Email best practices
Email blogging: The new holy grail of digital marketing?
Blogging and email marketing are two of the most effective digital marketing strategies. So, why not get the best out of both worlds with Email Blogging?
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Sometimes mixing things together is just creepy, like that weird “puppy, monkey, baby” creature Mtn Dew tried to tempt us with during this year’s Super Bowl. Some other times, though, combining two cool things can produce a new and improved sense of awesomeness, like footgolf or Oreo McFlurry. Ever wondered how this can apply to email? We did. And that’s how we came across our latest favorite marketing technique. Meet “Email Blogging”.
Blogging and email marketing are two of the most effective digital marketing strategies. Both are great ways to increase brand awareness, build a loyal customer base and, in the end, generate revenue. No matter who you’re targeting, loyal readers are always the ones that buy the most.
While a blog is the ideal tool to increase awareness, email marketing is the best choice when it comes to converting audiences into loyal customers. Researches show that companies doing email marketing get more attention, have a stronger relationship with their customers and sell more products than companies that neglect it. However, email marketing is not just about sending emails - it’s important to follow some best practices to provide a high quality experience. Beautiful designs, killer subject lines, smart calls-to-action… They all matter.
There’s a certain simplicity that comes with blogging, where content is truly king. There’s no other way around it. The value added that good content has to offer nurtures a loyal readership and positions the author as a true thought leader.
So, why not get the best out of both worlds? Want to discover the Oreo McFlurry of digital marketing? We’ve got you covered, just read on.
Better performance with email blogging
Email blogging is a combination of email marketing and blogging - duh. It’s basically email with a strong focus on content that entertains and provides knowledge. But unlike your usual blogpost, this content is available to your subscribers only. The readers don’t leave their inboxes until they are ready to complete a purchase or explore your brand further, which makes it more appealing to those wary of clicking on your CTAs.
The philosophy behind it is just as simple: firstly, the email blogger provides a lot of high-quality content and then, after several emails, drives the audience to its own products. With this approach, the sender positions him or herself as a high-quality source of knowledge, and not as an unscrupulous seller whose only intention is to bombard contacts with a sneaky sales pitch.
Email blogging is flexible and can be tailored to successfully target one’s individual goals and niche. The creative possibilities are endless. You could opt for a weekly journal entry, tempt them with longer pieces of content broken down into different emails or even go for free courses, like Noah Kagan does on his Summer of Marketing series below.
Let’s get this blogging party started
You’ve seen the awesomeness, right? We knew you’d love it. Are you wondering when or how to give email blogging a try? Well, whether you are a freelancer, a well-established professional or a company, there’s always something you can gain from it.
Well-established professionals and freelancers
If you are a freelancer or a new entrepreneur you might be desperate to get people to know you and your brand, to discover your services and to find your place in the industry. But even if you are already well known in your niche, Email Blogging can help you grow your contact list and help you position yourself as an expert in your niche with little extra effort. You can start off with a regular blog (there are great online resources out there to get you started - check out FirstSiteGuide's "How To Start A Blog"), showcasing your expertize and the value your content adds, while encouraging people to sign up to your emails, where you’ll provide additional exclusive tips, advice or in-depth analysis.
Want to see it in action? Paul Jarvis is a well-established freelance designer, author and software developer from Victoria, British Columbia. He has written articles for Forbes, Newsweek, BuzzFeed, etc. In his series, The Sunday Dispatches, he discusses issues he comes across during his daily work. Over 22 000 people are already receiving his emails on a weekly basis.
The Sunday Dispatches by Paul Jarvis
No time to create your own blog or not techie enough to build it? Why not try FirstSiteGuide's feature and get your blog set up for you.
Companies and organizations
Similarly, small companies can also benefit from the brand awareness and thought leadership Email Blogging brings to the table. The challenge, however, is driving that sense of expertise from an individual to a whole organization. Not knowing who’s really behind the advice we are receiving might make it harder for companies to establish themselves as a knowledge base.
Email blogging can help with brand awareness and brand loyalty. Customers are not likely to visit your blog regularly, they might even have a hard time remembering who you are and what it was you sold. But if you manage to engage them, be it with valuable content on your site or a great campaign, you don’t need them to remember you. You can remind them who you are on a weekly basis, when the content is delivered directly into your audience’s inbox. If the value your content offers lives up to the expectations, you’ll slowly find your way to your readers’ heart. Let’s face it: most people would rather get all the benefits of a 5KM run while sitting on the couch watching TV, than actually going out for a jog. Same thing happens with your content: we all want to know stuff, but we don’t always want to put in the effort.
When your are a bigger or more established company, brand awareness might not be a problem anymore, but you can still struggle creating that bond with your customers. Email blogging can help you with that too. The content you send is accompanied by a certain exclusivity. People love feeling special, especially in the Internet. It will make them feel they are still important for you. Add a little bonus for your subscribers, by helping them get more out of your products or services. They will stick with you, instead of going to your competitor.
Need some ideas? But, of course. Food delivery companies can provide recipes featuring the food they deliver, online fashion stores can send fashion tips or analyze celebrities’ styles, software companies can give their subscribers advice on how to make the most of their product, colleges and universities can give learning tips…
Fashion tips from The Promdi Chic
As you can see, the possibilities are endless and the only limit is one’s own creativity. Excited? Let’s start crafting amazing content your subscribers really want to read.
What do you think about Email Blogging? Have your tried it? Tell us on Twitter by using the hashtags #EmailBlogging and #MailjetMarketing.
