Why Is Email Marketing Important? Benefits of Email for Business

Why email? It’s something we use every day, yet many marketers have yet to embrace the power of email marketing.

You might even use email marketing without understanding how it can impact your business. Consequently, you might not give it the attention it deserves.

We're going to remedy that today. Get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the benefits of email marketing and the rewards you stand to reap if you go about it wisely.

Think of email marketing as your direct line to the customer. Best of all, you can reach people who haven't even purchased one of your online courses yet.

You can use email marketing for lead generation, lead nurturing, upselling, cross-selling, and relationship building. But we recommend that you use it for all of the above.

Most importantly, it can become one of your most powerful tools when it comes to standing out in the Knowledge Commerce industry.

As an online entrepreneur, your chief asset is your knowledge. Sharing it in every way possible can solidify your credibility in your industry and help attract new customers who might want to buy your digital products.

However, if you're not well-versed in the benefits of email marketing, you can't properly take advantage of it.

What Is Email Marketing? 

Email marketing involves collecting email addresses from people who have purchased your digital products or who have expressed interest in your business. You then segment those email addresses based on each individual consumer's position in the sales funnel.

From that point, you can send emails to each individual list based on the type of content they want to receive. Email marketing allows you to educate, entertain, and inspire your audience. It also allows you to promote your content as well as your paid products to your leads.

In other words, email marketing is a sales and lead-generation machine. You don't even have to leave Kajabi to begin your email marketing campaign, but we’ll get more into that later.

We recommend automating your email marketing campaign to reduce the time you have to spend on promoting your courses and other digital products. Automation allows you to market more accurately and to spend more time creating Knowledge Commerce products.

Additionally, we recommend testing different formats and frequencies when it comes to email marketing. Every entrepreneur has a unique audience with unique preferences.

For instance, some entrepreneurs find that their audiences prefer to hear from them less frequently. They only want to receive emails when there's a major announcement or a discount on products in which they are interested.

Other audiences like to receive emails more frequently. They enjoy receiving emails with tips, strategies, and links to blog posts.

The only way to know what will work best with your audience is to test different strategies and figure out which delivers the most engagement.

Why Is Email Marketing Important? 

Email marketing often generates the best ROI among all marketing tactics. There are several reasons for this — perhaps most importantly that nearly all consumers have email addresses and interact via email daily.

However, there are lots of other reasons to engage in email marketing. Let's explore each of them in depth.

Generate More Leads 

If you create a lead magnet, you can collect email addresses much faster in diverse your audience deeper into your business. A lead magnet can be anything: an e-book, a video, a case study, or anything else that provides genuine value for the recipient.

For many entrepreneurs, the lead magnet offers the catalyst for generating leads and ushering them through the sales funnel.

It's all about collecting as many email addresses as possible — preferably from qualified leads who genuinely want to learn from you.

In the Knowledge Commerce industry, the sales funnel can prove quite long. Consumers don't want to pay for online courses and other digital products unless they're convinced that they will benefit from them.

This means that you have two educational hurdles to overcome. First, you must educate your leads about your online courses. Second, you'll educate your customers once they become part of your online courses.

You can accomplish the first goal through blogging, social media activity, and other pursuits. However, email marketing allows you to speak directly to your lead and educate him or her more effectively.

Nurture Your Leads 

As mentioned above, lead generation is just the beginning. When you have a long sales funnel, you have to nurture the leads you attract to bring them closer to making a purchase.

This is why we recommend segmenting your email list. You can have one list for people who are brand-new to your business, another for consumers who have interacted with your business more frequently, and a third for people who have bought from you in the past.

In fact, you can have as many email lists as you want.

Email marketing is perfect for lead nurturing because your leads will get used to seeing your name in their inboxes. You'll be top-of-mind when they finally decide to make a purchase.

Just make sure that you’re targeting each list with the right messaging. Consumers at the top of the sales funnel, for example, don't want or need a heavy sales pitch. They're looking for information to help them make a buying decision, but they haven't yet committed to buying anything at all.

Upsell to Your Customers 

Many of the people who sign up for your email list haven’t made a buying decision. They might not even know that they need an online course like yours.

This gives you a valuable opportunity to upsell.

Upselling is when you present your customer with a more expensive version of the same product. For instance, you might sell three different products related to your niche: a mini-course, a slightly more involved course, and a huge course.

Obviously, you’ll charge more for the course with the most content — and that’s the course you want people to buy. Your email campaign gives you the chance to highlight your most expensive course and to explain why it’s worth its price tag.

You can do this in several ways. For instance, you might present a simple comparison chart that shows your leads what they can expect from each “tier.” That way, they can make an informed decision about your products and what you offer.

Upselling comes in particularly handy when your buyers hit the “consideration” phase of the sales funnel. They’re actively interested in buying a digital product, but they want the most bang for their buck. You can demonstrate how your most content-heavy course will benefit them.

Cross-Sell to Your Customers 

Many entrepreneurs confuse cross-selling and upselling, but they’re actually two very different concepts. While you use upselling to convince your audience to buy a more expensive version of your product, cross-selling involves selling additional products to customers who already want to buy one.

You see this all the time in retail stores. At the point-of-service counter, for instance, you might see lots of small, inexpensive products stacked in bins or on shelves. The company wants to cross-sell you when you arrive to check out.

It also happens during customer interactions at brick-and-mortar stores. A clerk might see that you’re buying a pair of shoes, then ask if you need new socks to complete the look. That’s cross-selling.

But it doesn’t just take place in person. Have you ever bought something from an online store like Amazon? The company shows you other products that customers have bought in addition to the one you’ve just put in your cart.

It can also work for email marketing. Cross-sell to your subscribers after they buy one of your products. Put them on a special list so you can suggest to them related products that might help expand their knowledge on the subject.

Reach Leads and Customers More Effectively on Mobile 

We live in a mobile world. If you’ve stepped foot in a restaurant lately, you might have noticed that half the diners are scrolling through emails or social media feeds on their phones.

The same is true for public transportation, waiting rooms, and other public places all over the world. Plus, research shows that people tend to watch at least two screens at once, such as the TV and a tablet computer.

This tells us that we need to take mobile technology into consideration when it comes to marketing our products. If a piece of content isn't easily accessible via a mobile device, we can easily lose a sale.

That's the last thing you want. Fortunately, email marketing makes reaching people on mobile even easier. Most people carry their smartphones with them wherever they go. When they get an email, an alert tells them that they have a new message waiting.

Email marketing has proven extremely effective when it comes to getting leads' attention and converting them into customers. If you're using a marketing medium that does not render well on mobile, you'll just frustrate your potential customers.

Of course, that means you need to use an email marketing service that allows you to optimize each message for mobile. We offer that within the Kajabi platform. We also allow you to integrate with other email marketing systems if you already have one in place.

Once you start your email marketing campaign, make sure that you optimize your subject lines and body content for readers who are on mobile devices. Shoulder subject lines, for example, will show up on the screen without your subscriber having to open an email at all.

Keep Your Customers Informed and Updated 

When you have something new to announce, you want to let your followers know right away. Email marketing allows you to instantly announce specials, promotions, and new product releases.

You don't want to use every email to promote your products. However, you don't want to miss an opportunity to let leads, prospects, and past customers know about your new material.

Consider using high-energy subject lines that get recipients excited about what they might find inside the email. You can use words like "promotion" and "discount" to give your subscribers an idea of what the email is about.

You can also use email marketing to let people know about upgrades, updates, and changes to your online courses. They can check out those changes and take advantage of the new material you're offering.

Remember that your leads have plenty of other businesses they can patronize. You want them to stick with you because you keep connected with them through email marketing and other channels.

If you're open and honest with your subscribers about changes to your business model, new product launches, and other newsworthy events, you'll win customer loyalty and enjoy more sales.

Customize and Personalize Your Messages 

Personalization has become one of the most important facets of online marketing. When you personalize a piece of material, such as an email, your target customer feels more appreciated.

For instance, you can begin each email subject line with the recipient's name. Instead of a generic, "Hi!" you're letting your customer know that you value him or her.

Of course, there are far more ways to personalize an email than with a name in a subject line. Maybe your online courses and other digital products depend heavily on geographic location. In that case, you can segment your email list based on geographic locale, then include that information the body of the email.

Other ways to personalize include mentioning the recipient's job title, business name, last purchased product, or last interaction with your business.

You don't want to include too much personalization, though. Overdoing it can turn off customers and make them feel like you're trying to take advantage of them.

Instead, try different forms of personalization until you find the one that resonates most with your target audience. This can vary between different industries and even between businesses in the same industry.

Send More Targeted Messaging 

We've talked a lot about segmentation in email marketing. There's a reason for that. If you go every email address onto the same list, you risk sending the wrong message at the wrong time.

Let's say that your target customer has just become aware of your business. If you send a lengthy email about all of your online courses and other digital products, you'll quickly overload your prospects. That's never a good thing.

By segmenting your email list, you can send more targeted messages that will appeal to the people who receive them. As you gain momentum, you can further segment your list based on the analytics you collect from past campaigns.

Think about other marketing channels, such as blogging. While you can always write a blog post geared toward a specific buyer persona, you can't control who actually reads the article.

That same limitation does not apply to email thanks to the ability to segment your list. You get to decide who receives what marketing message and when.

Deliver Coupons and Promotions 

Many people sign up for email lists only because they want to receive coupons and discounts on the business's products. While that might sound like a bad thing, it can actually help you win more sales.

Have you ever delayed buying a product just have it because you didn't want to pay full price? Then, out of the blue, you receive a digital or physical coupon that will allow you to buy the product you want at a discounted rate.

That's a great day, right? You're excited to get the product and even more excited that you get to buy it at a reduced price.

The same psychology can apply to email marketing. After you have warmed up your leads to your offer, send a discount code or other offer that your leads can't refuse. The people who have not converted might give your digital products another glance.

Drive More Conversions Through Email 

Sometimes, consumers visit a website, check out the sales pages, read a few blog posts, and sign up for the provider's email list. Then they click away and forget that the website ever existed.

It's easy to understand why this happens. We're so busy and distracted that it's easy to get caught up in something else even though we're interested in what we're reading.

One of the best ways to recapture the people who abandon your website prematurely is to reconnect with them through email. Since they signed up for your list, they're clearly interested in the products you offer. They just might not remember that you exist.

You can use email marketing software and CRM software to track each lead throughout the marketing and sales funnels. If you notice that a lead has spent a lot of time on your website, but is not yet purchased anything, you can add them to a special email list designed to bring them back.

As we discussed above, throwing out a discount code or coupon can help grease the wheels, so to speak. You want to incentivize your leads to return to your website — and, more specifically, to your sales pages.

Generate an Excellent ROI From Email Marketing 

Email marketing doesn't cost much money or take up too much of your time. This means that even if you only generate a few sales from the channel, you'll still come out ahead.

Marketing has so many facets that it sometimes difficult to keep track of them. However, it's essential to know which of the marketing channels produces the highest ROI.

Email marketing might be that channel for you.

ROI can be calculated in numerous ways, but it is essentially boiled down to the amount of profit you make after you deduct what you spent to close a sale. If you spend less money and make more profit, you've boosted your ROI.

That's every entrepreneur's dream.

Maybe you can't afford to take out expensive ads, higher marketing team, or spend money on other efforts. Or perhaps you simply don't want to spend that money. Either way, email marketing gives you an inexpensive way to reach your target audience and to convert prospects into customers.

Measure Email Marketing Results Easily 

We're big fans of data here at Kajabi. The more you know about your target audience, the more successfully you can market to them. Data provides you with tangible evidence of your prospects' interactions with your business.

Some marketing channels prove difficult to track. Email marketing is not one of them.

Using data from your email marketing service, you can determine how many people open your emails, interact with the CTAs in your emails, and delete your emails unread. Using that data, you can tweak your approach to maximize your conversion rates and open rates.

Take Advantage of Email Integration Options 

You can also benefit from email marketing by integrating it with other tools in your marketing toolbox. Kajabi makes this easy by providing nearly everything you need in one platform. And if we don't have a built-in solution, we offer numerous integrations with other tools.

When you integrate tools, such as email marketing and CRM, your data becomes even more comprehensive. You get a better idea of what your customers do along the sales and marketing funnels, which means that you can tweak things faster and abandon campaigns that no longer work quicker.

Invest Time in an Enduring Platform 

We think it's pretty clear the email is here to stay. Even though other communication channels have risen to popularity, most of us check our email several times per day.

In other words, it's an enduring platform that won't evaporate under your feet as soon as you get comfortable with it.

You can depend on email marketing to continue working for years to come. Your list will continue to grow long after you first place an opt-in form on your website.

While it's great to try out new technology and new strategies, you also want to have a few dependable mainstays in your back pocket. That's exactly what email marketing provides.

Use Kajabi’s Built-in Email Marketing Solution 

As we mentioned above, Kajabi offered a built-in email marketing solution for all of our customers. You don't have to worry about purchasing another service or working outside the platform to generate results.

It's extremely easy to set up an email campaign on Kajabi. Once you have it set up, you can begin sending your first emails right away. You can also set up different email marketing segments, as we discussed before, so you get the right messages to the right customers at the right time.

The data you collect from your email marketing campaign might inform how you interact with your audience on other channels. It can also help you build better online courses by providing you with information about what your audience wants.

Why email? Because it's one of the most effective marketing channels out there. It allows you to directly connect with your audience, even when they're on the go.

Just make sure that you follow email marketing best practices and that you continually treat your approach until you find the ideal solution for your audience. Even email marketing can fail if you irritate your subscribers or fail to deliver on promises.

Conclusion 

We've given you lots of information about email marketing and why email is so important for today's entrepreneurs. It's a lot to digest, but we're confident that you'll see benefits if you're diligent about connecting with your audience via email.

What is email marketing? It's an easy way to get permission from your target customers to contact you on a regular basis. It allows you to disseminate information to people who might be interested in buying your online courses.

Why is email marketing important? Because it allows you to carry on conversations with people who live all around the world. You get to establish your credibility in the Knowledge Commerce market.

Expect email marketing to generate more leads and to help you nurture your existing leads. You can also use it to upsell and cross-sell to your customers.

You can also reach your leads more effectively and keep your customers informed about any updates or news related to your business. If you personalize your emails, you can expect even more engagement because your email subscribers feel appreciated.

Email marketing allows you to send more targeted messaging, to deliver coupons and discounts, and to drive more conversions through email. It's a great way to improve your ROI and to gather more actionable data about your target audience.

Integration and endurance are two of the most important benefits of email marketing. Email isn't going anywhere, and you can tie it to your other marketing tools to generate even more data.

Best of all, you don't have to leave the Kajabi platform to set up an email marketing campaign.

We make it as easy as possible to not only send emails, but also to collect email addresses from your target audience.

Have you started an email marketing campaign? What benefits have you experienced from this marketing channel?

Do all your email marketing with Kajabi!

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