laptop pic bannerWelcome to our series Digital Marketing in a Noisy World. This content was originally presented in our breakout session at Breathe Christian Writers Conference 2015. (Check out our Prezi here.) We hope this information is helpful and encouraging for you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or contact us.

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Email Marketing Best Practices

By Lindsay Gustafson

People can subscribe to your blog/website via an RSS feed or an app such as Feedly. BUT it is good to start a collection of email subscribers as well because…

→ It is personal communication from you.

→ It gives you more control over the content (you can promote old posts) and more control over your response (you can track stats and respond to people).

→ It can expand you reach – people still read email, ask them to pass it on, reaches PAST social media.

→ It becomes a great marketing tool!

 

SUBSCRIBE to a service

MailChimp or Constant Contact are two great options (both paid and free subscriptions are available). Using a service will improve delivery results (reduces spamming issues) and allows you to track stats.

INVITE subscribers often

Create a sign up form (pop up is best!) on your website and invite often on social media. It helps you if offer ‘extras’ in your email that you don’t offer on social media.

OFFER an incentive or freebie for sign up

Reward your new subscriber with something useful! Do you have some memes you’ve created? A useful infographic? Chapters of one of your books? Be creative.

WRITE good content!

Email marketing content does not have to be necessarily new or separate from what you are already blogging about, you are just delivering in a different form. Write a fresh intro letter then…Highlight some recent posts. Provide some links to useful articles you’ve recently read. Remind readers where they can purchase your books – especially alert them in there is a sale!

BE consistent

Pick a schedule you know you can keep up with. Weekly. Monthly. Quarterly. Then stick with it!

BRAND it

Make sure your email looks and feels like you. Your website, blog, social media should all have this same feel. Remember your WHY!

TRACK stats and re-strategize

Pay attention to the stats. What are people clicking on? What is working? What is not working? Make adjustments and move forward!

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Leveraging years of experience in marketing, the publishing world, non-profit development, and a passion for gathering tribes. Lindsay is co-owner, chief marketer and queen of detail. When she’s not in the virtual world she can be found laughing with her 2 kids and dog.

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Thank you for joining us on this series. Click here to view the entire series.