If you’ve been around here for even a little while, you know that I’m the biggest fan of email marketing anyone could find. There are lots of great ways to promote your business and expand your digital presence these days, but there’s truly no better way to market yourself or your company than sticking a well-timed landing into your audience’s inboxes.
Want to know why it’s important to grow your email list? The online marketing world believes that 1 subscriber = $1/month. That’s right—turning your online audience into email subscribers translates to actual dollars. My email list is the #1 way I drive profits in my biz, and I believe this can be true for you, too!
But here’s the thing: not all emails are created equal. Choosing the right marketing platform matters! You want it to work with you, not against you—and you want it to work for you instead of creating more work for you to do yourself. Thankfully, there are great email marketing tools out there these days. If you’re starting your email list or looking to make a platform change this year, here’s what to look for.
01. Opt-In forms should be easy to create.
Email forms can help you build relationships with your audience, not to mention gather important information from them. But when forms are difficult to build, you lose precious time—and when they’re clunky to navigate, your audience won’t fill them out, which is a waste of everyone’s time. Choose an email marketing platform with easy-to-build, fully responsive forms to make communication a breeze for you and your audience
02. Automations should be easy to understand and implement.
The best kind of email platform doesn’t create work for you, it works on your behalf. Email automation allows businesses to send a series of personalized emails to a specific group of people based on certain triggers or actions. For example, a business might set up an email automation campaign that sends a series of welcome emails to new subscribers. The first email might introduce your business and provide some general information. The second email might offer a special discount or promotion, and the third email might provide some useful tips or resources related to your business’s products or services.
This means you can build a nurture sequence, remind people when they abandon their carts, and create campaigns that are triggered when certain conditions are met. The best part about automations? Once you build it, you can “set it and forget it”, and trust that the platform is putting your marketing genius to work in perpetuity. Work smarter, amen?
RELATED: How to Create a Flodesk Welcome Workflow to Nurture Your New Subscribers
03. Email designs should match your branding.
I won’t name names, but we’ve all seen some email platforms that are just… not so cute. When your audience gets an email from you, they should be able to recognize that it’s YOU! When you meet them in their inboxes, your messaging should have the same look and feel they’ve come to recognize from your website, storefront, or social media accounts. Choose an email marketing platform that allows you to customize your templates until they look like you – and bonus points if those design customizations are easy to implement! My favorite email service provider, Flodesk does this so dang well!
04. Integrations should connect to what’s already working.
Your email marketing platform is not an island. It’s a valuable tool for your business that, ideally, should connect to the other tools that help you out! If you use Shopify, Zapier, Facebook, Instagram, Google Sheets, or Slack, your email software should connect with those platforms. As a business owner, it’s so important to be able to connect the dots easily between the systems you use on a regular basis, so choose an email tool that simplifies the process rather than complicating it.
05. Pricing structures should fit your needs.
I’ll never understand why some email marketing platforms charge you according to your subscriber count—or worse, by the number of emails you send! I don’t believe you should be facing more costs just because you’re communicating with a crew that’s growing. Instead, here’s what you need to know when evaluating email service provider pricing:
Number of subscribers: As mentioned, many email service providers charge based on the number of subscribers on your email list. The more subscribers you have, the more you will typically pay and since growing your list is the goal, this feature will ultimately impact you more largely down the road.
Features and tools: Different email service providers offer different features and tools, and these can have an impact on the cost of the service. For example, some providers offer advanced automation features or integrations with other platforms, which may cost more which is something to consider.
Volume of emails: Some email service providers charge based on the number of emails you send. This can be a factor if you plan on sending a high volume of emails on a regular basis.
Support and customer service: Whether you are just getting started or know a thing or two, it’s important to note that there are different levels of support and customer service standards per each email service provider, and this can also impact the cost of the service.
Contract terms: Some email service providers require a contract or commitment, while others offer month-to-month plans. Depending on your budget, goals, and needs, this is a good one to keep in mind.
Ultimately, I recommend choosing a platform with a flat rate you can trust, no matter how much you expand or how often you need to communicate with your audience.
06. Email analytics should help you grow.
When you’re choosing a platform for your email marketing, make sure they offer analytics that are actually insightful, guiding your strategy with numbers and data points that matter. When you test out a new platform, check your analytics dashboard. Is it easy to find? Is it easy to read and understand? If you can’t decipher your engagement rates, highest performing campaigns, and audience insights, don’t choose that platform.
An Email Solution You’ll Love – Flodesk.
Now, time for the best news of all: I’ve found a platform that does all of these things and soooo much more. After spending years using different email marketing tools, now I always recommend Flodesk to new and experienced emailers alike. Flodesk was founded by two women who understood the frustrations of email marketing software—because, as business owners themselves, they struggled with it firsthand. So they set out to create a better email platform, and they absolutely succeeded.
Flodesk offers unlimited subscribers and email sends for one affordable price, and their designs are gorgeous and easy to use. Their automation and integrations are better than any others I’ve tried, and they even offer stunning landing pages. Plus, their shop feature makes it easy for your audience to turn into paying customers in just a few clicks.
Okay, I lied—NOW it’s time for the best news of all. Flodesk is offering a 50% discount off your entire first YEAR with them. I can’t wait for you to fall in love like I have! Sign up for a 30 day free trial and see why I can’t stop raving about this platform. Get ready to watch your biz change for the better!
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