In order to be successful, you need to start at the beginning – with clear goals, a branded template, a welcome email, and your contact list.
Getting started with email marketing is a bit like asking which came first – the chicken or the egg. Do you get started with a list of subscribers? Or do you get started with your email content first in order to get subscribers? And honestly, it’s a little bit of both, and if you are just getting started, it may take some patience as you build up both your content strategy to send emails, and your content list.
At the end of this tutorial, you’ll have learned how to
Apply your brand to templates
Create a welcome email based on your marketing goal
Set up your first list
Set up your first automation
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of email should I make first?
There are different types of emails - with the most common being either a newsletter or a sales email – but don’t underestimate the power of the humble Welcome email. Welcome emails get up to 6x the engagement of other emails because they are sent automatically when a person opt-ins or subscribes to your list. They also help your subscribers look for your other emails by establishing who the email comes from, as well as what it looks like. Plus, you create it once, set up the automation, and it will continue to work even when you aren’t.
How do I get a list of subscribers?
It’s easy enough to set up a landing page or sign up form that connects to your email marketing platform to create a database or list of subscribers, but how do you get them to hand over their email address or phone number? By creating a lead generation or acquisition campaign. We recommend starting on social and running campaigns that drive to your landing pages, hosting events to capture contact information, or offering a promotion or downloadable content in exchange for emails.
What is good email design?
Good email design utilizes templates that make use of lots of white space, eye-catching images, and the right type of content – whether it’s short blurbs of copy that link to longer articles, shoppable products, or perhaps a longer newsletter with a clear call to action. Ultimately, the design of your email will be determined by the goals are you setting out to achieve, and your email should look like an extension of your website.
What you will need
A goal
Email Marketing Platform
A list of subscribers and/or a way to capture other subscribers
Branding, comprised of logos and colors
What to know before you get started
Set your goals. Setting your goals will help inform your content strategy for marketing. It will determine what types of content you will need, and what channels – or ways you will interact with your audiences – that you will be using, whether it’s social media, email, website, live events or more.
Choose your marketing platform. An email marketing platform that integrates with tools you already use is a great place to start, it can simplify or eliminate repetitive tasks like data or contact management. Look for a platform that is also easy to design and compose your campaigns.
Know where your subscribers are. Once you establish where your subscribers (and potential subscribers) are, you can develop a plan for how to bring them into the platform. If you are collecting them in a different platform, consider an integration or a one-time export. If you are looking to start a list from scratch, you will likely want to create landing pages to capture opt-ins, and promote them on social media or in person via campaigns and QR Codes.
Design with your brand in mind. The best emails are the ones that are extensions of your brand. Make sure that you include your company logo in the header of the email, utilize bright images to capture attention and make sure to have proper hierarchy of information so that people can scan the email, along with eye-catching buttons to help them see where to stop and click.
Directions
We begin this lesson with having you make
The easiest way to get started is to use Constant Contact’s BrandKit. Think of BrandKit as your library of colors and logos that will apply your look and feel to any of our Branded Templates. Simply add your url, make any adjustments as necessary.
Create a welcome email by going to templates. Choose to apply your branding and voila, your email is created. Now, you can add in your copy – be sure to describe yourself or your business, and include ways you can be contacted.
Set up your automation. Choose join my list and create your first list. Then add your Welcome email. Note, do not turn this automation on until after you have imported your list. If you have no contacts to import, then you can set it up.
Set up your landing page to capture opt ins and connect it to your list.
Import your list
Turn on your automation and test your welcome email.