Zach Heller
Email marketing is still one of the best growth channels out there for marketers in any industry. Why? Because it has the highest ROI (return on investment).
Here are 10 great ways companies are using email marketing to grow their business (and you can too):
Sponsored emails
You can partner with or pay large publishers or other companies who have regular email lists to put your ad in one of their emails. This is a great “ride-along” type promotion, taking advantage of someone else who has done the work to build an email list and has an attentive audience.
Dedicated eblasts
Similar to sponsored emails in that you are leveraging someone else’s email list, but this time you are building an email that is unique to your company. Instead of an ad inside their email, you write the full email and they send it on your behalf.
Purchasing lists
Used to be much more popular than it is now, but still a valid way to generate leads and reach customers you would not be able to acquire on your own. Buy the names or rent the ability to send them an email through an established email marketing company, and send them your offer.
Email newsletters
You can build your own list of interested subscribers and share news and content with them on a regular basis. The New York Times is an example of a company that has spent a lot of time perfecting the art of email newsletters over the last couple of years. The key with newsletters is they are not meant to sell, they are meant to inform and share.
Lead nurturing programs
If your company is in the lead generation business, you likely already have a lead nurturing program. Email is a great lead nurturing tool, and many companies use automated email programs to stay connected to leads and help direct them through the buying process. This is a perfect ‘set it and forget it’ email marketing program that is sure to help your sales team.
Discounts and offers
Ecommerce companies like Amazon have taken advantage of email marketing programs to keep in touch with prospective customers and let them know about specials and discounts. Allow people to sign up on your website to be alerted when something they want is on sale.
Loyalty programs
It’s far less expensive to sell to an existing customer than a new one, and email makes that equation even more one-sided. When someone purchases from you, collect their email address. That way you can follow up with exclusive offers for existing customers, offers they would not otherwise see.
Fundraising
Political campaigns and non-profits are busy perfecting the art of the fundraising emails. The Obama campaign in 2012 set a new record, raising $ 690 million digitally, much of that coming from email and social media. Emails are a great way to reach out to loyal supporters in times of need.
Product announcements
Sometimes you want to know when a new product becomes available. More and more, companies are “pre-announcing” new products and asking people to sign up to receive more information and be alerted when the product becomes available for sale. If someone wants to know more about your product, allow them to sign up for email announcements.
Refer a friend programs
Referrals are a growth hacker’s best friend. Companies have succeeded at building a referral program right into their products and using email to notify friends that someone has recommended a new product to them. Referral emails can be crafted to look like they are coming directly from the person who referred them, which makes them more likely to be read than traditional promotional emails.
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