Email marketing continues to have enormous potential - also as a channel for freelancers and agencies. In this article, we will show you the strengths of email and how versatile you can use it. This is the start of a series of articles on the topic. We will link to the new parts here on an ongoing basis. 

What makes email marketing interesting

Admittedly: It's fun to deal with speculative future topics such as the metaverse or Web3. But if you want to reach new and old customers here and now, you don't (yet) urgently need to do so. The music is still playing on the social web, with search engines and, above all, in the e-mail inbox.

Because as outdated as email may seem as a marketing tool and communication medium, its potential is still enormous. Ultimately, this is no wonder when you consider that you can reach almost the entire Internet population via email. A whopping four billion people use e-mail every day.

Certainly, it will work less reliably for some target groups. This is especially true for young people. In most cases, however, e-mail is unbeaten in its versatility:

• You can use it to reach people both privately and professionally.
• It works (correctly designed) on practically all end devices - from desktop PCs to smartphones or even smartwatches.
• In addition, e-mails are read at all times of the day and also at weekends or on the side.

But that's not all. Another plus point: Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and others, there's no algorithm standing in your way - or at least less prominently. How you can ensure that your emails actually reach your readers is the subject of an upcoming article.

Furthermore, it is already a sign of trust when a person gives you their e-mail address, because the e-mail inbox is often a very personal thing. The fear of spam is justified. You have therefore taken the first step towards a good relationship. That's why your message in the inbox is considered important. At the same time, you have a responsibility that you must fulfill with appropriate and interesting content.

Last but not least: Your email distribution list belongs to you and no one else. You can even move it to a new provider at any time or use it with a new tool for your email marketing. Admittedly: It's not always easy. But it is possible. Compare this to the social web: You can't take your Facebook page with all its fans and followers to LinkedIn, for example.

It is clear from all of this that you need to handle your email distribution list with care. Last but not least, there are various legal regulations for you to observe, which I will go into in more detail in another article.

Formats for e-mail marketing

When you hear "email marketing", the first thing you might think of is advertising messages that clutter up your inbox and, in the worst case, don't interest you at all. Believe me: it doesn't have to be like that. There are many more (and better) options. Here are some key examples:

Newsletter

A newsletter is a regularly sent message with a specific content concept and a recognizable layout. 

You can find an example of this here on Raidboxes. The monthly WordPress newsletter keeps you up to date once a month about new posts on the website and other relevant news. Of course, it indirectly promotes Raidboxes. But the main idea is to keep people interested in WordPress well informed. 

In the spirit of content marketing, self-promotion plays a secondary role here and is more indirect. First and foremost, it is about having a useful, relevant and well-made information offering that attracts the right target group.

Such newsletters can have a wide variety of content concepts. Sometimes they are highly promotional, sometimes not at all. Personally, I quickly unsubscribe from purely promotional newsletters. There is hardly any area where I need constant information about new offers - apart from the weekly supermarket brochure. But just because I've just bought a drill doesn't mean I want to be informed about other tools every week - or even about other drills. Tips for DIY enthusiasts, on the other hand, would be very welcome.

This already gives you an idea of what makes successful email marketing. More on this below.

E-mail series (manual or automated)

Email series, on the other hand, send pre-prepared messages in a set rhythm. They are suitable for introducing a person to a topic step-by-step. This is why they are used in email marketing to acquire new leads and customers, among other things. At that moment, they are part of a sales funnel.

One approach would be to offer free advice or training. For example, a series of "10 steps to improve your WordPress site" that delivers exactly one tip to the reader's inbox every day. As discussed above with the newsletter, the focus here should ideally be on usefulness. You can of course refer to your own services or additional information at the appropriate place.

Another option is a "welcome series". It can help new customers to properly understand and use a product or offer. The series then contributes to customer satisfaction.

In the simplest case, such an e-mail series runs quite bluntly as preset: The interested parties sign up and receive the next part every day, every two days, every week or at a different frequency.

However, you can also create much more complex email automations. In this case, there is no longer necessarily just one fixed path through the series. Instead, the system decides which message variant is sent next based on certain conditions. A simple example: In an email, you offer a call to action at the end. Whether a person clicks on it or not determines the next message.

With such e-mail automation, highly sophisticated processes can be mapped, including fully automated sales.

Announcements (new products, offers, special promotions)

This is the classic promotional email in email marketing: it tells you when there is hopefully something interesting to discover. And here I like to repeat myself: it's the relevance that counts! If a message fits perfectly with my situation and me, I'm happy. Otherwise, I'm either bored or even annoyed.

Transaction mails

Transactional messages are often overlooked in email marketing. In fact, you are not legally allowed to misuse them as advertising emails. They inform recipients about a successful purchase, for example, and provide all the required and important information.

Within this framework, you still have creative freedom that you should make use of. This not only includes the design, which of course plays an important role. It also includes the tonality: Does it fit in with the company's other appearances?

It is not uncommon for the standard emails in the system to be sent out unchanged. However, these are often very dry, factual and interchangeable. This is a missed opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

Exemplary areas of application

The formats have certainly already made it clear how differently e-mail can be used as a channel. Accordingly, the list of potential areas of application is also long:

Increase brand awareness

You offer content via email that is relevant and useful for your intended target group. This could be a well-crafted newsletter, as shown above, or perhaps an email series. The hope is that these offers, as part of your content marketing, will get your name in front of the right people. Maybe your offer will even be recommended by previous subscribers!

Gain leads and new customers

Such an email offer will hopefully not only attract more attention, but also ensure that the recipients gain trust in you or your company. They gradually get to know you. They will better understand how your products and offers suit them and what makes them special. And don't forget: People ultimately make the decisions in B2B too. In addition to purely objective facts and figures, "soft", indirect and unconscious factors also play a role. If they have already gotten to know and appreciate you or your company, this is definitely a bonus in your email marketing.

Improve customer experience

Well-designed emails can also improve the customer experience. For example, transactional emails are thoughtfully designed and have a recognizable personality. Always remember that every single interaction with prospects and customers influences how they perceive you, your company, your offers and products.

Increase customer lifetime value

It's not just about new customers, you should also keep an eye on your existing clientele. Perhaps you can encourage them to take advantage of another offer from you or extend an existing maintenance contract, for example.

Re-engagement can also be an important lever: Then you address those existing customers who have not bought anything for a long time. A special offer such as a small reward in the form of a coupon can provide effective support at this point.

... and even more

Email can even be used for more specialized tasks. Perhaps it is important to present yourself as an attractive employer (employer branding) or to make the company's management better known as specialists (thought leadership). Formats such as special newsletters can also be a good tool here.

Conclusion: What makes good email marketing?

As you have hopefully seen, email continues to be an interesting and useful channel for companies. The possible applications are many and varied.

It is important that you think from the perspective of your customers and not just want to advertise and think of your own advantage. 

Another point: Tailor the messages as well as possible to the situation and interests of the recipients. There are considerable differences between existing customers and prospective customers alone that you should take into account.

In another post soon, I'll go into more detail about how you can actually reach your readers. Segmenting your email distribution list for different groups of people is one way to do this.