Quick Start Guide To Email Marketing and Email List Building

Updated on September 13, 2023 by Tim Donahue

Part 2 of 6

How To Build An Online Audience:
Unlocking the Potential of Email List Building

Welcome back, aspiring entrepreneurs! Today we’re tackling how to build and utilize an email list effectively. Let’s get to it!

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is about connecting with potential or current customers through their inbox. Imagine it like a digital coffee shop where you chat with your audience, but instead of coffee, you serve them valuable content.

How It Works

First off, you’ll need to collect emails. You can do this through sign-up forms on your website or social media. Once someone signs up, their email is automatically stored in a database on an email marketing platform.

Tip: Use double opt-in, where the subscriber receives an email to confirm their subscription. This ensures you have their correct email and that they actually want to be on your list.

What Should Your Email Content Be?

Avoid the constant sales pitch. Mix in valuable content like guides, tutorials, or industry news. Say you run an online cooking store; you could send out seasonal recipes or a video guide on knife maintenance. That way, your emails are a resource, not just a billboard.

Implementing an Email Collector

To actually collect these emails, you’ll need to set up sign-up forms on your website. Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp offer easy-to-embed forms. Place them strategically: at the end of blog posts, in your site footer, or use a timed pop-up that appears when a visitor spends a certain amount of time on a page.

What is an Email List Host?

An email list host, like Mailchimp, stores your email database and helps you manage your campaigns. You’ll be able to segment your list into different groups (like “new subscribers” or “loyal customers”) and track the performance of your emails with analytics tools that are built right in.

How to Send an Email Blast

Here’s how to send a blast: First, go to your email marketing platform and log in. If you’ve collected emails through this platform, your list will already be there. If not, you’ll have the option to upload a list. Then, you’ll select an email template and input your text and images.

Before you hit “send,” always send a test email to yourself to check for issues. Once satisfied, you’ll choose your email list and either send immediately or schedule for later. The whole process can take about an hour if you’re new, less as you get familiar.

The Importance of Email Analytics

After your blast, your email platform will give you performance metrics like open rates and click-through rates. Pay attention to these. A low open rate could mean your subject lines aren’t grabbing attention, while a low click-through rate might indicate the content isn’t compelling enough.

Improving Your Email Campaigns

A/B testing is a method to refine your emails. Essentially, you’ll create two versions of an email with a single difference between them: say, the subject line or a featured image. You send both versions to a small, segmented part of your list and see which performs better.

Based on this data, you can make informed decisions on what resonates with your audience—be it the tone, the content type, or even the time of sending.

Go to Part 3 –

How To Build An Online Audience: How To Choose The Right Social Media Platforms

We’ve got you covered – there are 3 more articles on Audience Building – one for each of the 5 main Pillars of Audience Building.

Here’s Part 3 of 6:

Choosing The Right Social Media Platforms >>

Published by:
Tim Donahue
StartABusiness.Center
Updated on September 13, 2023