Email Marketing For Dummies

Learn how to improve your email marketing list here by checking out out guide to email marketing for dummies! Learn the latest trends and tips here!

It's okay.

Clicking on a headline titled "Email Marketing For Dummies" doesn't make you a dummy.

Like most online marketing, email marketing has an inherent learning curve.

But once you have the basics down, you'll be ready to harness the power of one of the most powerful channels for lead generation.

By starting with and implementing the fundamentals of email marketing, you'll soon be able to respond to an "email marketing for dummies" statement with an expert follow-up.

Email marketing for dummies

So, what is email marketing exactly?

Simply put, it's the transmission of a commercial message via email to a large group of people (and hopefully future customers).

Email is used for a variety of marketing purposes, such as sending advertisements, making business requests, and canvassing potential sales.

But email marketing is also a critical tool to implement when trying to build customer loyalty, increase trust, and raise brand awareness.

Now that we have that covered, let's move on to how to improve your email marketing list.

In this email marketing for dummies post, you will learn what you should and shouldn't do when growing your email marketing list.

Finding contacts

This section should be prefaced with a warning: be wary of using purchased email marketing leads.

Consider receiving a telemarketing phone call when you're sitting down for dinner (if it's helpful, imagine you still use a landline phone).

You may ask yourself, how did they get this number and why are they trying to contact me?

The individuals in a purchased marketing list are no different. They didn't invite your email so chances are good they won't open it, let alone respond to your clever call to action.

After all, email marketing for dummies isn't referring to the people on the marketing list.

It should also be noted that you may be banned from sending emails if a high number of people unsubscribe from your emails or flag them as spam.

With that warning heeded, consider dipping into your personal contacts list to help grow your marketing list.

Life on social media and life as a professional often intertwine, so it isn't unreasonable to consider mining your contacts for marketing purposes.

To help build your list, try exporting your contacts from the following:

• LinkedIn

• Facebook

• Gmail

• Microsoft Outlook

Using already existing contacts is a great way to build a comprehensive list of both personal and professional contacts.

Opt-in forms

The dreaded opt-in pop-up.

You've seen them, and it's not unlikely that you've tried your best to close it as quickly as possible.

A successful opt-in form is a nuanced thing. If it's too intrusive, you risk not gaining leads. Or worse, you risk damaging your brand's reputation.

Below you will find your email marketing for dummies guide to implementing an effective opt-in form:

Timing is everything

While a middle screen pop-up will surely grab someone's attention, they can be overbearing and intrusive.

When developing the design and function of your opt-in form, it's important to consider the user experience.

Allow the user to peruse your website for a bit. This allows them to get a feel for what you're all about before they get bombarded with offers and requests.

Try displaying the pop-up after the user has been given the chance to form a first impression.

Design is everything, too

As previously mentioned, an opt-in form shouldn't assault your website users.

First and foremost, the design should remain consistent with your website theme and it's content.

If possible, the form should even mimic the rest of your website and integrate seamlessly into the user experience.

First impressions are huge. Now that you've avoided making a bad one with an immediate and invasive pop-up, keep the ball rolling with a well designed opt-in form.

Furthermore, keep it simple and don't ask for too much information. Remember, you're just trying to get their email address.

Content is... super important

Don't lead your potential customers astray with offers that don't make sense.

The content of your opt-in form should add value to what you're already doing.

Also, remember, you're giving something in return for a person's email address.

The content of the opt-in form should entice the user to provide something (their email address) in exchange for something of value (such as a free give away or entering a contest).

Create a lead magnet and landing page

If you haven't already, create an effective lead magnet and associated landing page.

But let's back up, since this is email marketing for dummies, after all.

A lead magnet is a piece of content (such as an ebook or white paper) which offers a specific value in exchange for contact information.

A landing page, on the other hand, is a page on your website which is accessed by clicking on a hyperlink found elsewhere (such as on an opt-in form).

Your lead magnet should make the reader want to give you their information in exchange for what you're offering. With that in mind, it's important that the content of the lead magnet aligns with your brand.

Your landing page, alternatively, is all about converting traffic into prospective email marketing list contacts (and eventually customers, if all goes well).

An effective landing page will be simple and feature a clean design.

You already have the prospect there on the page, it's best not to distract them from the task at hand.

What now?

Now that we've covered the basics of email marketing for dummies, set forth and implement what you learned from this post.

There is no sure-fire way to convince people to give you their personal information. But there are plenty of ways to entice them.

Remember, keep consistent with your brand and keep your goals clearly defined.

Once you've started building your email marketing contact lists, start looking at the data.

Evaluate what is working and what isn't, and make the appropriate changes.

Some of it will require trial and error.

But by analyzing the performance data, you'll have a better shot at landing that lead the first try.