Everything You Need to Know about Email Marketing

This past summer I was lucky enough to intern one-on-one with one of the most incredible business owners I have met. Catherine Hildner does it all at her business- from design to photography to marketing. Cat went from creating personal stationery goods on Etsy to owning her own business, Kitty Meow, where she has more freedom (and responsibilities) than ever before. This internship was unlike any other I have had, as I learned many things about owning your own business. I want to share my favorite part with you: email marketing!

What is it?

Email marketing is pretty much what it sounds like! It is another way for businesses to reach their subscribers through a medium that is not social media. It often proves to be more effective. 

Why do it?

Trust me, I get that social media is all the rave, but email marketing offers many benefits. Email allows you to do so many things within one click. Suddenly your subscribers are hearing about all your new releases in one reading. You are able to get personal with emails by addressing a subscriber personally or segmenting your audiences. Lastly, everyone is doing it, so you should too!

How to make it effective! 

While implementing email marketing in your business is a great start, here are some tips to make it most effective: 

  • Consistency 

    • It is not enough to send an email and assume that it caught your subscriber’s eye. You must set out times throughout the month when you plan to email. You also never want to overwhelm your subscribers with information that is not best suited for them. This is where segmenting comes into play.

  • Segment your subscribers

    • This allows you to put certain subscribers into groups. By doing so, you are ensuring that each email your potential customers receive is as tailored to them as possible. 

  • Check the stats on your platform 

    • Checking your platform’s analytics section will be a great way to gauge how your emails are doing. For example, in Flodesk, there is an “Emails” section which lists all sent emails. From there, you can click on them to see how many emails were sent, opened, and what percentage of your subscribers clicked or even unsubscribed. This is a great way to see what emails are resonating with your audiences and where changes can be made. 

  • Subject line! 

    • The subject line is going to make the reader want to click on your email. Making it enticing enough for the readers to want to learn more is one of your jobs. Some of Cat’s suggestions are:

      • Peak their curiosity 

      • Compliments 

      • Bestsellers highlights 

      • Create a sense of urgency

Platforms to Use

Now you’re probably thinking ‘I know all of this cool information about email marketing, but what platforms do I use?’ Well I have a few suggestions for you!

  1. Convertkit

    1. Can resend emails to people who didn’t open the first 

    2. Well established company

    3. Tags & Segments

  2. FloDesk

    1. User friendly

    2. Template options

    3. Tags & Segments

  3. MailChimp

    1. Free

    2. Can’t segment subscribers 

References:

Catherine Hildner. [@kittymeowboutique] (2020, July 2). [IGTV]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/tv/CCJR65NAayG/ 

Brag, D. (2019). Top 12 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Do Email Marketing. BragDeal. Retrieved from https://www.bragdeal.com/blog/article/top-12-reasons-why-your-business-should-do-email-marketing/ 

Moore, A. (2019). ConvertKit vs Flodesk: Why I Won’t Be Switching Anytime Soon. Love Andrea Moore. Retrieved from  https://loveandreamoore.com/convertkit-vs-flodesk/

About Maggie:

Maggie is a senior at GVSU where she is majoring in Advertising/Public Relations with a minor in Digital Studies. This is her first semester at GrandPR where she currently serves as an Account Executive. She has recently finished internships with Kitty Meow Boutique- a one-woman business where she sells and makes her own stationary goods, and a local non-profit Learning to Give who aims to encourage philanthropic learning in K-12 graders. She is spending her senior year on the National Student Advertising Competition team, learning both there and with GPR. She hopes to do some traveling before heading into the job field post-graduation or incorporating travel into her job!

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