185&amp;psc=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Email-Marketing-Rules-Checklists-Frameworks/dp/1546910638/ref=asc_df_1546910638/?hvadid=347664591317&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=1000339&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvrand=2196816164576066377&amp;hvtargid=pla-332228958185&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=googleshopdsk-22" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Email Marketing Rules</a>, says: “Email marketing gets headlines for being inexpensive and generating a really high return on investment. However, its greatest strength is that everyone has an email account – and that consumers prefer to hear from brands via email than through any other channel. And this preference for email has held strong in survey after survey for well over a decade.”It’s yours to control: In addition to having to pay to reach followers on social media, you’re also at the mercy of the platforms’ algorithms. “It is a huge risk to build a business on a platform owned by somebody else,” Suby says, pointing out that social media platforms regularly change their algorithms, which can affect your ability to reach your followers.&nbsp;It provides valuable customer insights: Email marketing is incredibly data-driven and measurable. With the right software, you can analyze click-through rates (CTR), bounce rate and conversion rate, and conduct A/B testing. The data you gain around the content or messaging that’s resonating with your email subscribers – and which campaigns convert – can be used to optimize your marketing activity across all channels.

<h2>How to get started with email marketing</h2>We know why email marketing campaigns are worthwhile for your business, but it’s important to look before you jump into this powerful channel. Here’s how to get started:Learn the law: Before you do anything, it’s essential that you have a comprehensive understanding of the data and privacy regulations for email marketing in the region that you’re sending to. The US must comply with the<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> CAM-SPAM Act</a>, while Australia, the UK and the EU must adhere to the <a href="https://mailchimp.com/help/about-the-general-data-protection-regulation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GDPR policy</a>. If you’re sending emails to multiple regions, you must tailor your practices to their laws, not the law of your origin country.Choose your email service provider (ESP): Next, you need an ESP to help you create and store your subscriber list, create an email template and provide your insights. There are a number of <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/platforms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email marketing platforms</a> that can do this, depending on your budget and the size of your email list. For example, early on, you may be focused on <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/how-to-build-an-email-list-from-scratch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how to build an email list from scratch</a>. Choosing the right ESP is important to optimize your email’s deliverability.<a href="https://www.salesforce.com/au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Salesforce</a> and <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/products/get-started-f049?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnJaKBhDgARIsAHmvz6cCcrVZlczn6cNN1uwsw7aAtJhFbzYCW7K3oiLK_qQIPPKcQMFeGkEaAhqREALw_wcB&amp;hsa_acc=2734776884&amp;hsa_ad=329183587108&amp;hsa_cam=963083038&amp;hsa_grp=51603737001&amp;hsa_kw=hubspot&amp;hsa_mt=e&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_src=g&amp;hsa_tgt=kwd-298569398281&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;utm_campaign=Marketing_MQLs_EN_APAC_ANZ_Brand-HubSpot_e_c_campaignid963083038_agid51603737001_google&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_id=329183587108&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_term=marketing_hubspot_EN" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hubspot</a> are among the bigger players in the industry, but there are plenty of options for smaller budgets, too. Suby suggests: “A great place to start if you have a smaller-sized list (under 10,000) is MailChimp, which has some of the best deliverability in the industry. Some other good <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/platforms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email marketing platforms</a> are ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, AWeber and Drip.”<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/how-to-build-an-email-list-from-scratch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">Build an email list</a>&nbsp;of the right people:&nbsp;Most ESPs will let you create a subscription form to embed on your website, and one of the easiest ways to drive sign-ups is by creating an offer or incentive, such as 10 percent off their next purchase. But remember, you’re looking for the right subscribers, who will increase your open rate, not just any subscribers.Pozzebon explains: “The quality of your leads is crucial in your capture phase. If you are actively recruiting people who are in the market for your brand, it’s going to be much easier to get your message across. Personalization is key here – ensure you quickly send new sign-ups a welcoming email to start building a positive relationship with your brand.”Define your goals and key messages:&nbsp;An&nbsp;mail capaign can deliver a range of outcomes – whether that’s nurturing new leads, re-engaging lapsed customers, announcing sales and discounts, recovering lost sales, or confirming a purchase or booking. Before you construct your email, make sure you understand which objective you’re focusing on. And, as White says, don’t be afraid of a bit of repetition.“New email marketers sometimes struggle with what to promote and what to say. It’s important to recognize that very few of your subscribers are going to read every email you send, so it’s okay to have some repetition. For instance, you can promote an offer and then promote it again the day before the offer ends, tweaking the initial message to emphasize the impending expiration. Or the primary message of your last email could become a secondary message in your next email. Just like in advertising, it pays to emphasize important messages through repetition with small variations.”Craft an engaging email:&nbsp;Your subject line and preheader copy will essentially determine your open rate. They need to be strong, punchy, engaging and informative.Once your audience is through the first hoop, the rest of the copy needs to be engaging and personable in tone – you’ve dropped into their private inbox, remember. Ensure key messages are communicated clearly, and most often, less is more when it comes to text or copy. Don’t waste their time with huge bodies of text and distract the reader from clicking through to your website. Following your subject and preheader, Suby says this sequence is best:Lead: Drag them into your copy by captivating them with an interesting statement or ‘pattern interrupt’ that jolts them to attention.Body: Fascinate them with a gripping or unusual story or example.Call To Action: Get them to click, share, buy or do whatever the primary call to action of your email is.Design also plays a huge part here. If you don’t have enough money in the budget for a graphic designer, most ESPs offer email templates, and platforms like<a href="https://www.canva.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Canva</a> make simple design accessible for everyone.Track and evaluate: An often-overlooked step in the email marketing process is implementing regular evaluation or analysis.&nbsp;Take time to examine your analytics and see what time of day people are most likely to open your emails, which subjects and preheaders get their attention and what kind of content keeps them most captivated. And – more valuably, what has the reverse effect? As White says: “Measure your negative performance metrics, not just your positive ones."

<h2>Do’s and don’ts for any email marketing strategy</h2>You’ll learn most of your marketing skills with experience, but here are a few do’s and don’ts to save you some potentially hard lessons in future.

<h2>Glossary</h2>Email service provider (ESP): A platform or service that enables brands to send emails to subscribers.Click-through rate (CTR): The rate at which viewers click on the link in your email message. It’s calculated by dividing the number of views by the number of clicks and multiplying by 100 to convert to a percentage. A high CTR means your messaging and content is effective and engaging enough to drive viewers to take action.Bounce rate: The rate at which viewers leave (or “bounce” off) your webpage without taking action. A high bounce rate is a sign that your messaging or content is not resonating with the people you’re driving to your page.Preheader: The short summary sentence of an email that shows up underneath the subject line. A strong opportunity to stand out in your customer’s inbox.A/B testing: A method used by marketers to compare two or more types of messaging delivery for the same campaign by sending it to the audience at random and comparing results.

Today, experts estimate the average person checks their inbox 15 to 20 times a day, and email marketing is an integral part of any successful brand strategy. 

What is email marketing? Read out step by step guide on why email marketing is important and ways to successfully implement it to your business. 

 Find Out How Email Marketing Works

What is email marketing (and why you need it)

Email marketing helps create a one-to-one relationship with your customers. ﻿Here’s how to increase sign-ups.

You’ve built a decent social following, and you’re hitting your impression counts, so is it really worth dedicating your precious time to building an email marketing list?If you want to increase your sales and develop a loyal following, then yes, says brand consultant Emma Sharley, who has worked with the likes of <a href="https://www.westfield.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Westfield</a>,<a href="https://nobodydenim.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Nobody Denim</a> and<a href="https://au.lespecs.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Le Specs</a>.“[With email marketing] you have a direct, one-on-one channel to the customer, and you own your database,” Sharley says, which makes the email marketing list immune to things like algorithms that can wreak havoc with social media followings.

“Email is where you can engage customers, tell a story about your brand and develop a relationship with them.”—

“For the clients we’ve worked with,” she continues, “email is the top channel in terms of conversion, but it’s more than just a sales driver – it’s where you can engage customers, tell a story about your brand and develop a relationship with them. It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase who you are, and you can start small and build over time.”Where, exactly, do you start?

<h2>1. Pay attention to pop-ups</h2>There are endless options for pop-ups and how to time when they appear, but for Ava Chandler-Matthews, co-founder of cult sunscreen brand<a href="https://ultraviolette.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Ultra Violette</a>, the look and feel is the top priority.“We made sure ours felt on-brand visually and had our tone of voice, because we didn’t want it to look spammy,” says Chandler-Matthews.&nbsp;Consider what might convince your ideal customer to sign up, suggests Sharley, as well as your brand positioning: A brand that wants to be seen as luxury won’t offer a discount, for example. “[A discount of] $10 off doesn’t really cut through anymore.”She adds, “Don’t have pop-ups on every page, because that feels like you’re being spammed” and advocates for transparency about what users are signing up for – will you be sending weekly, monthly or sporadic emails?

<h2>2. Polish your on-page sign-ups</h2>On-page sign-ups – which are built into the content on your website and sit there permanently, unlike pop-ups that appear and then disappear – are a different story. These you can have on every page, says Sharley&nbsp;“Make it easy for people, but make sure they’re subtle and in context, too.”Depending on what page it is, your sign-up call to action (CTA) could offer people sale previews, vouchers or a deep dive into what products you’re offering.&nbsp;Women’s fashion brand Reformation has their on-page sign-up high on the home page, with casual, conversational copy that invites customers to be an insider (“Get the scoop on all things Ref, including sales and new stuff”).On Ultra Violette’s website there’s a sign-up box at the bottom of every page, with conversational copy (“Join us! We’re super fun and we love your face”) that invites customers into their world.[2]&nbsp;

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<h2>3.&nbsp;Start a contest</h2>Offering discounts can work for some brands, but Ultra Violette chooses to go with contests, offering premium prizes instead. “We engaged with an app called <a href="https://www.viralsweep.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Viral Sweep</a>, which created a contest to win a year’s worth of sunscreen. Rather than increasing Instagram followers, it drives people to sign up to your email marketing list, and the results were really impressive,” says Chandler-Matthews.

<h2>4.&nbsp;Don’t forget the after-purchases&nbsp;</h2>It’s simple, which is why it’s often overlooked, but the check box that opts people into your list (most people do opt in, says Chandler-Matthews) or gives them the chance to create an account instead of checking out as a guest is valuable.“Is there something more you can offer them once they’ve purchased, like exclusive content, a bonus experience or a discount for their next purchase?” asks Sharley. But she cautions, “You need to make sure that you’re telling them the benefits of creating an account, otherwise they may just think they’ll be spammed.”

<h2>5. Partner with other brands for giveaways</h2>Approach like-minded brands (or mine your customer research data to find out where your market is also buying) to collaborate on competitions and giveaways, and you can both significantly increase your email marketing lists. “Our collaboration with Frank Body and Mejuri did really well for us,” says Chandler-Matthews. “We created a separate landing page to send people to from social media; when they signed up, they opted in for both our email lists.[4]&nbsp;We want to give back to people and don’t just want to be spamming them, and giveaways are a nice way to do that.”

<h2>6.&nbsp;Drum up pre-launch interest</h2>Whether you’re a product or service-based business, if you have a new offering launching soon that you know people will be excited about, capitalize on that interest by encouraging sign-ups (“Find out more!”).For example, you could offer updates (“Be the first to know!”) or early entry to a pre-sale. Create a separate landing page for it, too, so you can easily link to it from social media and Linktree, making it easier for people and creating another opportunity to sign them up.

“Understand why they’re coming to you and then tailor your content accordingly.”

<h2>7.&nbsp;Offer a freebie</h2>Create free content that your target market will likely want to get their hands on immediately, says Sharley, and you’ll tap into a whole new set of contacts.“Ideally you’ve done some market research and know who the customer is – you want to understand why they’re coming to you and then tailor your content accordingly.”Creating an e-book, PDF, master class, course or interview series to drive sign-ups is known as a lead-magnet strategy.You can continue to add content to your library, capturing emails for each piece people download (each freebie should have its own landing page that you can link to – landing pages focus on one thing only, which leads to higher conversion rates, and they’re easy to link to from your other channels).

<h2>8. Invest in paid social media</h2>“It’s important to do an audit of where your audience is engaging with you, so you can see where they might be willing to then sign up,” says Sharley.Paid ads on Facebook and Instagram can offer strong returns, particularly when you target people who have already visited your website (which you can do in the “custom audience” section), or when you run the ads in conjunction with a competition, lead magnet or discount.“Make sure there is a strong value-add that they’re receiving in return for providing their email address,” says Sharley.

<h2>9.&nbsp;Create experiences</h2>“Experiences or events, whether they’re virtual or physical, can provide a really lovely way for people to engage with your brand and offer an opportunity to capture email addresses en masse,” says Sharley.Whether it’s a webinar or master class on Zoom or an in-person experience, make it exclusive to subscribers. “The most important thing to think about is where does it feel natural for your brand, and how can you capitalize on that so it doesn’t just feel like a sales tactic.”

“Experiences or events can provide a really lovely way for people to engage with your brand.”

<h2>10. Turn it into a game</h2>Gamification is a fun way to attract potential customers who are weary of standard pop-ups that appear on most sites: spin to win an incentive, for example, using software like<a href="https://optinmonster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Optinmonster</a> and<a href="https://www.omnisend.com/features/forms/wheel-of-fortune/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Omnisend’s Wheel of Fortune</a>, while Sharley is a fan of layering referrals into gamifications.“A simple example is where your customers reach certain spend limits that then unlock particular rewards for both them and their friends who, when they get a referral code, can receive a discount.”

<h2>11.&nbsp;Ramp up referrals</h2>Word of mouth is always powerful, but unless they’re a superfan, most people will need a little encouragement to spread their positive opinion. Referral programs like <a href="https://smile.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Smile</a> and<a href="https://www.friendbuy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> FriendBuy</a> incentivize customers to pass on codes, which offer them and a friend a discount. Again, referral marketing programs often work best when layered with a competition, discount, lead magnet or incentive.&nbsp;

<h2>12. Expand your social posts</h2>Think of social media as the entrée, then offer the main course to subscribers. “When you have a social media strategy being deployed across Instagram, plan for something more that the customer could access from [signing up to] emails, like an interview series with experts, or a bespoke product for subscribers that has come from an influencer campaign,” says Sharley. “Always think about how you can tailor sign-up incentives to fit in with what you’re doing more broadly, and what value you can offer to people from signing up.”

<h2>13. Be careful with your content</h2>“You need to keep in mind that you’re talking to individual people; it’s easy to develop a content schedule and just drop it into a template, [but] that’s where it starts to lose relevance,” says Sharley.“Think of it as building a relationship and having a one-on-one conversation – you might be having a coffee, you might be at the supermarket together – and make sure that [your content is] conversational, inviting and human, not just a shipped-out piece of information.” This is where engaging content, done right from the start, goes beyond email acquisition and fits into brand loyalty. “It’s a fantastic medium, and a combination of analytics and creativity – you need to be testing content performance and subject lines and not be afraid to test new themes and new ideas.”

<h2>14. Optimize your Linktree</h2>Are you using your <a href="https://linktree.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Linktree</a> (or <a href="https://milkshake.app/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Milkshake</a> or<a href="https://tap.bio/@tap.bio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Tap Bio)</a> on your Insta to its full potential? These apps allow social media followers to click on your link in a bio and be taken through to various pages on your website.They are an often-overlooked opportunity to drive email sign-ups. Similarly, if your business has a Facebook Group, why not collect email addresses before new members are admitted to the group?

<h2>15. Inviting customers to give feedback&nbsp;</h2>Inviting customers to give feedback – including incentives for them to do so – can encourage people to sign up for updates, as well as generate brand loyalty and engagement, says Sharley. “Whether it’s in a formal manner like quarterly surveys on the brand, or just a simple invite for them to share their feedback, it’s a great way to get an understanding of what they want and tailor your lead magnets accordingly,” she explains.

<h2>16. Get timely</h2>Be flexible with your calendar. Sharley points out that recently, brands have used email to jump on lockdown announcements with offers of services and special offers. “Brands can provide immediate customer support or gratification via email – they’re able to turn on campaigns really quickly that offer customers something of value, like a gift with purchase or discount, at a time when it’s needed and appreciated,” she says.Sharley advises using social media to tease an offer that only email subscribers will have access to. It can be a tactical sales driver or goodwill, but email is the quickest way to get people to act.

Email marketing helps create a one-to-one relationship with your customers. Here’s how to increase sign-ups.

Discover our top 16 tips and strategies on how to build an email marketing list from scratch to drive more sales and build meaningful customer relationships. 

How build an email marketing list from scratch

How to build an email list from scratch 

How to build an email list from scratch – 16 tips and strategies

Unsure which email marketing platform is best? We’ve got you covered.

Email platforms have come a long way in the past few decades.Consider the last time you signed up for a brand’s newsletter - you were probably sent a beautiful, personalized welcome email, right?Maybe you clicked on a product in the email but forgot to finish the purchase. Maybe you subsequently received a friendly email reminding you that you’d left something in your cart. Perhaps you bought it - only to receive another email the following week featuring a great deal on a similar product.You’re left thinking, “How do they do ALL that?!&nbsp;Easy – with an email marketing platform. But not just any email marketing platform will do, and you will want to do your research to find the best email marketing platform for your business. The best email marketing platforms – or email service platforms (ESPs) – are designed to deliver the very best results from your <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/email-marketing/what-is" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email marketing</a> campaigns while simultaneously making it as easy as possible. The features, functions and possibilities are endless – the trick is choosing the right one for you.

Numerical Highlight List

Now that you know what to look for, we’ve rounded up nine popular platforms to help pick the best email marketing platform for you.

<h2><a href="https://www.campaignmonitor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Campaign Monitor</a></h2>Cost: Approximately US$9 per month (basic), US$29 per month (unlimited), US$149 per month (premier).&nbsp;Campaign Monitor doesn’t offer a free plan; however you can pay annually rather than monthly, or pay per campaign.Top feature Easy drag-and-drop design tools.&nbsp;Best email marketing platform for Teams wanting to create personalized emails with pre-designed responsive templates.&nbsp;&nbsp;What it is Campaign Monitor is one of the best email marketing platforms out there as an easy-to-use email service provider with all the standard features – template creation, list management, segmentation, analytics, A/B testing – with a focus on personalization.Best features The platform is designed for teams collaborating on email campaigns, with tagging and role-assignment functions, and the ability to integrate with 250+ third-party applications (including team collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams).It offers 80 pre-designed layouts and templates, with easy drag-and-drop design tools. The templates are all responsive and optimized for mobile, and they also offer a preview option for 20+ different inbox views.&nbsp;&nbsp;A key function for Campaign Monitor is personalization and meeting customers at a specific point in the journey. The visual marketing automation tool is great for mapping flows, identifying customer segments, and building targeted and automated email workflows.“What I like most about Campaign Monitor is that we can send really targeted emails to our customers,” said Brendan Downs, global webmaster at Rip Curl. “Girl-specific content, or guy-specific content – or we can even get more macro, [and drill] down to language and location.”Using their analytics and data, you can heavily segment and create a range of personalized content based on available information – such as age, location, purchase history, point of purchase, etc. There’s also an extensive library of resources available.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2><a href="https://www.omnisend.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Omnisend</a></h2>Cost Free up to 500 emails per month, approximately US$16 per month (standard), US$59 per month (pro).Omnisend’s plans are restricted by the number of contacts you have;&nbsp;however they all include international SMS, with the “pro” plan allowing unlimited emails and up to 3,540 international SMS to up to 500 contacts.Top feature Automations and segmentations across channels.Best email marketing platform for Omni-channel workflows that integrate email, SMS, push notifications, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and more.What it is Omnisend is an all-in-one marketing automation platform designed for e-commerce businesses. Focused on helping you reach customers throughout their journey, using different channels, it enables you to integrate email, SMS, push notifications, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and more into your workflows.&nbsp;Best features As one of the best email marketing platforms for segmentation, Omnisend allows segmented targeting across all your integrated channels. For example, some customers may not respond regularly to email communication, but they may to SMS. Omnisend allows you to create customized communication workflows to personalize the experience and communicate with your customers in a way that works for them.As well as offering customizable pre-designed email templates with e-commerce features such as the ability to include dynamic discount codes, the platform also offers pop-up and lead generation form templates. The automations library includes pre-built consumer journey workflows, with welcome, abandoned cart and transaction templates – enabling users to get started quickly.&nbsp;As Omnisend is heavily focused on e-commerce, their reports and analytics track sales to identify which campaigns convert so that you can build winning success strategies.&nbsp;

<h2><a href="https://www.sendinblue.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sendinblue</a></h2>Cost&nbsp;Free up to 300 emails per day, US$25 per month for up to 10,000 emails (lite), US$65 per month for up to 20,000 emails (premium).For anything beyond that, they offer an “Enterprise” plan with additional features on a quote basis.Top feature Automation capabilities and built-in CRM&nbsp;Best email marketing platform for Small- to medium-sized businesses needing a quick and easy marketing solution.&nbsp;What it is Sendinblue is an easy and intuitive all-in-one marketing and communication platform that includes email, SMS, Facebook, chat and CRM functionality. It focuses on helping you meet customers where they are, across platforms, with the goal of operating on “autopilot” with clever and extensive automation.Best features Sendinblue is one of the best email marketing platforms for it's skill in making automation “beginner-friendly” with pre-designed workflows, pre-made automation templates, and 60+ email templates.Similarly, the platform simplifies lead generation with their lead forms tools that you can use to segment leads into lists and create targeted workflows for – and Facebook retargeting features.Sendinblue also has a built-in CRM and a shared inbox to keep track of customer email history, which enables smart segmentation and automation functions, including using AI algorithms to select the best delivery time for bulk emails and A/B testing.&nbsp;The drag-and-drop email editor function, along with a range of tools for creating emails, is easy to use; however it’s worth noting that the emails on the free plan will have Sendinblue branding.

<h2><a href="https://www.privy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Privy</a></h2>Cost Free up to 100 contacts, paid plans start at US$15 per month and increase based on contact list size.Top feature Conversion tools – pop-ups, flyouts, coupons, spin-to-win wheels.Best email marketing platform for Small e-commerce businesses focused on lead generation.What it is Privy is an SMS and email marketing platform that’s one of the best email marketing platforms for e-commerce store platforms, as it focuses on converting and growing sales through your email marketing.&nbsp;Best features It is designed for generating online store leads and conversions with a range of targeting functions, unique features to run cross-sell emails and extensive automation capabilities.&nbsp;Automation options are designed specifically for e-commerce store needs – including automated newsletters, reminders, abandoned cart flows, purchase follow-ups and customer reactivation emails, as well as campaigns based on exit intent, cart value and behavior.With Privy you can create a range of intent-driven pop-ups and banners, including spin-to-win wheels. They offer unlimited segmentation and run automated A/B testing to find which messages convert, for both email and SMS.&nbsp;

<h2><a href="https://mailchimp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mailchimp</a></h2>Cost&nbsp;Free up to 2,000 contacts; paid plans from US$9.99 per month based on your contact list size.Top feature 300+ third-party integrations.Best email marketing platform for Beginners that need a good “freemium” plan.What it is&nbsp;Mailchimp is one of the most well-known email marketing platforms, with all the features you need: templates, segmentation, automation, personalization, A/B testing, lead-generation forms and CRM integration. It’s easy to learn and even easier to get started with the extensive free plan.Mailchimp also offers functions that enable you to build websites and landing pages, buy domains, create ads and post on social media, but email marketing is their bread and butter.Best features Mailchimp has more than 100 flexible email templates available that you can customize in their easy drag-and-drop email builder. They also have custom landing page creation tools.One of the benefits of Mailchimp is that you leverage their extensive learning. The company collects data from customers worldwide to provide predictive and actionable insights that you can use to design personalized customer journeys. And it offers smart audience management tools that allow you to set segmentation and autoresponder parameters with ready-made segments, as well as set up delivery times based on the user's time zone.Mailchimp accommodates businesses of all sizes, from start-up to enterprise, and has over 300 third-party application integrations – including WordPress, Magento, Shopify and other e-commerce stores – enabling you to integrate tools to suit your business needs.Keep in mind that the free plan does restrict what features are available to you, such as advanced segmentation and send-time optimization.&nbsp;

<h2><a href="https://www.klaviyo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Klaviyo</a></h2>Cost Free up to 250 contacts; paid plans start at US$20 per month based on the size of your contact list.Top feature Ability to send personalized product recommendations and dynamic content.&nbsp;Best email marketing platform for E-commerce businesses.What it is Klaviyo is an SMS and email marketing service designed specifically for e-commerce businesses. It has specifically designed functions and features to help e-commerce stores generate sales alongside all the standard email marketing tools – segmentation, automation, A/B testing, sign-up forms, analytics, etc.&nbsp;Best features Klaviyo has 120+ third-party integrations, including ShipStation and popular e-commerce store platforms. In particular, it integrates with social media platforms to support paid social media campaigns, which allows you to sync data to build “lookalike audiences” for Facebook and Instagram for lead generation. It also offers dynamic lead generation forms that you can A/B test to optimize and improve conversions.Klaviyo has pre-designed forms, and over 50 email and automation templates, as well as “saved templates” that give you pre-built layouts with your company’s logo included. Alternatively, you can create your own emails using their drag-and-drop design tool or plain-text editor.&nbsp;The platform also gives you the ability to send personalized product recommendations and dynamic content based on a consumer’s preferences and interactions.&nbsp;Reports and analytics are focused on business growth, sales, generating leads and converting. Klaviyo offers the same features for both free and paid plans, the only difference being the customer support that comes with a paid plan.

<h2><a href="https://www.drip.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Drip</a></h2>Cost 14-day free trial, plans start at approximately US$19 per month and increase based on the size of your contact list.Top feature Advanced e-commerce CRM.&nbsp;Best email marketing platform for More advanced e-commerce marketers wanting to further their automation and segmentation strategy.What it it Drip is an advanced SMS and email marketing platform designed for small-to-medium e-commerce businesses, integrating seamlessly with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Magento. Its e-commerce CRM allows for advanced personalization and segmentation, as well as offering revenue attribution and sales funnel tools.&nbsp;Best features The Drip e-commerce CRM enables you to learn more about your customers and build deeper – and more profitable – relationships through more segmented and personalized workflows and campaigns. It has a focus on customer acquisition, with customizable lead generation forms, and an understanding of purchase behavior so you can nurture customers.Drip offers intuitive and advanced automation tools, with clever segmenting, split testing and list grouping abilities. You can segment based on a wide range of criteria – clicks, purchase history, engagements, relevant promotions, first-time users, returning visitors, abandoned cart – and A/B test to find what works best.The platform has a visual workflow builder to help you create customized journeys and find purchase points, with a library of existing workflows and proven strategies you can try for yourself.After connecting your e-commerce platform, you can also activate revenue attribution to see which campaigns are actually converting to dollars and driving sales. Drip also integrates with a range of other third-parties, including Facebook.

<h2><a href="https://www.mailerlite.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">MailerLite</a></h2>Cost Free up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month, paid plans start at US$10 per month and increase based on the size of your contact list. Top feature Award-winning 24/7 support.&nbsp; ﻿Best email marketing platform for E-commerce businesses new to email marketing with a small budget. What it is MailerLite is a user-friendly email marketing platform focused on helping small-to-medium businesses grow with all the functionality needed for successful email marketing, including advanced automation and segmentation, promotional pop-ups and the ability to build landing pages. Best features MailerLite has a clean, easy-to-use interface and award-winning 24/7 support. It integrates with dozens of marketing tools and e-commerce platforms, enabling automatic customer segmentation based on the e-commerce platform data – such as first-time customers, high-spending customers, etc. It offers the ability to track revenue and evaluate how emails impact sales, as well as monetizing newsletters and selling digital products.&nbsp; The platform offers advanced tools to generate leads, attract visitors and turn them into subscribers using landing pages, pop-ups and embedded forms. You can also personalize campaigns using its advanced targeting features. And you can also choose between a drag-and-drop template editor, rich-text editor or custom HTML editor, and test campaigns in multiple ways to find what works. (MailerLite also has a template gallery on its website, so you can get a feel for the themes before signing up.&nbsp;

<h2><a href="https://convertkit.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ConvertKit</a></h2>Cost Free up to 1,000 subscribers, approximately US$9 per month (creator), US$29 per month (creator pro).Top feature Incentive emails for content upgrades.Best email marketing platform for Creators and e-commerce businesses wanting to drive engagement.What it is &nbsp;ConvertKit is an email marketing platform particularly aimed at creators – artists, musicians, authors, podcasters, coaches, entrepreneurs – and e-commerce businesses.Best features It is feature-rich with landing page and opt-in form functions, email workflows, automation, personalization, tagging and segmentation, as well as intuitive design capabilities.The focus is on automating your sales funnel by sending subscribers engaging content. In particular, the “incentive email” feature enables you to offer content upgrades and special incentives. There are also special features for selling digital products – such as podcasts and videos – and a paid newsletter and subscription functionality, with a referral template.&nbsp;CovertKit makes automation and segmentation easy with a visual automation builder that you can use to create advanced email rules, triggers and automated email funnels that convert visitors to purchasers. You can also create custom emails for individual subscribers, with funnel-driving landing pages.The platform also integrates with dozens of third-party applications, including e-commerce store and social media platforms, marketing tools, and payment methods.

And how to find the right one for your business

Are you looking for the best email marketing services? Read our guide to find the best email marketing platforms designed to deliver the best results.