How to Generate Leads Using Email Marketing:
It’s hard to believe that email has been around since 1971, though it’s definitely been utilized more in the last few decades. Can you imagine not having email as a communication option? In 1978, an email marketing campaign was sent out for the first time. It was delivered to 400 recipients and was linked to 13 million dollars in sales! With the birth of the internet and the launch of email services in the 1990s, email quickly spread worldwide. Since then, businesses have taken advantage of the convenience of email to connect with customers, new and old, leading to more sales!
There’s a reason why email marketing has been around for so long – it works! Email marketing provides a $36 return for every $1 spent, proving how cost-effective and successful this strategy really can be! (Litmus) Now, collecting emails is one thing but driving sales is another. It’s all about finding an effective strategy that 1 – encourages opens, 2 – keeps their attention, and 3 – attracts click-throughs or leads to your call to action. The following 5 tips will help you to generate leads with email marketing!
1. Provide Value (don’t just sell!)
Why do people sign up for anything in life? They believe they will get something out of it, and it’s no different with email marketing. Give your newsletter subscribers a reason to keep opening week after week! Provide a sneak peek into the value that you can provide to them. Show off your expertise with tips, insights, or personal stories. It’s important to build this connection with your audience, rather than treating them solely as customers. A good rule of thumb is to educate 90% and promote 10% of the time. Remember, they’re not just an email address, there’s a real person behind the screen too – connect with them!
2. Structure for Conversions
The structure of the content is just as important as the content itself! The popularity of short-form videos proves that attention span is getting lower and lower, so keep your copy brief and to the point! Basically, stick to the most important content and remove the ‘fluff’. Make your emails easy to grasp with bolded keywords and add infographics whenever possible as well. A great method for keeping readers’ attention is the AIDA method. This stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.
Attention – use the first sentence of your email to hook the audience into reading more. Focus on what the reader is going to get out of it!
Interest – Use the body of the copy to address the value of the email. The whole reason they’re reading it!
Desire – Leave them wanting more. Whether you’re persuading them to read more on your blog, visit your website or simply reply to the email, tell them what’s in it for them when they do!
Action – Here’s where you link your call-to-action. Make it simple and easy to access in a prominent place on your email. There should be no way the reader can miss your CTA!
3. Create an offer!
Everyone loves free stuff! Use this to your advantage by offering your leads a ‘sneak peek’ into your full service or program. Create a PDF, workbook, video workshop, etc. that offers solution-oriented and actionable advice. Show your expertise in this lead magnet, to show what they can get if they pay for service. A complimentary home evaluation or guide to how to sell your home for top dollar are good examples of an offer.
– Make your offer solution-oriented and actionable. Provide practical information that solves a problem and creates a realistic way to achieve the solution.
– Use your offer as an opportunity to further connect with prospects and convert them to clients.
4. Have a Goal
When you’re in the planning phases of your email newsletters, choose the call to action before anything else! What is the purpose of this email? Then structure your email content around this purpose. By the end, make sure the reader knows exactly what the meaning of this email was and what they can do next!
Examples of call-to-actions:
– Read more here (link to your blog)
– Come to an event (link to register)
– Follow for more (link to socials)
– Reply with your opinion (‘mailto:’ link)
5. Analyze and Adjust
Email marketing doesn’t end at the send button, turning leads into sales means learning more about your customers! Analyze the data you receive from your email campaigns like open and click-through rates, unsubscribes, and more. This data will give you hints as to where and how you can adjust your plan. Ex: Low open rates might indicate your subject lines aren’t attractive enough.
Having an email list is an important part of creating a lasting connection with your current and future customers. Make sure you are keeping your list up to date. The Inbox Scanner in the Agent Sauce Platform can help you with this. The number of emails you send is not what matters. It comes down to your strategy, approach, and consistency. A good email marketing plan paired with other marketing touches can really transform your email recipients into loyal customers who send you referrals!
