7 Email Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Is your email marketing working for you?

Or, are you struggling to get your emails opened and read?

If you’re not getting engagement, leads and sales from your efforts, this post is for you.

I’m going to share 7 email marketing tips for small businesses that will ensure all your hard work is actually getting you results!

But first…

Why Is Email Marketing So Important?

If you haven’t been doing any email marketing – or if you have, but haven’t been seeing results from it – you might assume it’s not all that important for your business.

But, I can tell you that when done right, email marketing holds HUGE promise for your business.

For instance, did you know that….

59% of marketers say email marketing is their #1 source of ROI?

Or, that 81% of small businesses use email marketing as their primary way to get new customers?

Or, how about that conversation rates for email are higher than for Search, direct traffic or social media?

These are some pretty incredible numbers!

And, they aren’t just random statistics.

I’ve been using email marketing for many years, and it’s actually the #1 driver of revenue in my business!

Using email marketing I have managed to build a list of over 150,000 people who can’t wait to hear about my new products and services.

In fact, all told, I estimate I’ve earned over 7 figures JUST from my email marketing efforts!

If this is something you’d like to experience in your business, keep reading and I’ll tell you how.

7 Email Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Following are 7 strategies you’ll definitely want to try to get the best results from your email marketing efforts.

1. Email Frequently (It May be More Often Than You Think).

I know many business owners are worried about emailing their subscribers too frequently.

They think people will get annoyed and will unsubscribe; and of course, it NEVER feels good when this happens!

However, it’s all in how you look at it: Personally, I would rather have a smaller list of truly engaged subscribers who can’t wait to get my emails (and ultimately, who are more likely to buy my stuff), than a huge list of people who get annoyed every time I email them.

I say, let those people unsubscribe and focus on the people who truly want to hear from you!

So…how often SHOULD you email your subscribers?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

According to HubSpot, 35% of marketers email their list 3-5 times each week.

I email my subscribers around 3 times each week, and this is what works for me.

In general, I recommend emailing your subscribers an absolute minimum of once per week. But definitely test out a bunch of different frequencies with your list, and see what works best for you!

2. Make Sure Your Emails Look Good on Mobile.

There’s a good chance you send your email campaigns from your computer, which is totally fine.

However, for this email marketing tip, it’s important to keep in mind that many of your subscribers are probably opening your emails exclusively on their mobile device. In fact, according to research done by Litmus, this may be true for around 42% of your subscribers.

This means your emails HAVE to look good on mobile!

Most email marketing software will provide built-in email templates that are specifically optimized for mobile.

However, it’s always a good idea to double-check that your images, formatting and text all look good on computers, tablets and smartphones!

3. Nail Your Subject Line.

Your email subject lines MATTER!

They can have an enormous impact on your open rates, so make sure you take your time and test a variety of options before sending to your entire list.

For instance, did you know that including an emoji in your subject line can actually increase open rates?

In a test done by Return Path, using emojis in a St. Patrick’s Day subject line increased open rates by a whopping 42%:

Via Return Path

Of course, emojis aren’t the only way to potentially improve your subject lines.

Some other tips include using short, descriptive subject lines rather than long, fancy ones, adding a “first name” merge tag to personalize your subject lines, and using numbers and lists to draw people in (e.g., “5 Easy Ways to Get More Clients”).

4. Split Test Your Emails.

I know, I know…this sounds complicated and time-consuming.

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to try out different strategies to see which ones come out on top!

For instance, if you use ActiveCampaign (which is the email marketing service I use and recommend), you can split test up to five different versions of an email.

Here’s how it works: Create different versions of your email, altering one element in each (for instance, your subject line).

You can then send each version to a small number of people on your list to see which ones work best.

As you can see above, you can even get the system to determine the “winning” email, and then get it to automatically send out to the rest of your list.

How cool is that?

5. Personalize Your Emails.

I’m not just talking about addressing your subscribers by name…although that’s important too.

I’m talking about sending emails to your subscribers based on their interests, needs, and how they’ve interacted with you in the past.

There are so many ways to segment your audience so you’re only sending the most relevant and timely emails. For instance, you can segment people by:

• Those who have purchased something from you (or who haven’t)
• Who have clicked on a particular link
• People who have expressed interest in a certain topic
• Demographic: for instance, age, gender or location

Think email segmentation isn’t really that important or beneficial?

According to Mailchimp, using segmented emails results in an average of 14.31% higher open rates, and 100% higher click rates than using non-segmented ones!

6. Use the Double-Open Strategy.

Isn’t it frustrating when you slave over an email, and then only a small portion of your audience actually opens and reads it?

This is what a double-open campaign is meant to help with.

Every time you send out an email campaign, plan to send it twice: once to everyone on your list, and then once to those who didn’t open it the first time.

Use this strategy along with split testing (see #4 above) for optimal results. A few days after you send the email the first time, change the subject line, and then send it again.

You’ll be amazed at how effective this simple, easy strategy can be!

7. Use a Freebie to Build Your List…Fast.

All these email marketing tips for small businesses are great…but mean nothing if you don’t actually have people on your email list!

The #1 strategy I recommend to get people on your list is to use a freebie – aka, a lead magnet. This is some type of incentive you offer to people in exchange for joining your email list. It could be an eBook, guide, pdf, template, video, or really anything that’s enticing enough that people will be willing to hand over their email.

I recommend making sure your freebie solves ONE specific problem, and that it’s closely related to your paid products or services; this way it’s a natural “next step” for your subscribers to want to buy what you’re offering.

Want step-by-step help with getting more subscribers onto your list? Not sure where to start?

I’ve created two trainings that will help!

My workshop, Get Your First 1,000 Email Subscribers for Free With These Simple Steps, will show you the TWO things that will make your lead magnet irresistible, and will help you figure out exactly what type of freebie your audience actually wants.

Want to know how social media can help you grow your list? My workshop, How to Build Your Email List with Social Media will show you exactly how to move your social media followers to your list. This is SO important!

Can’t decide which workshop to take? Join my Business Builder’s Academy and get access to both trainings, as well 50+ other workshops, courses, and resources!

Final Thoughts

Email marketing is so important for the success of your small business.

It’s one of the BEST ways to connect with your audience, and of course to get a consistent stream of leads and sales.

I hope these 7 email marketing tips for small businesses have helped give you some direction and inspiration, so you can start reaping the rewards of email marketing for yourself!

Which of the strategies above are you going to use in your email marketing this week? Share with us below!

About Author

Kim Garst

Kim Garst is a renowned marketing strategist and speaker who is trailblazing the use of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. With over 30 years of experience as an online entrepreneur, Kim helps entrepreneurs grow their business and authority online by using AI technology. She is leading the way with proven AI frameworks that help entrepreneurs build authority in their space.

She is keynote speaker and an international best-selling author of Will The Real You Please Stand Up, Show Up, Be Authentic and Prosper in Social Media.

Named by Forbes as a Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer, Kim is well-known for her skill to simplify complex technology and make the use of AI understandable for business growth. Her relatable, actionable advice helps guide new entrepreneurs to harness the power of AI to succeed in digital marketing. Kim is leading the way in combining human and technological skills to create a new model for AI-powered marketing.

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