NOTE: You can implement EVERYTHING in this article and build your first email marketing strategy using this FREE Notion Email Strategy Template! 

As a small business, you can’t afford not to do email marketing for 3 reasons:

1. It’s the most cost effective marketing channel. It’s significantly cheaper than running ads, social media marketing, sms marketing, television ads and more. Plus the software is accessible and many platforms offer a free trial or free plan for up to 1,000 subs. ➡️ Learn more about platforms I Love & which is best for you here.
2. You need to own your leads & customer data. Growing social media accounts & influence is important, but at the end of the day you do not control the algorithms. If these apps go out of business, you will also lose access to this audience which could put you out of business as well.
3. Standing out on social media is a struggle compared to an email inbox. On social media you’re competing with millions of small businesses who want your customers' patronage and loyalty. But with email marketing, you may only compete with a few dozen other businesses — making it significantly easier for you to grab their attention and generate a sale.

While sales are important, email marketing is generally a way to nurture leads & educate them on your brand. When you do this well, it will boost conversions as a by-product. 

The key is to share valuable and insightful content that’s engaging & emotionally provoking. Valuable content simply means sharing things your audience wants to see - case studies, sales, newsletters, how to use something, blog updates, YouTube videos, company milestones etc.

But before you can do any of this, you need an email strategy.

Email strategy breakdown for beginners 

An email marketing strategy is a plan of action designed to promote products or services, build relationships with customers, and drive engagement through email communication. 

NOTE: I created a 15 step 6 figure email marketing strategy and gave it away 100% FREE here.

With an email strategy you outline 6 key components:

• How you’ll generate leads (Ads, social media, freebie downloads, social media, public events, influencers, webinars, etc.)
• How you’ll capture these leads (Landing pages, sales pages, Embedded forms, popup forms, quizzes, games, contest & giveaways, etc.),
• The automated behavior based email funnels (Welcome funnel, abandoned cart funnel, abandoned web browser funnel, post purchase thank you, etc.)
• Plan out your email broadcast (Newsletters, sales, educational, company updates, restocks & reminders, testimonials, new content recaps, etc.)
• Create a guideline for your email design & copywriting.
• Outline a data analysis strategy for improvement.

I’ve created a quick 5 minute breakdown to expand on this, specifically to help you understand what you need to do to grow your email list, watch it now to full grasp this concept. 👇🏾

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By doing all 6 of these things before sending an email campaign, you’ll be equipped to minimize mistakes and maximize your email ROI [return on investment].

To help you get started, here’s a simple 4 step plan for any beginner to start with:

• Step 1: Create an opt-in list by offering something valuable for subscribers (eg, a newsletter with helpful information or special offers). Email marketing platforms typically provide sign-up forms and popups to help you easily collect subscribers’ emails.
• NOTE: Download this FREE Email popup Checklist to ensure you set yours up to motivate viewers to actually sign up.
• Step 2: Plan your welcome funnel / sequence. Your new subscribers should hear from you immediately after sign up and it shouldn’t just be a sign up confirmation or double opt in follow up email. Plan these 4 campaigns at a minimum:

 
If you’re a beauty based brand, I already got you covered! I pre wrote this for you and added it to my email template library, access it HERE!

• Step 3: Decide which type of email campaigns you want to send to your subscribers once they finish the welcome funnel. 

Common campaign types include:

• Promotional: Designed to promote a product or service, and they can include discounts, free trials, and other incentives to encourage a purchase. 
• Newsletters: company updates, product launches, events you’re attending or sponsoring and an overall recap of what you did the month before and what’s coming next.
• Lifecycle: Designed to nurture a relationship with a subscriber. They may include educational content or helpful tips about using your products.
• Testimonials: Customer or client reviews.
• Social media content recaps
• Step 4: Track and analyze your email results. This will allow you to make adjustments and optimize your campaigns for success. 

Key metrics to monitor include:

• Open rate
• Click-through rate
• Conversion rate
• Unsubscribe rate
• Engagement rate

In summary, you need to create an irresistible offer to convince people to hand over their contact information. Then build a contact list by embedding signup forms on every page of your website and in different places like sidebars and popups. Create the welcome funnel and consider setting up the other mentioned funnels (abandoned cart, post purchase etc.). Lastly, start sending emails on a consistent schedule & analyze the data 72 hours after sending each email campaign.

NOTE: You can implement EVERYTHING in this article and build your first email marketing strategy using this FREE Notion Email Strategy Template!

Why is an email strategy important?

Email marketing is one of the most important things that small businesses can do to boost customer engagement and build brand loyalty. It’s a relatively low-cost way to communicate with your customers and it can help you stand out from the competition. 

Small businesses often have a closer relationship with their customers than enterprise-level brands, so they can use email to connect with them in a more personalized way. This personalization can create a strong connection with your audience and can lead to higher conversion rates.

Another benefit of email marketing is that it allows you to keep in touch with your customers on a regular basis. By sending them curated news, helpful tips, or other content that they find valuable, you can show that you care about them as individuals and that you aren’t just trying to sell them something. This builds trust and can turn one time customers into loyal repeat customers.

Email is also a great tool for promoting sales and promotions. By including a compelling offer in your email, you can encourage people to take action and increase the likelihood of them making a purchase. You can also try testing different subject lines to see which ones get the most clicks and conversions. This can help you to improve your subject lines and content over time and maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing.

What goes wrong when you don’t have one?

Emails are one of the most effective communication tactics for small businesses. They can be used to nurture leads, convert new customers, and stay top of mind with existing ones. However, it is easy to miss the mark with email marketing if you do not have an overall strategy.

A lack of strategy means that you are sending out emails randomly without any clear purpose or goal in mind. This can lead to list fatigue, content overload, and low engagement. A good strategy should have a clear plan for what you are trying to achieve with each email and how it will benefit your business.

Another common mistake is not targeting the right audience. This can be done by analyzing data, conducting A/B testing, and getting feedback from your team and customers. By doing this, you can create more personalized content that is relevant to your audience.

Finally, it is important to test your emails before they are sent out. This will help you catch any errors or mistakes before they are published. Also, make sure that your emails are responsive to ensure that they will be displayed properly on all devices. This will increase your chances of converting your readers into paying customers.

How to create an email strategy for your small business

Email marketing is an excellent way to nurture leads and boost conversions. However, it isn’t without its own challenges. In fact, it can be frustrating if you don’t have the right approach. This is why it’s important to take a strategic approach to email campaigns.

To ensure you don’t skip a step, enjoy this quick 5 min breakdown of what goes into a marketing strategy & how you can apply this to your brand! 

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If you’re unsure of where to start, start by analyzing your competitors. Learn what type of emails they send out, how often, and what kind of content they include. This will help you determine what type of emails your audience wants to receive from you.

Next, create an irresistible offer to start building a list of subscribers and customers. Keep in mind that your email list should be free of spam, invalid email addresses, and people who have not given their consent to receive your emails. This will ensure that your messages aren’t being delivered to spam or junk folders, which can lead to an unfavorable perception of your brand.

Once you have a list of email recipients, begin creating engaging emails that highlight your unique value proposition. Remember to include a call-to-action and visuals that complement your brand identity. 

Also, don’t forget to include any upcoming promotions, discounts, or sales that you may be running. Incentives like these are a great way to increase engagement and conversions! You can also try personalizing your emails to each subscriber, as this has been shown to have a significant impact on CTR.

If you’re ready to implement everything I shared in this article, download the Email Strategy Notion Template I made for you! 👇🏾