Guest Post by Lane Harbin
As a content marketer, you know how to keep the content train running. From brainstorming topic ideas to promoting the final piece, there’s an order to your world.
One important step along the way is content promotion and distribution. You need eyeballs. You need readers who crave your content and one of the best ways to find those hungry readers is through email.
Seventy-four percent of marketers believe email is the most effective distribution channel for their content.
Why is email so effective for content marketers?
Email has a lot going for it. Here’s why so many content marketers consistently rely on it to attract and retain readers:
1. (Almost) Everyone has an email address
There are an estimated 5.2 billion email accounts across the globe as of 2018, according to a study from The Radicati Group. An email address is (basically) a requirement for anyone who lives in the digital age.
Think about it: You need an email account to communicate, download an app, register for social media accounts – the list goes on and on.
2. Email trumps social
Email isn’t the only promotional tool for content marketers; social media is another option. However, social results can’t compare to email, especially when it comes to attracting new customers. Research shows email is 40x more effective than social media in acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter.
If you want to drive new readers to your content, email is your best bet.
3. The modern newspaper
There’s a reason newspapers were so popular. They provided all of the need-to-know information in an organized, visual format. These days, newspapers have been replaced with their digital cousin, the newsletter. A well-designed newsletter can showcase 4-5 pieces of content, providing all the information a reader needs right in their inbox.
4. Streamlined personalization
Content marketers can personalize the emails they send, which consumers prefer. Consumers want you to know their name, send relevant information and offer products that fit their lifestyle, according to research from Evergage.
Content marketers can tailor the information they send by a subscriber’s interests or hobbies, for example. They can include a subscriber’s first name in the subject line. They can suggest additional content based on what someone reads on their site.
There are so many ways to tailor emails; ways which social simply can’t compete with.
Tips to send the best email campaign
Now that you’re sold on using email to earn readers, you’re probably wondering how to create the best possible email. What makes readers open, click and read the content they see inside in an email? Great question.
Our friends at Campaign Monitor have come up with a list of 13 tips to answer that very question. Here’s a snapshot of those 13 tips content marketers should know about email, followed by an infographic that explains why each matter:
- Make your email great on mobile
- Make your CTAs clear and bold
- Create interactive content like videos and GIFs
- Make it easy to sign up for your newsletter
- Use a preferences center to create targeted messages
- Quantity and quality for list building
- Avoid being flagged as spam
- Use dynamic content to increase click-through
- Use both original and curated content
- Use strong images to drive engagement
- Test to learn your audience
- A/B test to improve every email
- Measure performance over time
Source: 13 Things Content Marketers Should Know About Email Marketing by Campaign Monitor
Image: geralt via pixabay
Lane Harbin is Senior Content Marketing Manager at Campaign Monitor, an easy-to-use email marketing tool that allows every marketer to send targeted newsletters to grow their business. With beautiful templates, a drag-and-drop interface and engagement-based segmentation, Campaign Monitor has helped more than 200,000 growing businesses take their email marketing to the next level.
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