Most marketers understand the value of email in the general sense. But it’s also one of the oldest tactics in the digital marketing playbook. So its unmatched ability to reach qualified customers is often overshadowed by the latest and greatest marketing trends. Underestimating the power and potential of email marketing is a huge mistake that could cost you dearly. We’ve identified three ways that an email marketing plan can be one of your most valuable assets, and the single biggest factor in lead nurturing.
An Email Marketing Plan Delivers Gated Content
No other means of communication is as direct and targeted as email. Yes, an email can be forwarded, but that initial communication is one-to-one and private, just between you and your customer. This offers the unique ability to offer gated content not available anywhere or to anyone else. As a delivery mechanism, email is uniquely suited for these types of sends. And your email marketing plan should make full use of that fact.
Depending on how much data you have collected from your customers, you can segment your list very specifically and pinpoint exactly who you are sending to, down to a single user if desired. Other channels, such as display media, can provide narrow targeting, but only on aggregate. You are still targeting an audience of characteristics, not known individuals. Email offers a gateway to actual people, and the ability to tailor content around their actual interests. Through your email marketing plan, you can deliver highly relevant, gated content that is specific to a small but valuable subset of customers. Think: unique home remodel guides for those you know have children vs elderly adults at home, tailored based on previous spend.
An Email Marketing Plan Provides Special Offers
Your email marketing plan should also incorporate special offers. Much like with gated content, you can vary these by customer segmentation, or simply offer a better offer to known customers vs. unknown users. This works especially well if you have a customer loyalty program or utilize logins on your site. That way you can use email marketing to communicate the offer, and validate based on email address upon checkout, mitigating the impact of email forwards and coupon code sites.
Special offers and discounts only go so far; you don’t want to appear to always be on sale. But when combined with gated content, special offers can create a highly customized and targeted email marketing plan that feels unique and specific to each customer. This increases your conversion potential by providing relevant information and discounts based on their needs. Email also ensures you can time the content or offer to be delivered at the stage in the sales process where they want it most, boosting conversion rate and reducing time to purchase.
An Email Marketing Plan Offers Exclusive Access
Much like gated content and special offers, your email marketing plan should include email messages that offer exclusive access. This could be a first look or insider information, or actual access to private sales and events. It could be the first opportunity to experience something, or just learn about it. This exclusive access can be physical or virtual, have a dollar value or not, but it is only communicated through email. Joining your email list should be like stepping behind the velvet rope, into VIP.
Each of these tactics is designed to prove the value of your email list and provide tangible benefits to your subscribers. With these in place, your email marketing plan can do almost all of the lead nurturing work for you. Whether you combine all three together or try separately, and whether there is an actual discount incentive or just great content they can’t get anywhere else, joining your email list provides access they can’t get anywhere else.
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