The Basics of Email Campaigns
Let’s begin here
If you’re deep diving into email marketing, I’m sure you’ve heard all about email campaigns. It might seem like a difficult and complicated concept..what with its fancy title and all.
Heck, when I first heard it, I was taken back to Obama on the campaign trail in 2008 and thought “omg! I could never do all that.”
Cause here’s the thing: I don’t do complicated. And I don’t want you to do it, either.
If there’s one thing you’ll learn from all of my content…whether it’s on social media, the blog, or through my paid resources it’s this: I LOVE simplicity!
Because let’s face it, babe. We got enough crap on our plate. Why do something in 25 steps, when it could be done in 2?
Why do something in 25 steps, when it could be done in 2?
If I’ve caught your attention, let’s dive into email campaigns and different types of email campaigns you’ll likely be using as you get into marketing with email.
What is an Email Campaign?
An email campaign is a series of emails with a goal in mind. Boom.
It’s no different than a content campaign for different platforms like social media or search engines. It all comes down to the purpose of the content or in this case the purpose of the emails.
What is your objective and what kinds of emails can you put into a series to make sure you hit that objective?
That’s your email campaign, boo bear.
Types of Email Campaigns
Here’s a quick list of the different types of email campaigns you’ll probably implement as you become an email marketer:
Welcome emails:
And the most powerful welcome email campaign? Well, that one sets your new subscriber up to buy.
My favorite campaign! Done right? It’ll change your whole business!
These are sent to new subscribers or customers that have opted-in to your email list.
Welcome emails can include a special offer, a freebie, or even a friendly introduction. However, a powerful welcome email series communicates your personality and your brand’s vision and values.
And the most powerful welcome email campaign? Well, that one sets your new subscriber up to buy.
The purpose of this type of email campaign is to transition your new email subscriber from new follower into friend.
(That’s part one and part two of nurturing your email list, btw. I call it my Email Staircase.)
This transformation happens through the next email campaign type, the newsletter emails.
Newsletter emails:
These are sent on a regular basis (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly). Many people think newsletters are bland updates, but boooooo! They’re not and shouldn’t be treated as such.
Newsletters are actually an amazing opportunity for you to open up the conversation with your subscribers. Because remember, sales isn’t about closing a deal, it’s about opening up a conversation.
(Shout out to Mike Kim for that incredible insight.)
Newsletter email campaigns are where the second stage of nurturing happens–where we take new followers and turn them into friends over time.
Don’t skimp on your newsletters (but also don’t overthink them) because they make a huge difference in developing true conversations and relationships with your audience.
Which leads to the third stage of nurturing: turning friends into customers.
Promotional emails:
By the time they’ve received a sales email, they should be invested in you as a person and as a business
These are designed to promote a specific product or service and include a call-to-action for subscribers to make a purchase or take another desired action.
Remember, this is the last step in nurturing. This is where we can solidify the friendships we’ve been making with our newsletters.
It might be scary to include promotional email campaigns. But listennnnn! Email marketing is all about nurturing. And so we can’t leave this step out.
If we care about our email subscribers (as we should since we’ve been working hard on turing them into friends)…then why would we stop short of really helping them? Why would we not offer our REAL solutions?
Simply because they cost money?
Psshhh. To this, I say no.
Why?
Because real friends buy from other friends. Only fake friends ask for a discount. Okay?
Besides, promotional emails aren’t shocking to your subscribers if you’ve properly prepared them through your welcome emails and newsletters. By the time they’ve received a sales email, they should be invested in you as a person and as a business.
Remember, these three email campaigns, when put together, form the Email Staircase:
Follower → Friend → Customer
If you’re planning to launch a product or service soon, make sure to check out 4 Phases of Launches and Tips for Creating Launch Emails.
Re-engagement emails:
The goal of re-engagement emails is to actively engage subscribers who haven’t interacted with you in a long time. Another reason to run this campaign is if you’ve flat out ignored your list for a while. (gasp! People do that?)
This gives you the opportunity to become top of mind again in their inbox or remove them if they’re no longer interested. Don’t be afraid of the latter because unopened emails aren’t helping you at all. In fact, they are costing you big time when it comes to deliverability.
Learn how to jump start or scrub your list.
Email Campaigns Made Simple
Email campaigns don’t seem so scary anymore, right?
Remember, when you think about your campaigns, it’s important to identify the goal or objective of your campaign. What do you want to achieve through your email marketing efforts?
- Grow your list = Opt-in with a strong welcome sequence
- Build brand awareness or engage with your audience = Newsletters
- Increase sales = Promotional
- Get the dead weight off your list while also trying to save those still interested = Re-engagement
When you know what the heck you’re trying to do with your emails, it’s easy to pick which campaign to run and when–no matter if you’re a small business, solopreneur, or nonprofit.
So let’s get to emailing, baby!
Bonus Tip: Get started with the basic emails you need by grabbing my Mega Swipe File which includes an entire welcome sequence, three newsletter templates, and 52 subject lines. All for free right here.
