Trying to break into email marketing? Here’s a cheat sheet.
Whether for-profit or non-profit, it never hurts to be a master of the fundamentals.
Per usual, Triumph received no financial compensation from the companies for writing this article. Straight from the heart, baby.
True to our word, welcome to the email marketing crash course we referenced in last week’s article. Didn’t think we’d come through? Hah, think again. Our example company today is Constant Contact, but there are several other great options on the market. So, in no way take this as a paid endorsement (‘tis not) nor as a slight to the myriad of other email marketing platforms.
Before we begin, we want to clarify that we’re not here to give an exhaustive study on email marketing techniques. There are entire companies that exist for that sole purpose, and they’re not nearly as endearing as Triumph. No, today we want to provide a barebones overview for the busy adventurer looking to get his toes wet.
Should you like what you see, we invite you to search out deeper and more nuanced resources and continue your growth journey. If you would like some suggestions, please feel free to Ask Triumph—the team would be happy to help.
Email marketing might be kind of annoying, but it’s also powerful. I mean hey, it’s only annoying because you notice the emails—hence the power. Traditional advertising might be able to get onto people’s television screens or social media feeds, but a proper placed marketing email will land right in their personal inbox. And once you get around the spam folder (like we discussed here), you’re only a few heartbeats away from the wallet.
Whether your adventure be a traditional business, non-profit, or some fun other third thing, the ability to simultaneously blast out to a large audience is of paramount importance, and email is a powerful avenue to those ends. When you need to rally the troops, sometimes a social media post just isn’t enough. You need something more intimate, more personal, and more targeted. You need a well-crafted marketing email.
And let’s not underestimate the power of a strong personal note. Every time you wish a customer happy birthday, happy holidays, or happy Tuesday—you raise the likelihood of them stopping by again.
Additionally, for our retail friends, remember that everyone loves a good deal. A casual 10% coupon in someone’s inbox may be just enough to push them over the purchasing edge. Never underestimate the power of the small things.
Now, let’s talk about some of the goodies available through one of the web’s largest email marketing platforms: Constant Contact. Oh, and, before we begin, if you’re a Triumpher who also uses Squarespace website hosting, your situation may be unique. Check out this link to see Squarespace in-house email marketing offers that may be even easier for you to integrate.
For the rest of the digital world, let’s hop in.
Constant Contact
Beginning with the basics, Constant Contact offers an extensive library of marketing email services and templates. From there, the company’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows users to upload custom media content and edit to their heart’s desire. Once complete, Constant Contact also allows programmable automated timing on emails. What does that mean? We’re so glad you asked.
Essentially, Constant Contact lets users pre-program a series of emails to send automatically (and strategically). For example, say you have a new customer use your shop and create an account. You can tell Constant Contact to send them a welcome email today, then automatically send them a follow-up offer next week, and then even send them a coupon on their birthday four weeks after that.
All of this, mind you, was set in motion with a few clicks on the day the customer signed up. Constant Contact automatically took care of the rest, so you could focus on more exciting things (though we’re sure your customer’s birthday was a blast).
Constant Contact also offers one of the easiest to use contact list functions in this industry space. You can automatically upload an existing list from Excel or Salesforce—or if you’d prefer to start from scratch—Constant Contact also allows you to build personalized profiles for every email on your list. Even something as small as putting a face to name can help raise your level of company service.
If any of this has at piqued your interest, you’ll be happy to know that Constant Contact offers a 60-day free trial. You don’t even have to put a credit card in to activate, which is almost unheard of with web applications. So, try the product out and see for yourself if it generates meaningful results. If it does, consider officially purchasing a monthly plan starting at $9.99. If it’s not successful, take a stroll back to the drawing board and consider looking over our article on Social Media Advertising avenues.
E-me, E-my, E-mail
The last two weeks on Triumph have definitely been more vegetables than dessert, but they will yield results if implemented well. Mastery of the fundamentals is what sends teams to the Super Bowl and, soon enough, will put your business above its peers. Keep fighting the good fight, keep doing the small things (like email marketing) with excellence, and trust us—sooner or later—you will see growth. And when you do, shoot us one of your fancy marketing emails. We’ll cherish it forever.
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
