These days brands are turning to social media as their sole marketing strategy (where Stevie from Stevie Says Social touched on in a previous blog for us here), and whilst we agree people need to definitely be across social media, it’s also important to have access to other marketing channels. This is where email marketing can play a crucial role in driving the message home, in fact, it’s a great way to work around those social media algorithms we’re all trying so hard to work with.
So, when we knew we wanted to talk about good ol’ email marketing, we called up Jacqui and Helen from Two Girls and a Laptop to share their almighty wisdom on the topic.
When it comes to the marketing mix, how important do you feel email marketing is to implement into a content strategy?
Really really important. We?won?t bore you with the stats, but not only?does email?marketing come in at #1 in terms of driving traffic to your website, the traffic from email converts at a much higher rate, and the average $ value of the sale is higher. Many of you may have heard that it typically takes 7 touch points with your brand before a customer converts. Reaching potential customers via email is an intimate and consistent way to nurture your audience, and once set up the cost for small senders is really only an investment of time.
Recently someone told us that ’email marketing is dead’ (cue silent eye roll), how would you convince them otherwise?
Errr?.?Who would say such things? Email?marketing may be dead the way it used to be, sure. These days you need to deliver value as you would to your social media followers. What?we mean by that is gone are the days?where you can promote, promote, promote and keep an engaged and loyal?audience.?You need to treat your subscribers like friends, add value, respect their time and?serve them well. The email relationship is more?intimate than social media, many people are quite fussy nowadays about who they will hand their valuable email address over to (I know we are). Email marketing?is not time based and your reach in most cases will be 100% (to the inbox). ?As an email sender you aren?t at the mercy of an algorithm to determine if someone will see your content, and for small biz owners, email allows the kind of personalisation we can’t create via other marketing channels (not for the same investment of time and resources anyways).
Now we will throw a stat at you? the?DMA Insight?states that 99% of consumers check their email every day and some as many as 20 times a day? as people who are in the business of selling, we like those stats!
For people who have NFI on how to start an email marketing strategy, where is a good place to start?
We are your people! Check out our?Email Marketing for Beginners Guide?for all the steps from choosing an Email Service Provider, Best Practice for growing your list, and what the heck to say!
What benefits can email marketing have on a business?
It?grows a special audience. Not only will they collectively represent more revenue for your business over time (vs. other audiences) but you may have noted before?that we mentioned ?intimacy’.?People are much more choosy about who they hand their valuable email address over to vs. who they are happy to scroll past on their social feed. If you’ve chosen the right niche and attracted them with the right lead magnet (which you will see via your subscriber growth)?they will be the warm audience you need to sell to.??They may not all buy from you, but many will become ?brand advocates? and recommend you as they get to know, like and trust you over time.
What type of content tips that would you recommend people to include in their emails?
- Have a plan: Most small businesses who are marketing themselves via social media have a?content plan (and if you don’t, we need to talk). We recommend that you actually create a digital marketing ?content plan? that encompasses all of your digital lead pipes. So you will have a line for Instagram (posts, stories, IGTV), Facebook (posts, lives, groups) , Website/Blog/, Email Marketing, LinkedIn, Twitter and so on. Also be consistent with your frequency, if fortnightly is too much go monthly.
- Be sure to deliver?content that brings your ideal customer pleasure or helps them to avoid pain, and highlight it in the subject header. This is going to depend on what your product or service is of course.?Get to the point and avoid the fluff, you?ve got like 3 seconds to capture peoples attention and be sure to include multiple links to drive traffic back to your website…cause this is where the magic happens (aka, conversions).
- Introduce yourself, your?business and tell them?your backstory. People love to see the face behind the brand.?They love to hear what?struggles/inspiration brought you to start your?business. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and honest,?people are over the highlight reel – they want real life. We?ve shared our struggles and mistakes and they are some of our most popular blogs.
Lastly, if someone wanted to kickstart an email strategy, what do you offer and how can they get in touch?
This interview has come at an?opportune time (thanks ladies!) as we are about to re-launch our new and improved ‘Email Marketing Bootcamp’ where we will teach everything you need to know to DIY your Email Marketing Program. Not only do we cover content, list growth etc. but also segmentation, sequencing and automations. You can join our waitlist?here.? If DIY?ain’t your ?thang’ and you just want some direct support we also offer 1:! Email Marketing Strategies, you can book a free discovery call?here?to have a chat about what you need.
So let us tell you a lil somethin’ somethin’ about the ladies behind Two Girls and a Laptop.
Jacqui and Helen are the??gals’ behind the laptop,?(they have two laptops but that name didn’t quite have the same ring ?).?They live with their families in Brisbane and collectively have over 35 years experience in business planning, sales and marketing. Their idea to help small business owners on business strategy (in addition to all things digital marketing) came about while working with their social media clients and realising that so many business owners had no form of?business plan. They work?directly with small business owners offering?tailored, personalised action plans?to help them to?define, create and implement their goals into actionable steps. They also offer?group?training?in the form of workshops and online courses specialising in Email Marketing and Social Selling.
We’ve personally invested in the help from both Jac and Helen, so we know these 2 know their shiz!
?Be sure to head over to their pages and check them out:
Instagram:?twogirlsandalaptop
Facebook: twogirlsandalaptop
Website: twogirlsandalaptop.com.au
If you have any questions or want to know more,?click here?and get in touch. Or check out the?services?page to see what?s on offer.
Alternatively, head over and follow us on?Instagram?and see what?s happening with us daily!
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