3 Simple Email Marketing Strategies Every Small Business Needs

Jan 25

One of the hardest things to accept in life and business is that we aren’t always in control.

Recessions happen and we can’t control them.

Clients will make their own decisions and we can’t control that.

Technology will break and kids will get sick — we can’t control that, either.

And when it comes to business, you don’t always have control over the tools you use to grow.

You don’t have any control over what Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube is doing. But you DO have control over your email list. With email marketing, you aren’t bound to algorithms, hacks, or trying to navigate how fast things change, either.

With several different email service providers, you can find the one that is best for your business, your industry, and your audience.

And email marketing is much simpler to leverage — get people on your list, write the email, and hit send! That’s pretty much all there is to it (okay, there’s a bit more, but I’ll talk about that another day).

That’s why it’s so important to have a solid email marketing strategy — and today, I’m sharing the top three things every small business owner should know about email marketing, so you can see the kind of ROI that is possible!

Pro tip: Actually send emails to the people on your list

What good is having an email list if you don’t ever use it?

Something I talk a lot about, whether it’s with YouTube or Instagram, is to be consistent. And email marketing is no different. In fact, people are much more protective of their inbox than they are their feeds, so they have no problems unsubscribing to content that they don’t want to see anymore.

And if you’re nowhere to be found the minute they subscribe, only to pop up and send an email as soon as you’re selling something… you can bet your bottom dollar they will be seeing themselves off your list.

Engage subscribers with a welcome sequence

I wish I had known this sooner, but whenever someone subscribes to your email list, don’t just let them hang out there until your next email. Send them something to help them get to know you and learn something else from you in the meantime.

I’d recommend sending three to five emails over the course of a week or so to help them get to know you.

Start with an introduction

In email one, introduce yourself and share your story — why you got into business and why you’re in their inbox. Highlight some kind of transformation you’ve experienced as it relates to your niche so it can relate to them.

For example, If your business teaches others how to build their website on Squarespace, your story could be about how you started to build your own website and stumbled around trying to figure it all out, until you realized that place was Squarespace.

Have fun and show off your personality

You can’t be all work and no play — well, I guess you could be if that was your audience. But for most people, they have no problems with seeing something different in their inbox. And sharing something about yourself can help break up the monotony, catch their attention, and build a connection.

Even if sounds a bit cheesy, you could send an email that shares:

5 of your favorite things
5 fun facts (add in some business, some personal, some random)
5 things all my friends know about me

And the best thing you can do? Ask them to reply and share about themselves!

Ask if they have anything in common with you, or ask them a totally random question (like what they like to binge on Netflix). People LOVE talking about themselves, but this will also help you bridge the connection back.

Add value

You need to show that you know what you’re talking about. Give them a piece of advice or actionable tips that they can start using that same day. This could be in the form of a template, a checklist, sharing an old blog, or really anything that gives value and gets them to say, “Wow! Can’t believe I got that for free!”

Bonus points if you’ve created a video on your value email topic and can link the video version too! People love videos.

Position yourself as the solution

Start positioning yourself as the solution to their biggest challenge.

The people in my audience are running on all four cylinders, and they feel like they are doing everything they can to get their business to hit $6K a month consistently. They can see all the pieces to their business, but they just aren’t sure how they all come together… or, more importantly, how to prioritize their time to pull it all together.

And in this email, you want to let them know you see them and what they’re doing right now. You also share that you know what they’re doing isn’t working for them. Then you introduce your way of doing things.

For me, I know there’s no cookie-cutter strategy out there that will work for everyone, so inside my program 10K On Replay, I help each client build their own unique strategy that will work for them. They don’t need to fit into a business model that doesn’t feel good for them, your business, or your rules. And then I help you build from that!

THIS is how you drop your offers without being salesy but still make sure you sell (gotta keep the lights on right?!). You’re giving people the chance to form a connection with you on both sides and letting them know you understand exactly how they feel.

The follow-up

The last email in your email sequence could be a follow-up email if they don’t opt to purchase anything from you or take whatever next step was listed in your previous email. Incorporate testimonials to show them what their own transformation could look like if they did.

And even if they don’t end up buying from you or working with you, gauging interest is a good way to see what tweaks can be made for your customer/client journey.

How to build an email list

The next thing to consider is how to actually get people onto your list. You may already know that an opt-in or freebie can help you do that, but just remember the way to entice people to take that freebie is to provide something with value.

People don’t want to just give their email out to anyone anymore. You have to provide value!

After that, you can start to herd those people toward your lower ticket offer. Basically, you’re stacking value on value, in increasing doses, so people can see that you’re someone they want to buy from.

Want to know what else you can do to scale your business?

Creating a business that has a steady flow of sales does take work, but it’s not impossible. It takes a good strategy (that includes your email marketing), having great products and services, and using the right tools to make it happen.

If you want to learn more about scaling a profitable business from the ground up from day one, check out the video below!