Email marketing tips for small business

It doesn’t matter what industry your small business is in; email marketing can be an effective way to build stronger relationships with your customers. Every message you send builds a stronger brand, which, in turn, helps to increase sales. Email marketing should be a foundation of your online marketing campaign.

Email has been used for years as a way to bridge the gap between companies and customers. With COVID-19 business closures in recent months, email marketing is more important than ever to maintain a connection with your customers. 

Follow these step-by-step email marketing tips to help your small business grow:

Create an opt-in page

To build an email list, you need to create a landing page where potential customers can enter their contact information. Jotform makes it easy to create a user-friendly signup form. Consider choosing one of these templates:

• Email opt-in form
• Email list form
• Email newsletter subscription form
• Email signup form

First, consider the purpose of your opt-in form. How will you use this email list to share information with current or potential customers? Only ask for relevant information. For example, if you’re sending a monthly newsletter, it probably isn’t necessary to ask for the person’s phone number or mailing address.

The simplest opt-in form has one field to capture the person’s email address. You might choose to include other relevant fields, such as first name or checkboxes for the email topics the person wants to receive.

Avoid these common opt-in mistakes

Small business owners often make these common opt-in mistakes:

• Long forms. The length of the form directly affects the conversion rate. Opt-in forms with one or two fields often have a high conversion rate. Adding more fields can be helpful to gather additional information, but the conversion rate will decrease.
• No value add. Why should a customer join your email list? Most people’s email inboxes are filled with hundreds to thousands of unopened emails. If they’re going to add another subscription to their account, you need to show them its value. Skip the generic message, such as “Subscribe to our email newsletter!” Instead, create a friendly invitation like “Get access to my meal plan guide and shopping list: 10 healthy recipes for busy moms.”

Always make sure your email opt-in is both appealing and easy to use.

Segment your email marketing list

The message you share should always match the audience you’re contacting. Email segmentation is a powerful way to improve the overall results of your email marketing campaign. Segmenting the list involves using specific criteria to divide email subscribers into smaller segments. This is an effective way to personalize the information and deliver the most relevant messages based on your history with the customer.

For example, consider building an email list of current customers to encourage repeat purchases. Have a separate list for potential customers who opt in without buying from your store. Here are common email segmentation criteria:

• Geographic location
• Customer interests
• Purchase history
• Age
• Gender
• Income level
• Survey results
• Email engagement
• Sales funnel position

Design autoresponders and newsletters

The messages you send to your email list fall into two categories:

1. Autoresponder. This series of drip email messages shares information you’d like new subscribers to know. A small business can use a well-written autoresponder for a long time with minimal changes.
2. Newsletters. Another option is to share current messages and updates through an email newsletter. Consider sending newsletters weekly or monthly, depending on your overall marketing strategy.

Remember that your email subscribers are busy. Even if they love your brand, people don’t want to read long email messages. Keep your emails short and clear. Most likely, subscribers will only skim them. Get your message across using as few words as possible.

Consider the frequency

Frequency matters. If there’s too much time between emails, it increases the risk that customers will forget about your organization. Send emails consistently so your brand stays top of mind when someone’s ready to buy the product or service you offer.

Prioritize quality over quantity. Sending emails too often can frustrate your subscribers, especially if you aren’t providing value. If you don’t have anything to offer or say, then don’t send an email. Sending unnecessary emails will not only waste your time, but it will increase the likelihood of people opting out.

Keep it simple

Email marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these email marketing tips for small businesses to improve your communication and stay in contact with your customers. Over time, these strategies will help your company grow through repeat sales and ongoing customer relationships.