Email marketing is an effective and efficient way to boost sales. With an ROI that is out of this world, the prospect of email marketing is almost too good to be true. As with anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. If you have heard that email marketing isn’t worth your time, you probably heard it from someone who couldn’t see past their own shortcomings. A vast majority of people still email on a regular basis, so why wouldn’t you market this way? It is a cost-effective, easy to personalize way to reach your target audience. Here are some simple steps to ensure the success of your email marketing campaign.

Grow Your Email List

The first thing you must do in a successful email campaign is ensure that you have plenty of prospects. This means you need to commit to growing your email list. You may have to get creative because people typically aren’t very excited about giving out their contact information. You will likely also have to offer something in return, whether you have a brick and mortar location or an online business.

One great way to grow an email list is to create an opt-in page. It needs to be optimized with a clear call-to-action. You want them to opt in. If you can offer something of value, you will likely have more success. Online businesses can offer e-books, video courses or other digital products that bring value to the customer. The great thing about capturing leads this way is that they are targeted specifically to your business.

Don’t Push The Sale Too Soon

You will have to resist the urge to immediately pitch to your new leads. Instead, you need to start building trust. Send newsletters and other important information pertaining to your business or industry and pay attention to your open rates. You may need to change the subject line or personalize it a little more. Engagement is key but the content you send must be valuable. If you fill up their inbox with junk or pitch too soon, your new leads will opt out. Two emails per month is a good place to start.

Offer Discounts To Your Subscribers

Everyone likes to feel special and many people opt-in to newsletters specifically to get first dibs on special discounts. Exclusive offers for email subscribers is tempting and many customers wait for this type of correspondence. Recent studies show that almost half of all email subscribers have made a purchase based on an email they received. Just remember not to be too promotional. If you don’t build trust and your emails become too salesy, they will opt out.

Personalize Email Content

Most general sales emails end up in the trash bin or the junk folder. Find some way to personalize your content. Use a picture of yourself near the signature. If you have the customer’s name, use it. If you see that the customer recently purchased a baby blanket from your site, don’t send them information about a football clock. The content should be valuable to the customer, relatable to their experience on your site and personalized as much as possible. People buy from people they trust, so build trust.

Email marketing is one of the most valuable and overlooked sales tools still widely available and affordable. Those who claim it is not worth the time didn’t do it right. Follow these four fundamental steps and you will drastically increase your bottom line with a powerful email marketing strategy.