Does email marketing still work? Maybe you’re a small business owner or a prospective email newsletter publisher wondering if email marketing still works? If so, read this post! We’re about to brainstorm all about email marketing during our dismal economy and whether or not an email marketing strategy is worthy of your time as a small business.
First – Let’s Talk About The Nature Of Our Bleak Economic Outlook
It’s no secret that the economy is in dire ruins. Even though Wall Street, bankers, and big corporations are making a killing, other portions of the economy indicate a much gloomier forecast.
5 Alarming And Depressing Economic Prospects:
- In 2020 the US is experienced near-record unemployment – at least 42,600,000 (42.6 million) were out of work.
- Millions of people lined up at food banks all across America. Many still struggle to put food on the table.
- Countless-thousands of small businesses closed in the USA and worldwide. 60% of small business owners say that they’re not opening back up anytime soon – or ever.
- Over 30,000,000 (thirty million) US-citizens were afraid that they could not afford to keep roofs over their heads.
- People were starving around the world, and The United Nations World Food Program warned that 260,000,000 (two hundred and sixty million) people are at risk of going hungry.
2020 Was A Dismal Dumpster Fire For The World Economy And Small Business Owners Alike
I don’t mean to sound like a downer. But, in my opinion, the world economy took a hit in 2020, like we haven’t seen since the great depression.
I also think that as many small business owners close up shop – large corporations are going to sweep in and fill that vacuum.
So, what are small business owners like us supposed to do to survive? With large corporations gaining strength, influence, power, and momentum like never before – how can we compete?
The answer isn’t easy. It seems like the world is kicking many small business owners to the curb. That’s why I’m more fanatic than ever to spread the word about email marketing.
Why I Originally Fell In Love With Email Marketing. And Why You Should Build Your Email List Too!
I’ve been a fan of email marketing for my entire adult life, and I think that email marketing can help many small business owners.
The main thing I loved about email marketing – way before the big social networks were around – is that email marketing is the great equalizer. Big mega corporations can afford to spend tens of thousands of dollars (and much more) on advertising. But, small businesses like us cannot.
Email marketing helps level the playing field – email marketing is dirt cheap – or even free for small business owners. You can contact a potentially unlimited amount of people without a massive marketing budget. (As long as they agree to receive your emails – of course.)
I’ll never stop email marketing for as long as I’m blogging on this website. And I intend on writing and sending emails for life.
Here’s Why I Love Email Marketing For Small Business Owners – Even During Economic Turmoil
After studying the world of tech for years, I can’t think of a better way to convey your messages to your end-users. Even if they’re frustrated, broke, depressed, or struggling with the world tipped upside-down.
Email marketing is also a great way to deliver value to your audience. Your email newsletter content can potentially help your subscribers if you strive to offer helpful, relevant, and useful content. Let your email newsletter and email content entertain your end-users and give them something to look forward to reading. So, your emails and newsletter content can accomplish a lot of good – if you devote yourself and try your best.
Here’s Why Email Marketing Is Better Than Social Media Marketing – In My Opinion
I think that email newsletter content gives you much more control compared to third party social platforms. Emails are also convenient and familiar – to nearly any of your potential customers. Right?
Even though apps like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube are massive – Not everyone uses TikTok. Or Pinterest. Or Twitter. In other words, a lot of people are using TikTok – but not everyone uses TikTok. A ton of people are on Pinterest – but not everyone. However, I would say that most of your prospective customers in the US use email. Go where the people are – and where they choose to stay.
As Long As Humans Use Email, Email Marketing Will Work. Here’s Why.
I believe that human psychology doesn’t change. If you go back 500 years ago, or probably even 5,000 years – I bet humans had many similar characteristics. Humans wanted wealth, health, and relationships.
Therefore, marketing, influence, persuasion, and sales will always work. Email is only the vehicle to transport your sales, marketing, branding, and content delivery. Email marketing is the conduit of your valuable newsletter content – and your marketing messages.
Email Marketing Is Dirt Cheap – Any Business Can Afford Email Marketing
Since many small business owners are going out of business – it’s reasonable to believe that small business owners like us don’t have much cash lying around for marketing budgets or fancy marketing tools.
That’s another reason that I think email marketing rocks for small business owners – even if the economy is in free fall. There are email marketing apps that you can use for free. AWeber, MailChimp, and MailerLite come to mind. Each of these apps has 100% free plans that you can use – there are reasonable restrictions for the free services, of course.
What restrictions? Well, you can only have so many email subscribers on the free plans in most cases. Also, you can only send so many emails per month. However, even as your needs as an email marketer exceed the limitations, the cost of email marketing and sending email broadcasts is still reasonable and affordable.
Here’s How to Launch an Email List For Free – Or Cheap
Starting an email list is much easier than most people think. The first step is to choose an email marketing provider. You don’t need to send the emails using a piece of email marketing software that you install on your local device.
Much wiser, in my opinion, is to use a cloud-based email marketing app like AWeber that I’ve been using since around 2010. AWeber rocks – and they make launching an email list or an email newsletter a piece of cake.
Here’s Why You Need A Lead Capture Page – And How To Create One Without Tech Skills
You also need a lead capture page so you can invite your end-users, readers, audience, buyers, students, or fans to join your email list. AWeber has a handful of beautiful landing pages you can create to help launch your email lead capture page. No problem!
Once you have a lead generation funnel up and running, it’s time to promote your email list any way that you can.
Here’s How to Promote Your Email List – Even If You’re Broke
Back when I started email marketing many years ago, there weren’t nearly as many cool email list building methods and avenues as there are today.
These days, there are so many platforms, websites, communities, and advertising networks so you can spread the word about your lead magnet, your lead capture page, and your email newsletter. There are too many options to help build your email list!
You can create Podcasts, YouTube videos, blog posts, social media content, guest articles, or leverage any content platform to help spread the word about your email newsletter. Wherever you have an audience, let them know that you’re launching a brand new email newsletter that rocks.
You Should Also Use Bonus Content And Special Gifts To Help Build Your Email List!
For extra credit, put together a big list of bonus content and exclusives for first-time subscribers. You can then put together a welcome page and automatically send that page to your subscribers in the first issue of your email newsletter.
Don’t worry! Just about any email marketing service you use will make email automation a piece of cake so you can automatically deliver free bonus gifts and your goodies to your new subscribers – food for thought!
Not Sure How to Start Selling Via Email Marketing? Here’s A Big Tip!
Once you get your email newsletter up and running – you might become frustrated because you’re not sure how to sell your stuff within your newsletter content.
There are so many different ways you can pitch your digital products and services. You can include a contextual call to action that points to your latest promotions, deals, discounts, webinars, courses, service announcements – or even affiliate links.
Another favorite option is to create a presentation that sells. You can create a simple video presentation that promotes your offers – and then advertise that presentation to your email list.
You can also include a banner at the end of your emails. Or, you could add a resources section at the end of your email newsletter that points to your products, affiliate program, or your e-commerce store.
Another thing I love to include is a short PS at the end of emails with a pithy call to action. In this way, you can promote anything. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance writer, pastry chef, real estate agent, or affiliate marketer. Your creativity is the only limit to your email marketing call to action!
How To Improve Your Email Copywriting In Just 15 Minutes Per Day
Email marketing and writing effective email marketing content takes practice. I think if you practice writing for 15 minutes every day, you’ll improve dramatically over time.
If you love writing as much as I do – then 15 minutes shouldn’t be a chore. Fifteen minutes per day is a mere tease once you develop a taste for email marketing, self-publishing, blogging, and sharing your thoughts online.
So, how much time can you spend writing per day? Once you practice writing for a while, you might find yourself writing blog posts, articles, and email newsletters in 20 minutes or less. You might also notice that your typing speed becomes faster than you ever imagined.
How fast do you type? I type around 105 words per minute, with roughly 99% accuracy. The only reason I type this fast is that I have an insane amount of practice writing.
I Challenge You To Practice Writing Daily!
I’ve written many hundreds of thousands of words of content on this blog and via the MrComputerScience.com email newsletter.
Due to all of that practice, email copywriting is easy for me. It’s a piece of cake. However, it wasn’t always this way. It all started by practicing for years. I challenge you to do the same!
If you’re not sure where to start, then write a blog post, an article, or an email newsletter that talks about how you want to practice writing for 15 minutes per day. If you can’t manage 15 minutes, then try writing for five minutes per day!
If you have the heart and spirit of a writer, then you might have a lot more fun than you think!
Conclusion – Does Email Marketing Still Work? Why Email Marketing Still Works Even With The Economy Flipped Upside-Down
I know how dismal the economy is right now. All freelancers, small business owners, and mom and pops realize that sad fact. I still think email marketing is worth a shot, though.
Since email marketing is free these days, I think that all small business owners should at least consider launching an email newsletter or an email list.
Even if you don’t have that much time to experiment, you can at least create a rudimentary lead capture page. Launching an email list won’t take you more than a couple of hours.
After your email newsletter is up and running, try telling your favorite and best customers that you launched an email newsletter. Tell them about your bonus goodies, exclusives, and stellar content that you’re going to share.
What do you have to lose? If your fans, readers, and audience doesn’t like the idea – then you haven’t lost much. You only invested a few hours (if not a few days, max) configuring your email newsletter.
But – what happens if your audience loves the idea? Well, then you’ve stumbled upon one of the best marketing strategies and tactics on the planet. Email marketing! That’s my humble two cents, at least.
Thanks so much for reading this content. You rule!
Cordially yours,
Mike “Economic Recovery” DeVincent
MrComputerScience.com