The Power of Email Marketing for Small Businesses: Building Community and Engaging Your Audience

When it comes to digital marketing, so much of the focus is on the flashy stuff, such as social media, videos, and other content marketing, that it becomes easy to overlook one of the most powerful platforms to connect with your audience: email marketing! As a content marketing coach, I’ve seen businesses prioritise various marketing strategies, but I’m here to remind you that your email list is a treasure trove of engagement waiting to be tapped into. So many of the people I work with are in dire need of a mindset shift surrounding their email marketing.

The Importance of Email Marketing:

Do you ever wonder why we tend to neglect email marketing? This is especially puzzling considering that our email subscribers are often the ones who trust and appreciate us the most. After all, email marketing is one of the key ways we can connect and communicate with our audience. Emails are direct, they’re personal — all things we love in our marketing! So let’s break free from the misconception that emails are just noise in the inbox.

Shifting Our Mindset around Email Marketing:

Okay — many of you might not necessarily love receiving emails, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t send them! Sure, you may hate all the spam in your inbox, but think about who’s emails you’re excited to receive; whether it’s updates from friends, groups you’re a part of, or businesses you love, the point I’m getting at is that email marketing has a bad reputation, and it’s actually a super valuable tool. We’re quick to assume that our content is adding to the noise. However, let’s instead focus on sending out emails that will cut through, engage your audience, and make an impact. Shifting your mindset also means considering that those who subscribed to your content might actually want to hear from you!

Appreciate Your Email List:

It’s time to show your email list some love. They are a group of people who have chosen you and shown their investment in what you offer. You should embrace this community, this is one of the best ways you can build a strong community and identity for your business. Email is not just a newsletter delivery mechanism; it’s a platform to help you build a robust community that fosters and engages with your content and brand. The beauty of emails is that they’re not one sided, meaning they’re a great way of not just talking to your audience, but conversing with them.

Frequency Matters in Your Email Marketing:

One question I get all the time is how frequently should you be emailing your list? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? Definitely not yearly. And while monthly may seem sufficient, in reality, it’s really not enough. Weekly emails are key to keeping your audience engaged and your brand at the forefront of their minds. While you don’t want to ‘add to the noise’ or such, you also don’t want to get lost in it. You want them to see your name often enough that they start feeling like they’re building a relationship. Remember, email is your direct line of communication to your audience, use it to your advantage!

Crafting Engaging Emails:

Now that we’ve covered the importance of email marketing, let’s discuss the types of emails that can re-engage your audience without overwhelming them with a pushy sales pitch:

 

• Value-packed Content: Offer hacks, how-tos, or unique insights that provide immediate value to your subscribers. Make it fresh and exclusive to your email list.
• Personal Stories: Share snippets of your daily life, workspace, or routine to connect on a personal level. This helps humanise your brand and build stronger relationships.
• Customer Success Stories: Highlight testimonials and success stories from your customers. Authentic stories inspire trust and show the impact of your products or services.
• Questions and Answers: Provide answers to common questions or invite your subscribers to submit questions for a future Q&A session. This encourages engagement and interaction.
• Exclusive Discounts or Freebies: Reward your email subscribers with exclusive discounts or free resources. This not only shows appreciation but also incentivizes engagement.
• Behind-the-Scenes Insights: Offer glimpses of your creative process, projects in progress, or team profiles. This transparency builds a deeper connection with your audience.
• Thoughtful Quotes or Inspirations: Share quotes, articles, or podcast insights that resonate with your brand and audience. This positions you as a thought leader in your industry.

Now if there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s that email marketing is not just a tool for blasting promotions; it’s a medium to foster a community and establish meaningful connections. By shifting your mindset and approaching email marketing as a way to provide value and build relationships, you can unlock the full potential of this channel. Prioritise regular and engaging emails, personalised subject lines, and a variety of content types to keep your audience captivated and eager to hear from you. Remember, your email list is a community of people who want to hear from you — embrace this opportunity and watch your business grow.

We love the power of email marketing at Identify. If you want to get a steady stream of leads and sales from the emails and other content you’re sending out, we’d love to help.

We can work with you one-on-one to create an overall strategy, or you can become part of Rachel’s group Content Marketing Coaching programme. 

We’re fussy about making sure we’re the right fit for you (and vice versa) so if you know you need help and want to check we can help, get in touch!

We’ll set up a zoom and get to know more about your business!

Not quite ready for that but know this is the year to fix your marketing? (Including your emails? Use Rachel Klaver’s workbook to help find where your marketing needs some help! The Marketing Fix helps you idenitfy which lever you need to work on first to fix your marketing.