The pet services industry is huge. Sixty-five percent of U.S. households own at least one pet. And it's no secret that pet owners are pet lovers. But caring for—and spoiling— our furry friends isn't cheap—in 2015, Americans collectively spent more than $60 billion on their pets. In such a booming industry, it's also not surprising that there's plenty of inspiration in email marketing geared toward cat and dog lovers and beyond.Let's take a look at how pet industry emails stack up and what design cues we can draw inspiration from and apply to our own email campaign design.
DogVacay dominates email design best practices
DogVacay is a home boarding service that helps dog owners connect with localpet sitters. The brand'svisualidentity is modern, friendly, and polished. Often, emails employa clever combination of illustration, photography, and handwritten font features. Here's a recent email from DogVacay:
First, the hero image couldn't be sweeter. Email marketers in the pet industry certainly have an advantage when it comes to cute material! DogVacay does a great job of making asimple image aww-worthywith on-brand text and illustration overlay.We also love the clean, simple single-column design that bypasses potential clutter from a navigation menu or multiplecalls to action. The body of the email is live text against an HTML background color, so it will reliably render across email clients and devices. Plus, the CTA button is bulletproof, passes the squint test, and uses compelling copy (no boring "Click here" messages).Here's another example of how DogVacay's template is streamlined and effective:
The longer version is well organized. Even though this second email is much longer, it's easy to read and navigate, thanks to themodular layout and repeatedinverted pyramid format for each section. The secondary CTAs are also visually distinguished from the primary CTA, and the text for each section is kept to just a few sentences.Bottom line: DogVacay checks just about all the boxes when it comes to great email design. Brava!
Rover reels in responses with in-email surveys
Similar to DogVacay, Rover is a dog boarding and walking service helping pet owners find caretakers for their fur babies. Rover's visual style is approachable and warm. Emails include stock and user-generated photographs, illustrations, and live text.Notably, Rover uses an ongoing email marketing strategy to engage its subscriber base: in-email one-question surveys.Surveys area smart, fun way to engage readers. Sending a single-question surveymeans readers can respond via email without having to go to a landing page. Here's an email example (look at the poll, about two-thirds of the way down):
After each survey, Rover shares results in a subsequentemail campaign, giving readers a fun, ongoing way to participate and connect with the pup community. What else is there to like about Rover'semail design? Lots! It's super easy to read and navigate, with the gray HTML background colorappearing between modules todelineate the sections. The color tags on each blog category make the content easy to scan, too. The colorful, illustratedicons at the bottom of the email are perfect, branded secondary CTAs. Plus, this email has a section of cute dog photos, just for the heck of it—a definite crowd pleaser!Here's another Rover email, this time with an illustration as the hero image. You can also see how poll results look midway through the message.
If you're deciding between a single or two column design, comparing DogVacay's blog content layout to Rover's is a nice way see the difference. Rover also chooses text links for its secondary CTAs instead of buttons. See how your audience responds through testing.
BarkBox buries the competition with belly laughs
BarkBox is a monthly subscription service that allows memberstosign up to receive ongoing goodie boxes for theirpets. Goodies can include toys, treats, and chews. A pretty sweet deal for the pups, isn't it? BarkBox'svisual brand style (and brand voice) is playful, fun, and—importantly—funny. BarkBox loves to be lighthearted. A recent email started off with this animated GIF:
You can't avoid smiling! :) Here's the rest of theemail:
In most emails, BarkBox relies heavily on photos and on their brand font to convey messages. Often, this means they break a few email design best practices by bypassing plain text and neglecting a healthy text-to-email ratio. However, we have to assume they know their audience best. If their click-through rates are high, more power to them. (Though, please BarkBox, try to go with a bulletproof CTA button!)BarkBox occasionallybreaks away from the image-heavy design approach to have a little fun, too. Here's a message sent last year from "your dog."
Using only a logo header and live text, the email is fullyresponsive. The subject line is smart, and the letter-style approach is super clever and laugh-out-loud funny. With an email like this, it goes to show that, occasionally, turning email design on its head can totally work for your brand. Content should come first, after all.
Wrap-up: Takeaways from pet lovers
It's not all about dog memes and puppy puns. Email marketers in the pet services space know their stuff. Try a few techniques from these brands:
Make stock photos your own with text and illustration overlay.
Try a pale HTML background color to reinforce your brand ID (and help content organization) in email.
Pair illustrations with photos to achieve a lighthearted, approachable aesthetic.
Don't forget to use compelling copy for every CTA button (never tell readers to "click here").
Improve navigability with modular design (and inverted pyramid layouts).
Send more animated GIFs! Even if they're user-generated.
Be true to your brand voice.
Have fun! If there's one thing we've learned from these pet-friendly brands—and our canine friends—it's to embrace being silly sometimes.
Design your next pet-friendly email and go Pro!
Feeling inspired? Design your next pet-friendly email campaign in our easy-to-use, drag-n-drop BEE editor. No HTML knowledge is required, plus your email will be mobile responsive. Sign-up for a BEE Pro free trial!
In our latest blog post, we explored the importance of email newsletters and the value that they can bring to your organization. In short, they serve as a way to ensure consistent and timely communication between businesses and their diverse audience. While many factors influence the outcome of your email newsletters, there are a few tried and true strategies and steps for creating newsletters that we suggest following to ensure their success.Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a small business owner venturing into the email marketing realm, this step-by-step guide, enriched with tips and insights, will illuminate the path from conceptualizing your newsletter to hitting that send button and beyond.
What is the Purpose of a Newsletter?
The purpose of email newsletters is often condensed to brand awareness, promotion, education, and retention, but what's underneath that:
Brand Loyalty: By providing useful content, tips, or insights, you can add unimaginable value to your audience that, in turn, will make you the go-to brand for your audience in your specific niche.
Stronger Relationship: Sending consistent, cohesive, and timely communications keeps your audience engaged and helps nurture a relationship between your brand and its followers.
Traffic: If your content resonates with your audience, they'll want to learn more. This helps drive traffic to your social, website, and any other resources linked in your email newsletter.
A step-by-step guide to creating an email newsletter
Navigating through the nuanced newsletter creation process, we'll explore a 10-step journey that marries strategic thinking with creative execution. Each step, from defining your newsletter’s purpose to meticulously tracking its performance, serves as a crucial milestone, ensuring your message not only lands but also captivates and engages your audience.
Step 1. Define Your Newsletter Goal
Embarking on the newsletter creation journey without a clearly defined goal can make defining your email's content, design, and overall strategy a challenge. Whereas a clearly defined goal helps harmoniously align each element towards a singular purpose.Let’s delve into a few examples of newsletter goals to spark your inspiration:
Engage and Inform: Keep your audience abreast of the latest industry news, trends, and insights.
Drive Sales: Promote new products, offers, or discounts to boost sales.
Increase Participation: Encourage participation in events, webinars, or surveys.
Build Community: Foster a sense of community among subscribers by sharing user-generated content or stories.
In addition, your goal should also take into consideration the following:
Who is your audience? Identifying your audience's demographics, preferences, and behaviors will help tailor the goal to an action you know your readers will take. For example, you wouldn't promote events in New York if most of your audience is based in Australia.
What's the primary value of this email? Every newsletter delivers something of value - be it knowledge, discounts, or entertainment.
What are our business goals? Internally, what is your organization trying to achieve, and what is your current focus?
Step 2. Build a Newsletter Subscriber List
Building a robust, engaged subscriber list is paramount to ensuring your newsletter’s voyage is fruitful and impactful. A subscriber list isn’t merely a collection of email addresses; it’s a community of individuals, each with their unique interests, preferences, and needs, all uniting under the banner of your brand.Here are a few tips to guide you in building your subscriber list:
Craft Compelling Sign-Up Forms: Ensure your newsletter sign-up forms are visible, accessible, and enticing across your digital platforms.
Leverage Multiple Channels: Utilize your website, social media, and other digital channels to promote your newsletter sign-up.
Offer Incentives: Entice potential subscribers with exclusive content, discounts, or insights available only to newsletter crew members.
Ensure Ease of Subscription: Make the subscription process as seamless and straightforward as possible to encourage sign-ups.
Step 3. Segment Contacts and Create Lists
As your subscriber count grows, understanding and organizing them becomes pivotal to ensuring that your newsletters resonate and engage with your unique audiences. Segmenting your contacts allows you to tailor content to their specific interests, allowing for highly personalized experiences. This action helps build a deeper connection between your brand and its audience. Here are some tips for audience segmentation:
Understand Subscriber Preferences: On your sign-up form, ask questions beyond the simple "name and email address" to understand their interests. For example, something as simple as a job title can provide much insight.
Monitor and Adapt: Continually assess the effectiveness of your segments, and their actions will help you make necessary changes to optimize your email newsletter's design, content, and overall strategy.
Step 4. Select an Email Newsletter Tool
Finding the right tool for you and your team can be a formidable quest. Yet, it’s a pivotal step in ensuring your newsletter engages and delights your audience.When embarking on the selection of an email newsletter tool, consider the following key features:
User-Friendliness: Find a tool that allows anyone on your team to seamlessly craft, edit, and visualize your newsletter without too big of a learning curve. Complex tools can often result in a loss of productivity.
Deliverability: Your email newsletter tool should ensure your emails are rendered beautifully regardless of email client or device to ensure your newsletters reach the inbox, not the dreaded spam folder.
Template Variety: Mostly, every email tool offers templates to help you kick-start your email newsletters. Before committing, ensure those templates align with your brand, audience, and needs. Extra points if the platform allows you to create, save, and reuse your own
PRO Tip: Find a tool that allows collaboration to happen within the platform to minimize juggling between multiple tools and further increase your team's productivity.Now, an email newsletter tool is not to be confused with an email-sending platform or an email marketing platform. While these may overlap, an email newsletter tool is often an additional tool added to help optimize your email design process. Because of this, it is important that the email newsletter tool you choose should seamlessly integrate with your existing sending platforms like HubSpot, Mailchimp, or Gmail.A great example of this is Beefree.
Beefree: Email creation without limits.
Beefree is an intuitive email builder whose agnostic nature allows easy export to your sending platforms of choice. Its collaborative features allow for decentralized teams to work together on email newsletters and campaigns effortlessly. With a catalog of 1,600+ email templates, we pride ourselves in having something for everyone, and our drag-and-drop editor makes the learning curve a breeze.
Step 5. Start From Scratch or Use a Template
You have two choices when it comes to creating a newsletter: to personalize an existing template or to craft your own from the blank canvas of possibility. Both paths, while divergent, lead to the creation of a newsletter that is uniquely yours. Let’s explore these two options, ensuring your newsletter is not only a reflection of your brand but also a beacon that resonates with your subscribers.
Option 1: Personalize an Existing Newsletter Template
This path allows you to embark on your newsletter journey with a sturdy vessel crafted by experts and ready to be infused with your unique brand essence. This option comeswith its own range of benefits:
Efficiency: Save time and resources by starting with a pre-designed structure.
Consistency: Ensure your newsletters maintain a consistent, professional appearance.
Inspiration: Draw inspiration from expertly crafted designs.
Flexibility: Adapt and modify the template to align with your brand and message.
As mentioned, Beefree’s newsletter template library offers thousands of free options, ready to be molded, adapted, and transformed into a newsletter that speaks your brand’s language and connects with your audience.
Option 2: Start with a Blank Newsletter Template
The "start from scratch" approach allows you to build your newsletter from the ground up, ensuring every element, from layout to content, is meticulously curated and distinctly yours. This path unveils its own unique advantages:
Unbridled Creativity: Experience the freedom to explore your creativity without being bound by pre-designed constraints.
Unique Design: Develop a newsletter that is distinctly yours, ensuring it stands out in the crowded inbox.
Full Control: Maintain comprehensive control over every component, ensuring each aspect aligns perfectly with your brand.
Tailored Experience: Design a user experience that is meticulously tailored to your audience’s preferences and journey.
Step 6. Must have elements to have in your email newsletters
Let's get to work designing your newsletter with Beefree, where designing your newsletter becomes a seamless blend of creativity and functionality. While the ensuing steps are crafted with Beefree’s email editor in mind, these are all elements that any email newsletter must have to ensure your newsletter design is visually compelling and effectively communicates your message, regardless of the tool you choose. Let’s dive into the meticulous art of newsletter design.
Carefully Crafted Layout
Whether you're starting from scratch or using a template, the content sections needed will be determined by the purpose and goal of your newsletter. Ask yourself: "What is the information that my readers need to know to be enticed to complete the desired action?"The layout of your emails should be placed in a manner that is easily digestible and helps guide and engage the reader through the newsletter. This can be done by maintaining a balance between text and visual elements.Tips for adding content:
Maintain Consistency: Ensure your content aligns with your overall message and brand voice.
Be Concise: Craft your message to be clear and to the point, respecting your reader’s time and attention.
With Beefree, drag and drop your content blocks, such as text, images, and buttons, into your email. If you're starting with a template, our first suggestion is to first assess the email and see if any sections don't align with you. Like we did for our template below:
Regardless, a well-crafted layout is has a balance of text and visual elements, ensuring your content is both engaging and easily digestible.
Visual Elements
Long gone are the days of text-only emails. Images, videos, and GIFs are visual anchors in your newsletter, capturing attention and enhancing your narrative. They also help provide balance in your emails to help guide and break up text-heavy sections.Tips for including images:
Alignment: Your images should be visual representations of your brand and the message that you are trying to convey in the email. Otherwise, they might distract the reader from your message rather than engage.
If you're starting with a template on Beefree, you can easily change the images by clicking on the image and clicking "change image" on the sidebar. If you're starting from scratch, you can navigate to the “Content” tab and simply drag the “Image” content block into your template. You can upload your own images and store them using our File Manager to retrieve them for future use.Beefree also offers a stock image and GIF library to incorporate visual elements into your newsletters easily.
Brand Elements
Infusing your newsletter with your brand elements ensures that your emails are recognized immediately by your readers. Brand elements include your logo, brand colors, pre-defined fonts, icons, etc.Tips for adding brand elements:
Consistency is Key: Ensure all elements, from colors to fonts, are consistent with your brand guidelines.
Visibility: Ensure your logo is placed prominently, ensuring immediate brand recognition.
Within Beefree, you can easily set your style guidelines to ensure everyone on your team can design on-brand messaging. You can also save content blocks that are frequently used to save time when building your emails.All of these are better known as "email design systems," which are built to help you save time, resources, and cohesiveness in all of your communication efforts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCmxbuk4PRA&t=56s
Prominent CTA Buttons
CTA buttons should be influenced by the goal you want the reader to take. They should be placed throughout the newsletter to ensure the reader can take action at any time.Tips for creating CTA buttons:
Stand Out: Ensure your CTA is visually prominent. This means not hiding them in between elements, adding ample spacing around the CTA, and ensuring the color of the button doesn't blend in with its background. Although it should stand out, it should still remain harmoniously integrated into your overall design.
Concise Text: Use clear and concise copy that clearly communicates the action you want the reader to take. Do not leave any room for interpretation.
In Beefree, you can create pre-defined CTA buttons that align with your most frequently sent emails. Adding new buttons is as easy asdragging the “Button” content block into your email.
Step 7. Make Sure Your Newsletter is Legally Compliant
Navigating through the realm of email marketing also involves ensuring that your newsletter adheres to the various legal standards and regulations that govern digital communication. Ensuring legal compliance is not merely a step but a fundamental pillar that upholds the integrity and legality of your email marketing endeavors. From adhering to data protection regulations to ensuring transparent communication, legal compliance safeguards your brand, reputation, and the trust that your subscribers place in you.Here are some general suggestions to ensure your emails are compliant:
Adhere to Regulations: Ensure your newsletter complies with regulations such as GDPR or CAN-SPAM, safeguarding both subscriber data and communication.
Transparent Opt-In: Ensure that your subscription process is clear, transparent, and provides adequate information regarding the nature of your newsletters.
Easy Opt-Out: Provide a clear and straightforward process for subscribers to opt out of your newsletters anytime.
Protect Data: Ensure that subscriber data is stored, processed, and protected in adherence to relevant data protection regulations.
In addition, email footer requirements are upheld by email-sending platforms. In Beefree, under "Rows," you will see various footer options that adhere to HubSpot and Mailchimp guidelines ready for use. If you use a different ESP, be sure to build your footer with their unique requirements in mind.
Step 8. Preview and Test Emails
In the final stages of our newsletter creation journey, previewing and testing stand as crucial waypoints, ensuring that your crafted message is not only visually appealing but also functionally flawless across various email landscapes. This step involves scrutinizing your newsletter through the lenses of different devices and email clients, ensuring that each subscriber, regardless of their digital window, experiences your message in its full splendor.
Beefree "preview mode"Here are a few tips to ensure your previews and tests lead to a standing ovation in every inbox:
Multi-Device Testing: Ensure your newsletter shines across all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
Different Email Clients: Verify that your design and functionality remain intact across various email clients, such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.
Link Functionality: Ensure all your links, from CTAs to social icons, are functioning and leading to the correct destinations.
Spelling and Grammar: A final check on the language, ensuring that your message is not only clear but also error-free.
Step 9. Track Performance and Create Iterations
This final step involves diving into the analytics, exploring how our subscribers interacted with our newsletter, and uncovering triumphs and areas ripe for enhancement.This step is crucial for ensuring that each newsletter is a stepping stone towards deeper engagement and connection with our audience.Here are some navigational tips when it comes to tracking performance:
Analyze Engagement: Dive into metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and engagement with specific content.
Subscriber Feedback: Pay attention to any direct feedback or responses from your subscribers.
Iterate and Enhance: Use the insights gained to refine and enhance subsequent newsletters, ensuring continual improvement.
A/B Testing: Consider employing A/B testing in future sends, exploring what content, design, and strategies resonate most.
Start Creating Your Own Newsletters Today
The path to creating your own successful newsletter lies ahead! We hope that with the knowledge, insights, and tools shared, you feel equipped and ready to start forging connections, telling stories, and engaging your audiences in a way that is unique to you!If you need somewhere to get started and inspired, browse through our extensive catalog of free templates. We guarantee you'll find something that fits your needs ;)Happy designing!
In an era where algorithms evolve and trends shift faster than we can catch up, one timeless strategy stands resilient for small businesses - email marketing.A well-crafted email newsletter has the power to transcend the virtual clutter, connecting businesses directly with their audience. Yet, the challenge lies not just in sending emails but in sending the right ones.
Is Email Marketing Good for Small Businesses?
For small businesses with limited resources, budgets, and time, email marketing serves as a reliable strategy to maintain consistent communication. Communication efforts that are essential for sustainable growth and building a loyal customer base. Let's dive into some of the benefits:
Personalized messaging: According to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to engage with a brand that offers a personalized experience. Unlike broad advertisements, emails allow you to connect with your customers on a personal level.
High ROI: The average ROI for email marketing, as stated by Constant Contact, is $36 for every $1 spent, making it affordable for businesses with limited funds.
Builds Relationships: Regular emails help nurture relationships, turning one-time buyers into loyal customers.
Flexibility: Whether it's newsletters, promotions, or updates, there's an email type for every message you want to convey.
If you're looking for a cost-effective way to make a big impact, then yes, email marketing is for you.
10 Engaging Email Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses
In the dynamic realm of email marketing, standing out is the name of the game. For small businesses, this means crafting emails that inform, engage, and captivate their audience with visuals and impactful messaging. Here are 10 engaging email marketing campaign ideas to help you showcase your brand's personality, all while keeping conversion top of mind.
Highlight and Share Customer Testimonials
There's a reason why word-of-mouth remains one of the most trusted forms of marketing. Hearing real experiences from real people carries a weight that no amount of traditional advertising can match. For small businesses, showcasing customer testimonials in emails is like sharing little nuggets of trust and authenticity with your audience.This email resonates because it's all about relatability. When potential customers see others vouching for your products or services, it builds confidence and credibility. It's like having a friend recommend their favorite restaurant; you're more inclined to give it a try.In the image of an email below, Cladwell includes two different customer testimonials. Both reviews share their love for the brand and support Cladwell's mission to help people get more out of the clothes that they own with a capsule wardrobe.
By highlighting these experiences in your emails, you're not just showcasing your offerings but also building a community of trust around your brand. So, the next time a customer sings your praises, don't keep it to yourself—share it with your email subscribers and let the testimonials do the talking!
Send Birthday and Anniversary Promotions
Who doesn't love a little extra love on their special day? Sending birthday and anniversary promotions is a personal touch that goes a long way. In a simple way, this message says, "Hey, we remember you, and we appreciate you being with us!" Not only does this foster goodwill, but it also encourages sales. After all, who can resist a tempting offer, especially when it's wrapped up in birthday confetti?
But here's the real kicker: these promotions aren't just about sales. They're about building a bond. When customers feel valued and remembered, they're more likely to stick around. And in the world of business, loyalty is golden.
Pulling back the curtain and giving a sneak peek into the day-to-day happenings can create a genuine connection. It humanizes your brand, making it more than just a logo or a product. It's about the people, the process, and the passion.
Here are some behind-the-scenes stories that can make a splash:
The Making of a Product: Showcase the journey from idea to final product. It's fascinating to see how things come to life.
Employee Spotlights: Introduce the rockstars behind your brand. Share their stories, hobbies, and why they love what they do.
Office Shenanigans: Do you have a fun office tradition or a quirky team-building activity coming up? Share it! It adds a touch of fun and personality.
Remember, every brand has a story. And sharing yours can make all the difference in building a loyal community.
Create a Brand Ambassador Program
A Brand Ambassador Program helps cultivate a community of customers who love what you do so much that they can't help but shout it from the rooftops.
As we mentioned earlier, word-of-mouth is powerful. Recommendations from friends or family hold weight. When someone raves about your product or service, their circle listens. And guess what? That's organic marketing at its finest.
Brand ambassadors also provide invaluable feedback. They're your frontline, interacting with your product or service regularly. Their insights can help refine your offerings, ensuring you're always at the top of your game. So, think of a Brand Ambassador Program as a win-win: your brand gets love and loyalty, and your ambassadors get perks and a sense of community.
Utilize Subscriber-Only Discounts
It's simple: everyone loves a good deal. And they love them even more when it's exclusive. By offering special deals just for your email subscribers, you're letting them know that you value their readership enough to offer them unique opportunities.
PRO Tip: Go the extra mile and put to use your segmented groups to use! Create personalized offers to make discounts more relevant to your unique audiences and their needs, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
In a digital world, it's easy for brands to come off as faceless entities. But here's a little secret: people connect with people, not logos. Taking the time to humanize your brand can be the difference between a subscriber who engages and one who hits the 'unsubscribe' button. It's about building trust, showcasing authenticity, and creating genuine connections.
Take Time to Humanize Your Brand
In a digital world, it's easy for brands to come off as faceless entities. But the truth is, that people connect with people, not logos. Taking the time to humanize your brand can be the difference between a subscriber who engages and one who hits the 'unsubscribe' button. It's about building trust, showcasing authenticity, and creating genuine connections.
Here's how you can add that human touch:
Share Your Origin Story: Every brand has a beginning. Share yours. How did you start? What challenges did you face? What's the passion driving you?
Celebrate Milestones: Did you hit a significant number of subscribers? Launch a new product? Celebrate with your email community. They're part of your journey.
Introduce Your Team: Put faces to the names. Share fun facts, birthdays, or even the office pet. It adds warmth and personality to your brand.
Remember, at the end of the day, business is about relationships. And relationships are built on trust, authenticity, and, most importantly, human connections.
Create a Monthly Newsletter
Newsletters are a chance to share updates, stories, and maybe even a few secrets. For small businesses, a monthly newsletter is a golden opportunity to keep your audience in the loop. It's a consistent touchpoint that reminds your subscribers, "Hey, we're here, and we've got some cool stuff to share!"
Why should you jump on the newsletter bandwagon?
Consistency is Key: Regular updates mean you're always on your subscribers' minds. It's a gentle nudge that says, "Remember us?"
Value-Packed Content: Share tips, industry news, or even a fun fact. It's not just about selling; it's about providing value.
Builds Community: A newsletter can foster a sense of belonging. It's a space where you and your subscribers can connect and engage.
Offer Exclusive Previews
There's something undeniably thrilling about being in the know, getting that first look before anyone else. For small businesses, offering exclusive previews to their email subscribers is a golden ticket to building anticipation and excitement. It's like inviting your most loyal fans to a VIP backstage pass, giving them a sneak peek into upcoming products, services, or events.
By offering these exclusive glimpses, you're not only rewarding your subscribers for their loyalty but also creating a sense of community and belonging. They feel valued, special, and more connected to your brand. And when people feel a part of something bigger, they're more likely to engage, share, and, most importantly, shop.
So, the next time you're launching something new, consider giving your email subscribers the first look.
How Do I Start Email Marketing For My Small Business?
While the journey might seem a tad overwhelming at first, with the right steps, you'll be on your way to crafting compelling campaigns in no time. Let's look at the initial stages to ensure you kick things off on the right foot.
Step #1 Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform
Before you send out your first email, you'll need a reliable platform to do the heavy lifting. An email marketing platform helps you manage your subscriber list, design emails, and track performance metrics.
Research Platforms: Look into options to see which platform is best suited for your needs.
Features Matter: Ensure the platform offers templates, analytics, and automation tools.
Ease of Use: Especially for beginners, a user-friendly interface can make all the difference.
Step #2 Segment Your Email List
Not all subscribers are created equal. Segmenting your email list allows you to tailor your content to different groups, ensuring it resonates and engages.
Demographics: Group subscribers based on age, location, or purchasing behavior.
Engagement Levels: Separate active readers from those who might need a re-engagement campaign.
Personalization: Use segments to send personalized offers or content, enhancing the subscriber experience.
Step #3 Start with a Template!
The design of your email plays a pivotal role in capturing your subscriber's attention. While crafting a visually appealing email from scratch might seem daunting, a template does all the heavy lifting!
Beefree offers a vast collection of over 1,600+ email templates, made with conversion and engagement in mind. Whether you're looking for a minimalist design or something vibrant and colorful, there is something for everyone.
Beefree's drag-and-drop intuitive builder also makes it easy for those with limited design experience to build beautiful on-brand templates with minimal effort.
Step #4 Analyze and Iterate for Continuous Improvement
Once your emails are out in the wild, the journey doesn't end there. It's essential to keep an eye on how they're performing. Are your subscribers opening them? Are they clicking through? Or perhaps, are they sending them straight to the trash?
Use Analytics: Most email platforms offer insights into open rates, click-through rates, and more. Dive deep into these metrics to understand what's working and what's not.
Feedback is Gold: Consider sending out surveys or directly asking for feedback. Your subscribers can offer invaluable insights into what they love and what could be better.
Iterate and Improve: Based on the data and feedback, make necessary tweaks to your content, design, or strategy. Remember, email marketing is a continuous process of learning and improving.
By adopting a mindset of continuous improvement, you ensure that your email marketing efforts remain effective and relevant, adapting to the ever-changing needs and preferences of your audience.
Additional email marketing tips for small businesses
While we've covered some essential steps to kickstart your email marketing journey, there are always more tricks up the sleeve to enhance your game. Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:
Personalize Beyond the Name: Sure, addressing subscribers by their first name is great, but dive deeper. Tailor content based on their preferences or past interactions.
Avoid the Spam Folder: Ensure your emails are compliant with regulations and avoid spammy tactics. A high-quality email list and relevant content are your best allies.
Celebrate Special Occasions: Birthdays, anniversaries, or local holidays—these are opportunities to connect and offer special deals or messages.
Visuals Matter: Incorporate high-quality images and graphics that resonate with your brand and message.
Mobile-first: According to Litmus, 47% of email opens occurred on a mobile device, surpassing desktop opens. This makes having mobile-friendly emails not just a nice-to-have but an absolute must for small businesses.
Small business email marketing made easy with Beefree
In the bustling world of small business, every minute counts.
Beefree's email builder is tailored to help small businesses create visually stunning and engaging emails without the fuss. Whether you're starting from scratch or using one of their myriad templates, you're in for a seamless experience.
Ready to elevate your email marketing game? Dive into the world of effortless email design with Beefree. The best part? It's free for small businesses with a limited budget!
When it comes to making your customers feel special, nothing says "We're glad you're here" like a personalized birthday email. Not only that, but they are great sources for driving up engagement and strengthening brand loyalty.After all, who doesn't love a freebie or a discount to spoil themselves with?Whether you're currently sending birthday emails or want to start, below you'll find some of our best strategies for crafting and optimizing birthday messages that delight your recipients.
What is a Birthday Email?
Birthday emails are powerful automated email campaigns brands use to provide a more personalized customer experience. While on the surface, they might seem like a simple gesture to brighten your customer's day. These emails are strategically crafted and inserted into every big e-commerce brand’s email marketing efforts.
What is the Purpose of a Birthday Email?
Birthday emails have multi-purposes. While they are created to help celebrate a subscriber's special day, they also drive up email engagement and brand loyalty. Here’s how:
Deepen Subscriber Connection: A personalized birthday wish can strengthen the bond between a brand and its subscribers. A simple message can make your subscribers feel important, keeping you at the top of their minds the next time they purchase.
Drive Sales: Exclusive birthday discounts or offers can incentivize subscribers to purchase.
Boost Engagement: Birthday emails often see higher open and click-through rates than regular promotional emails.
Do Birthday Emails Work?
Absolutely! When it comes to engagement metrics, birthday emails are the party animals of the email marketing world. In fact, according to Experian, birthday emails generate “179% more clicks, 481% more transactions, and 342% more revenue per email.”Our educated hypothesis is that everyone loves a little extra attention on their birthday, and when brands deliver that in the form of tailored offers and heartfelt messages, subscribers are more likely to engage (and buy)!
10 Happy Birthday Email Examples (and their strategies)
Birthday emails are a unique blend of celebration and strategy; finding the right balance is important. We've scoured the email universe and handpicked 12 of the best birthday emails. Each example showcases a different approach, from heartwarming messages to irresistible offers.As we unwrap each one, you'll discover what makes them stand out and drive results. By the end of this list, you'll be brimming with ideas and ready to craft birthday emails that resonate and convert.
Make your offer stand out
This birthday email example from Chipotle showcases a brilliant marketing strategy. The "Gift of Guac" is not only quirky and engaging but also entices the receiver with a tempting offer on one of Chipotle's delicacies. Not only that, but the offer is applicable anytime during their birthday month, which promotes return visits.In addition, the call-to-action button attracts the reader's eye and offers clear instructions for the next steps.
Keep it Simple and Stay on Brand
When it comes to birthday emails, Outdoor Voices nails it by embracing the beauty of simplicity.A common mistake with birthday emails is that it is really easy to go overboard. Outdoor Voices does a great job of embracing the “less is more” approach to design and copywriting, which aligns with their overall brand identity.Another differentiating factor, when compared to Chipotle’s approach above, is that the offer is not the star of the email. Instead, the customer is. This strategy is great for strengthening connections with readers as they often feel less “sales-y. ”Regardless, they do a great job of ensuring the offer is still noticed by adding an on-brand CTA that stands out.
Nike's birthday email also beautifully embodies its athletic and dynamic brand essence. Featuring an athlete surrounded by playful hand-drawn elements, the email captures attention and reinforces Nike's iconic image. The straightforward offer of a 10% discount on a $100 purchase, combined with the exclusive feel of 'Member Access,' effectively incentivizes the recipient to shop.
Use a Humorous Approach
The following birthday email from Markiplier incorporates humor to create a memorable and light-hearted message. The message feels personable as it makes a joke about aging that a friend would make, yet emphasizes genuine appreciation.The offer for a discount on Markiplier store items adds an incentive to the comedic touch. If there's a lesson here, it's this: a good laugh can reel 'em in, but pairing it with a genuine offer? That's the cherry on top!
Exclusivity For The Win
If you're an avid Sephora shopper, you'll know their birthday mini sets are (unfortunately) not curated for the individual; however, this email makes you feel like it is.While using your reader's name is a great example of personalization, in this case, it isn't the star of the show.Sephora's unique layout, design, and use of high-quality images exude the feeling of "these were hand-picked just for you." The use of supersized imageslaid out was intentional to make these "minis" feel larger (and, in turn, more exclusive) than they are, which likely makes "Mary" feel special.They also subtly hint with a subtitle that "Mary" is receiving this exclusive offer because they are part of their "beauty insider" program, further promoting the feeling of exclusivity and encouraging customer loyalty.
Time Is Of The Essence? or Not?
The following two emails offer a different approach to birthday offer expiration dates.PixelBoosts offers a 30% discount to be redeemed within three days. Crafted for those looking to renew their subscriptions, this birthday email does a good job of blending the personal touch of a birthday email with a gentle nudge toward "stick around with us!"
On the other hand, the email below extends the festivities and gives the reader the entirety of their month to redeem their discount. The phrase "pick your own present" offers a sense of autonomy and personalization.
There are pros and cons for both strategies.While offering limited-time offers such as PixelBoost can be a great way to encourage urgency and conversion, finding the right time to send this email is important. According to Campaign Monitor, 55% of birthday emails are sent on the recipient's birth date. For limited offers such as 3 days, the challenge comes with not knowing whether the recipient will open the email in time as they might be taking some much-needed R&R.For birthday emails with a much longer deadline, while they offer recipients ample time to open and purchase, you risk them forgetting about your offer. In this case, reminder emails will be essential, turning birthday emails into birthday campaigns.As always, we recommend testing and monitoring what works best for you and your organization.
While we usually see product recommendations being personalized with the power of dynamic content and consumer behavior, Rachael Jackson takes a unique, maybe simpler, but still impactful approach using the recipient's birthstones.
The use of high-quality images and meaningful descriptions engages the recipient to learn more about their birthstone, which only further helps promote the feeling that "this was made for me."
Use Interactive Elements
When done right, videos, gifs, and polls are great ways to catch your readers' attention and guide them toward the desired action.While the email below is simple, the animated birthday cake and candle GIF catches the reader's eye and embodies the essence of celebration, warmth, and festivity. Again, while simple, the GIF enhancesthe user experience, making the offer more enticing and the email more interactive.
Loyalty Points Boost
Simons' birthday email effectively leverages a loyalty program by offering double points on the largest purchase made during the birthday month. The CTA "treat yourself" is strategically used to encourage a larger-than-usual purchase, possibly enticing the reader to buy something they might have been eyeing for a while. The double points incentivize the consumer as they are more willing to buy, knowing they will receive something in return.
Simon isn't just sending out birthday wishes but making it a win-win for everyone.
Best Practices for Engaging Birthday Email Campaigns
The best birthday emails are more than just a celebratory message; they're an opportunity to deepen your connection with your subscribers. To make sure that your birthday wishes stand out in a crowded inbox, it's important to follow some tried-and-true best practices.From creating an automatic birthday campaign to the art of the perfect call-to-action, here are our top secrets to crafting unforgettable birthday emails.
Automation is Your Birthday Campaign BFF
No one is to be left behind. Setting up an automated birthday campaign ensures subscribers feel acknowledged on their special day. It's not just about convenience; it's about consistency.Automation permits timely and personalized gestures that say, "We remember, and we care."
Send More Than One Birthday Email
One email is great, but why stop there? Celebrating a subscriber's birthday isn't just about the day itself; it's about the anticipation and the afterglow.Start with a warm pre-birthday greeting, followed by the main birthday wish, and perhaps a gentle reminder or a thank-you note a day or two later. It's a prolonged celebration that keeps the connection alive and makes your brand memorable.
Ensure a Smooth Redemption Process
If you're gifting your subscribers a birthday treat (and we highly recommend you do!), make the redemption process a breeze. The last thing you want is for them to jump through hoops on their special day. Whether it's a discount code, a freebie, or exclusive access, ensure they can claim it effortlessly.Part of this is ensuring a clear and compelling CTA. Whether you're nudging them to shop a birthday sale, read a special message, or claim a gift, your CTA should stand out.
Design Unforgettable Birthday Emails with Beefree
Whether it's a heartfelt message, a special discount, or an exclusive offer, it is proven that birthday emails strengthen brand-consumer relationships. And with only 31% of retail email marketers sending birthday greetings, there's a huge opportunity for you to stand out.As shown above, playing with color, layouts, images, and interactive elements is the name of the game. And while it might seem challenging and time-consuming at first, it doesn't have to be.With an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and a catalog of over 1,600 templates, Beefree makes designing birthday emails a piece of cake ;).Not sure where to start? Try this free birthday email template.
In our latest blog post, we explored the importance of email newsletters and the value that they can bring to your organization. In short, they serve as a way to ensure consistent and timely communication between businesses and their diverse audience. While many factors influence the outcome of your email newsletters, there are a few tried and true strategies and steps for creating newsletters that we suggest following to ensure their success.Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a small business owner venturing into the email marketing realm, this step-by-step guide, enriched with tips and insights, will illuminate the path from conceptualizing your newsletter to hitting that send button and beyond.
What is the Purpose of a Newsletter?
The purpose of email newsletters is often condensed to brand awareness, promotion, education, and retention, but what's underneath that:
Brand Loyalty: By providing useful content, tips, or insights, you can add unimaginable value to your audience that, in turn, will make you the go-to brand for your audience in your specific niche.
Stronger Relationship: Sending consistent, cohesive, and timely communications keeps your audience engaged and helps nurture a relationship between your brand and its followers.
Traffic: If your content resonates with your audience, they'll want to learn more. This helps drive traffic to your social, website, and any other resources linked in your email newsletter.
A step-by-step guide to creating an email newsletter
Navigating through the nuanced newsletter creation process, we'll explore a 10-step journey that marries strategic thinking with creative execution. Each step, from defining your newsletter’s purpose to meticulously tracking its performance, serves as a crucial milestone, ensuring your message not only lands but also captivates and engages your audience.
Step 1. Define Your Newsletter Goal
Embarking on the newsletter creation journey without a clearly defined goal can make defining your email's content, design, and overall strategy a challenge. Whereas a clearly defined goal helps harmoniously align each element towards a singular purpose.Let’s delve into a few examples of newsletter goals to spark your inspiration:
Engage and Inform: Keep your audience abreast of the latest industry news, trends, and insights.
Drive Sales: Promote new products, offers, or discounts to boost sales.
Increase Participation: Encourage participation in events, webinars, or surveys.
Build Community: Foster a sense of community among subscribers by sharing user-generated content or stories.
In addition, your goal should also take into consideration the following:
Who is your audience? Identifying your audience's demographics, preferences, and behaviors will help tailor the goal to an action you know your readers will take. For example, you wouldn't promote events in New York if most of your audience is based in Australia.
What's the primary value of this email? Every newsletter delivers something of value - be it knowledge, discounts, or entertainment.
What are our business goals? Internally, what is your organization trying to achieve, and what is your current focus?
Step 2. Build a Newsletter Subscriber List
Building a robust, engaged subscriber list is paramount to ensuring your newsletter’s voyage is fruitful and impactful. A subscriber list isn’t merely a collection of email addresses; it’s a community of individuals, each with their unique interests, preferences, and needs, all uniting under the banner of your brand.Here are a few tips to guide you in building your subscriber list:
Craft Compelling Sign-Up Forms: Ensure your newsletter sign-up forms are visible, accessible, and enticing across your digital platforms.
Leverage Multiple Channels: Utilize your website, social media, and other digital channels to promote your newsletter sign-up.
Offer Incentives: Entice potential subscribers with exclusive content, discounts, or insights available only to newsletter crew members.
Ensure Ease of Subscription: Make the subscription process as seamless and straightforward as possible to encourage sign-ups.
Step 3. Segment Contacts and Create Lists
As your subscriber count grows, understanding and organizing them becomes pivotal to ensuring that your newsletters resonate and engage with your unique audiences. Segmenting your contacts allows you to tailor content to their specific interests, allowing for highly personalized experiences. This action helps build a deeper connection between your brand and its audience. Here are some tips for audience segmentation:
Understand Subscriber Preferences: On your sign-up form, ask questions beyond the simple "name and email address" to understand their interests. For example, something as simple as a job title can provide much insight.
Monitor and Adapt: Continually assess the effectiveness of your segments, and their actions will help you make necessary changes to optimize your email newsletter's design, content, and overall strategy.
Step 4. Select an Email Newsletter Tool
Finding the right tool for you and your team can be a formidable quest. Yet, it’s a pivotal step in ensuring your newsletter engages and delights your audience.When embarking on the selection of an email newsletter tool, consider the following key features:
User-Friendliness: Find a tool that allows anyone on your team to seamlessly craft, edit, and visualize your newsletter without too big of a learning curve. Complex tools can often result in a loss of productivity.
Deliverability: Your email newsletter tool should ensure your emails are rendered beautifully regardless of email client or device to ensure your newsletters reach the inbox, not the dreaded spam folder.
Template Variety: Mostly, every email tool offers templates to help you kick-start your email newsletters. Before committing, ensure those templates align with your brand, audience, and needs. Extra points if the platform allows you to create, save, and reuse your own
PRO Tip: Find a tool that allows collaboration to happen within the platform to minimize juggling between multiple tools and further increase your team's productivity.Now, an email newsletter tool is not to be confused with an email-sending platform or an email marketing platform. While these may overlap, an email newsletter tool is often an additional tool added to help optimize your email design process. Because of this, it is important that the email newsletter tool you choose should seamlessly integrate with your existing sending platforms like HubSpot, Mailchimp, or Gmail.A great example of this is Beefree.
Beefree: Email creation without limits.
Beefree is an intuitive email builder whose agnostic nature allows easy export to your sending platforms of choice. Its collaborative features allow for decentralized teams to work together on email newsletters and campaigns effortlessly. With a catalog of 1,600+ email templates, we pride ourselves in having something for everyone, and our drag-and-drop editor makes the learning curve a breeze.
Step 5. Start From Scratch or Use a Template
You have two choices when it comes to creating a newsletter: to personalize an existing template or to craft your own from the blank canvas of possibility. Both paths, while divergent, lead to the creation of a newsletter that is uniquely yours. Let’s explore these two options, ensuring your newsletter is not only a reflection of your brand but also a beacon that resonates with your subscribers.
Option 1: Personalize an Existing Newsletter Template
This path allows you to embark on your newsletter journey with a sturdy vessel crafted by experts and ready to be infused with your unique brand essence. This option comeswith its own range of benefits:
Efficiency: Save time and resources by starting with a pre-designed structure.
Consistency: Ensure your newsletters maintain a consistent, professional appearance.
Inspiration: Draw inspiration from expertly crafted designs.
Flexibility: Adapt and modify the template to align with your brand and message.
As mentioned, Beefree’s newsletter template library offers thousands of free options, ready to be molded, adapted, and transformed into a newsletter that speaks your brand’s language and connects with your audience.
Option 2: Start with a Blank Newsletter Template
The "start from scratch" approach allows you to build your newsletter from the ground up, ensuring every element, from layout to content, is meticulously curated and distinctly yours. This path unveils its own unique advantages:
Unbridled Creativity: Experience the freedom to explore your creativity without being bound by pre-designed constraints.
Unique Design: Develop a newsletter that is distinctly yours, ensuring it stands out in the crowded inbox.
Full Control: Maintain comprehensive control over every component, ensuring each aspect aligns perfectly with your brand.
Tailored Experience: Design a user experience that is meticulously tailored to your audience’s preferences and journey.
Step 6. Must have elements to have in your email newsletters
Let's get to work designing your newsletter with Beefree, where designing your newsletter becomes a seamless blend of creativity and functionality. While the ensuing steps are crafted with Beefree’s email editor in mind, these are all elements that any email newsletter must have to ensure your newsletter design is visually compelling and effectively communicates your message, regardless of the tool you choose. Let’s dive into the meticulous art of newsletter design.
Carefully Crafted Layout
Whether you're starting from scratch or using a template, the content sections needed will be determined by the purpose and goal of your newsletter. Ask yourself: "What is the information that my readers need to know to be enticed to complete the desired action?"The layout of your emails should be placed in a manner that is easily digestible and helps guide and engage the reader through the newsletter. This can be done by maintaining a balance between text and visual elements.Tips for adding content:
Maintain Consistency: Ensure your content aligns with your overall message and brand voice.
Be Concise: Craft your message to be clear and to the point, respecting your reader’s time and attention.
With Beefree, drag and drop your content blocks, such as text, images, and buttons, into your email. If you're starting with a template, our first suggestion is to first assess the email and see if any sections don't align with you. Like we did for our template below:
Regardless, a well-crafted layout is has a balance of text and visual elements, ensuring your content is both engaging and easily digestible.
Visual Elements
Long gone are the days of text-only emails. Images, videos, and GIFs are visual anchors in your newsletter, capturing attention and enhancing your narrative. They also help provide balance in your emails to help guide and break up text-heavy sections.Tips for including images:
Alignment: Your images should be visual representations of your brand and the message that you are trying to convey in the email. Otherwise, they might distract the reader from your message rather than engage.
If you're starting with a template on Beefree, you can easily change the images by clicking on the image and clicking "change image" on the sidebar. If you're starting from scratch, you can navigate to the “Content” tab and simply drag the “Image” content block into your template. You can upload your own images and store them using our File Manager to retrieve them for future use.Beefree also offers a stock image and GIF library to incorporate visual elements into your newsletters easily.
Brand Elements
Infusing your newsletter with your brand elements ensures that your emails are recognized immediately by your readers. Brand elements include your logo, brand colors, pre-defined fonts, icons, etc.Tips for adding brand elements:
Consistency is Key: Ensure all elements, from colors to fonts, are consistent with your brand guidelines.
Visibility: Ensure your logo is placed prominently, ensuring immediate brand recognition.
Within Beefree, you can easily set your style guidelines to ensure everyone on your team can design on-brand messaging. You can also save content blocks that are frequently used to save time when building your emails.All of these are better known as "email design systems," which are built to help you save time, resources, and cohesiveness in all of your communication efforts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCmxbuk4PRA&t=56s
Prominent CTA Buttons
CTA buttons should be influenced by the goal you want the reader to take. They should be placed throughout the newsletter to ensure the reader can take action at any time.Tips for creating CTA buttons:
Stand Out: Ensure your CTA is visually prominent. This means not hiding them in between elements, adding ample spacing around the CTA, and ensuring the color of the button doesn't blend in with its background. Although it should stand out, it should still remain harmoniously integrated into your overall design.
Concise Text: Use clear and concise copy that clearly communicates the action you want the reader to take. Do not leave any room for interpretation.
In Beefree, you can create pre-defined CTA buttons that align with your most frequently sent emails. Adding new buttons is as easy asdragging the “Button” content block into your email.
Step 7. Make Sure Your Newsletter is Legally Compliant
Navigating through the realm of email marketing also involves ensuring that your newsletter adheres to the various legal standards and regulations that govern digital communication. Ensuring legal compliance is not merely a step but a fundamental pillar that upholds the integrity and legality of your email marketing endeavors. From adhering to data protection regulations to ensuring transparent communication, legal compliance safeguards your brand, reputation, and the trust that your subscribers place in you.Here are some general suggestions to ensure your emails are compliant:
Adhere to Regulations: Ensure your newsletter complies with regulations such as GDPR or CAN-SPAM, safeguarding both subscriber data and communication.
Transparent Opt-In: Ensure that your subscription process is clear, transparent, and provides adequate information regarding the nature of your newsletters.
Easy Opt-Out: Provide a clear and straightforward process for subscribers to opt out of your newsletters anytime.
Protect Data: Ensure that subscriber data is stored, processed, and protected in adherence to relevant data protection regulations.
In addition, email footer requirements are upheld by email-sending platforms. In Beefree, under "Rows," you will see various footer options that adhere to HubSpot and Mailchimp guidelines ready for use. If you use a different ESP, be sure to build your footer with their unique requirements in mind.
Step 8. Preview and Test Emails
In the final stages of our newsletter creation journey, previewing and testing stand as crucial waypoints, ensuring that your crafted message is not only visually appealing but also functionally flawless across various email landscapes. This step involves scrutinizing your newsletter through the lenses of different devices and email clients, ensuring that each subscriber, regardless of their digital window, experiences your message in its full splendor.
Beefree "preview mode"Here are a few tips to ensure your previews and tests lead to a standing ovation in every inbox:
Multi-Device Testing: Ensure your newsletter shines across all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
Different Email Clients: Verify that your design and functionality remain intact across various email clients, such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.
Link Functionality: Ensure all your links, from CTAs to social icons, are functioning and leading to the correct destinations.
Spelling and Grammar: A final check on the language, ensuring that your message is not only clear but also error-free.
Step 9. Track Performance and Create Iterations
This final step involves diving into the analytics, exploring how our subscribers interacted with our newsletter, and uncovering triumphs and areas ripe for enhancement.This step is crucial for ensuring that each newsletter is a stepping stone towards deeper engagement and connection with our audience.Here are some navigational tips when it comes to tracking performance:
Analyze Engagement: Dive into metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and engagement with specific content.
Subscriber Feedback: Pay attention to any direct feedback or responses from your subscribers.
Iterate and Enhance: Use the insights gained to refine and enhance subsequent newsletters, ensuring continual improvement.
A/B Testing: Consider employing A/B testing in future sends, exploring what content, design, and strategies resonate most.
Start Creating Your Own Newsletters Today
The path to creating your own successful newsletter lies ahead! We hope that with the knowledge, insights, and tools shared, you feel equipped and ready to start forging connections, telling stories, and engaging your audiences in a way that is unique to you!If you need somewhere to get started and inspired, browse through our extensive catalog of free templates. We guarantee you'll find something that fits your needs ;)Happy designing!
In an era where algorithms evolve and trends shift faster than we can catch up, one timeless strategy stands resilient for small businesses - email marketing.A well-crafted email newsletter has the power to transcend the virtual clutter, connecting businesses directly with their audience. Yet, the challenge lies not just in sending emails but in sending the right ones.
Is Email Marketing Good for Small Businesses?
For small businesses with limited resources, budgets, and time, email marketing serves as a reliable strategy to maintain consistent communication. Communication efforts that are essential for sustainable growth and building a loyal customer base. Let's dive into some of the benefits:
Personalized messaging: According to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to engage with a brand that offers a personalized experience. Unlike broad advertisements, emails allow you to connect with your customers on a personal level.
High ROI: The average ROI for email marketing, as stated by Constant Contact, is $36 for every $1 spent, making it affordable for businesses with limited funds.
Builds Relationships: Regular emails help nurture relationships, turning one-time buyers into loyal customers.
Flexibility: Whether it's newsletters, promotions, or updates, there's an email type for every message you want to convey.
If you're looking for a cost-effective way to make a big impact, then yes, email marketing is for you.
10 Engaging Email Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses
In the dynamic realm of email marketing, standing out is the name of the game. For small businesses, this means crafting emails that inform, engage, and captivate their audience with visuals and impactful messaging. Here are 10 engaging email marketing campaign ideas to help you showcase your brand's personality, all while keeping conversion top of mind.
Highlight and Share Customer Testimonials
There's a reason why word-of-mouth remains one of the most trusted forms of marketing. Hearing real experiences from real people carries a weight that no amount of traditional advertising can match. For small businesses, showcasing customer testimonials in emails is like sharing little nuggets of trust and authenticity with your audience.This email resonates because it's all about relatability. When potential customers see others vouching for your products or services, it builds confidence and credibility. It's like having a friend recommend their favorite restaurant; you're more inclined to give it a try.In the image of an email below, Cladwell includes two different customer testimonials. Both reviews share their love for the brand and support Cladwell's mission to help people get more out of the clothes that they own with a capsule wardrobe.
By highlighting these experiences in your emails, you're not just showcasing your offerings but also building a community of trust around your brand. So, the next time a customer sings your praises, don't keep it to yourself—share it with your email subscribers and let the testimonials do the talking!
Send Birthday and Anniversary Promotions
Who doesn't love a little extra love on their special day? Sending birthday and anniversary promotions is a personal touch that goes a long way. In a simple way, this message says, "Hey, we remember you, and we appreciate you being with us!" Not only does this foster goodwill, but it also encourages sales. After all, who can resist a tempting offer, especially when it's wrapped up in birthday confetti?
But here's the real kicker: these promotions aren't just about sales. They're about building a bond. When customers feel valued and remembered, they're more likely to stick around. And in the world of business, loyalty is golden.
Pulling back the curtain and giving a sneak peek into the day-to-day happenings can create a genuine connection. It humanizes your brand, making it more than just a logo or a product. It's about the people, the process, and the passion.
Here are some behind-the-scenes stories that can make a splash:
The Making of a Product: Showcase the journey from idea to final product. It's fascinating to see how things come to life.
Employee Spotlights: Introduce the rockstars behind your brand. Share their stories, hobbies, and why they love what they do.
Office Shenanigans: Do you have a fun office tradition or a quirky team-building activity coming up? Share it! It adds a touch of fun and personality.
Remember, every brand has a story. And sharing yours can make all the difference in building a loyal community.
Create a Brand Ambassador Program
A Brand Ambassador Program helps cultivate a community of customers who love what you do so much that they can't help but shout it from the rooftops.
As we mentioned earlier, word-of-mouth is powerful. Recommendations from friends or family hold weight. When someone raves about your product or service, their circle listens. And guess what? That's organic marketing at its finest.
Brand ambassadors also provide invaluable feedback. They're your frontline, interacting with your product or service regularly. Their insights can help refine your offerings, ensuring you're always at the top of your game. So, think of a Brand Ambassador Program as a win-win: your brand gets love and loyalty, and your ambassadors get perks and a sense of community.
Utilize Subscriber-Only Discounts
It's simple: everyone loves a good deal. And they love them even more when it's exclusive. By offering special deals just for your email subscribers, you're letting them know that you value their readership enough to offer them unique opportunities.
PRO Tip: Go the extra mile and put to use your segmented groups to use! Create personalized offers to make discounts more relevant to your unique audiences and their needs, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
In a digital world, it's easy for brands to come off as faceless entities. But here's a little secret: people connect with people, not logos. Taking the time to humanize your brand can be the difference between a subscriber who engages and one who hits the 'unsubscribe' button. It's about building trust, showcasing authenticity, and creating genuine connections.
Take Time to Humanize Your Brand
In a digital world, it's easy for brands to come off as faceless entities. But the truth is, that people connect with people, not logos. Taking the time to humanize your brand can be the difference between a subscriber who engages and one who hits the 'unsubscribe' button. It's about building trust, showcasing authenticity, and creating genuine connections.
Here's how you can add that human touch:
Share Your Origin Story: Every brand has a beginning. Share yours. How did you start? What challenges did you face? What's the passion driving you?
Celebrate Milestones: Did you hit a significant number of subscribers? Launch a new product? Celebrate with your email community. They're part of your journey.
Introduce Your Team: Put faces to the names. Share fun facts, birthdays, or even the office pet. It adds warmth and personality to your brand.
Remember, at the end of the day, business is about relationships. And relationships are built on trust, authenticity, and, most importantly, human connections.
Create a Monthly Newsletter
Newsletters are a chance to share updates, stories, and maybe even a few secrets. For small businesses, a monthly newsletter is a golden opportunity to keep your audience in the loop. It's a consistent touchpoint that reminds your subscribers, "Hey, we're here, and we've got some cool stuff to share!"
Why should you jump on the newsletter bandwagon?
Consistency is Key: Regular updates mean you're always on your subscribers' minds. It's a gentle nudge that says, "Remember us?"
Value-Packed Content: Share tips, industry news, or even a fun fact. It's not just about selling; it's about providing value.
Builds Community: A newsletter can foster a sense of belonging. It's a space where you and your subscribers can connect and engage.
Offer Exclusive Previews
There's something undeniably thrilling about being in the know, getting that first look before anyone else. For small businesses, offering exclusive previews to their email subscribers is a golden ticket to building anticipation and excitement. It's like inviting your most loyal fans to a VIP backstage pass, giving them a sneak peek into upcoming products, services, or events.
By offering these exclusive glimpses, you're not only rewarding your subscribers for their loyalty but also creating a sense of community and belonging. They feel valued, special, and more connected to your brand. And when people feel a part of something bigger, they're more likely to engage, share, and, most importantly, shop.
So, the next time you're launching something new, consider giving your email subscribers the first look.
How Do I Start Email Marketing For My Small Business?
While the journey might seem a tad overwhelming at first, with the right steps, you'll be on your way to crafting compelling campaigns in no time. Let's look at the initial stages to ensure you kick things off on the right foot.
Step #1 Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform
Before you send out your first email, you'll need a reliable platform to do the heavy lifting. An email marketing platform helps you manage your subscriber list, design emails, and track performance metrics.
Research Platforms: Look into options to see which platform is best suited for your needs.
Features Matter: Ensure the platform offers templates, analytics, and automation tools.
Ease of Use: Especially for beginners, a user-friendly interface can make all the difference.
Step #2 Segment Your Email List
Not all subscribers are created equal. Segmenting your email list allows you to tailor your content to different groups, ensuring it resonates and engages.
Demographics: Group subscribers based on age, location, or purchasing behavior.
Engagement Levels: Separate active readers from those who might need a re-engagement campaign.
Personalization: Use segments to send personalized offers or content, enhancing the subscriber experience.
Step #3 Start with a Template!
The design of your email plays a pivotal role in capturing your subscriber's attention. While crafting a visually appealing email from scratch might seem daunting, a template does all the heavy lifting!
Beefree offers a vast collection of over 1,600+ email templates, made with conversion and engagement in mind. Whether you're looking for a minimalist design or something vibrant and colorful, there is something for everyone.
Beefree's drag-and-drop intuitive builder also makes it easy for those with limited design experience to build beautiful on-brand templates with minimal effort.
Step #4 Analyze and Iterate for Continuous Improvement
Once your emails are out in the wild, the journey doesn't end there. It's essential to keep an eye on how they're performing. Are your subscribers opening them? Are they clicking through? Or perhaps, are they sending them straight to the trash?
Use Analytics: Most email platforms offer insights into open rates, click-through rates, and more. Dive deep into these metrics to understand what's working and what's not.
Feedback is Gold: Consider sending out surveys or directly asking for feedback. Your subscribers can offer invaluable insights into what they love and what could be better.
Iterate and Improve: Based on the data and feedback, make necessary tweaks to your content, design, or strategy. Remember, email marketing is a continuous process of learning and improving.
By adopting a mindset of continuous improvement, you ensure that your email marketing efforts remain effective and relevant, adapting to the ever-changing needs and preferences of your audience.
Additional email marketing tips for small businesses
While we've covered some essential steps to kickstart your email marketing journey, there are always more tricks up the sleeve to enhance your game. Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:
Personalize Beyond the Name: Sure, addressing subscribers by their first name is great, but dive deeper. Tailor content based on their preferences or past interactions.
Avoid the Spam Folder: Ensure your emails are compliant with regulations and avoid spammy tactics. A high-quality email list and relevant content are your best allies.
Celebrate Special Occasions: Birthdays, anniversaries, or local holidays—these are opportunities to connect and offer special deals or messages.
Visuals Matter: Incorporate high-quality images and graphics that resonate with your brand and message.
Mobile-first: According to Litmus, 47% of email opens occurred on a mobile device, surpassing desktop opens. This makes having mobile-friendly emails not just a nice-to-have but an absolute must for small businesses.
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