What is email marketing and how does it work?

In modern business, every decision counts and every connection matters. Email marketing isn’t just another digital tactic — it’s the bedrock of effective and, crucially, cost-efficient digital marketing. It’s a direct line to your audience, a channel you own, control and leverage for maximum impact.

But what is email marketing, and how does it work? At its core, it’s using emails to build relationships, nurture leads, and drive sales. More than just spamming inboxes with promotions, email marketing can deliver value, foster customer loyalty, and guide your customers through their journey. In this article, we’ll strip away the jargon and get straight to the point: how email marketing works, why it matters, and how it can help you grow your business.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is the strategic use of email to send targeted messages to a specific group of people. These messages can be promotional, aimed at nurturing leads through the sales funnel, or focused on building lasting customer loyalty. In essence, it’s about leveraging email to communicate with your audience in a direct and personalized way.

So, what is an email marketing campaign? This is the overarching initiative that dictates where your emails go and who they go to. It’s a focused series of email messages designed to achieve a specific goal. This could be anything from announcing a new product to welcoming a new subscriber.

To get it right, you’ll need to master a few key elements:

1. Your email list: This is your foundation. A clean, engaged list is paramount.
2. Message content: This is your voice. Compelling, relevant, and valuable content is what drives results.
3. Scheduling: Timing is everything. Sending the right message at the right time is crucial.
4. Analytics: This is your compass. Tracking your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions will show you what’s working and what’s not.

How does email marketing work?

1. Build your email list

This is where it all starts: building a list of relevant contacts. Focus on attracting individuals who are genuinely interested in your offerings. Grow your email list with strategically placed signup forms on your website, offer valuable gated content like ebooks or webinars tailored to your ideal customer, and collect registrations from attendees at industry-specific events.

2. Segment your audience

Each customer has individual needs and preferences, so try not to treat them all the same. Segment your email lists based on behavior (like past purchases), interests (what content they engage with), or lifecycle stage (new subscriber vs. loyal customer). This will give you more targeted, and therefore more effective, emails.

3. Create email content

This is where you show your value. Think newsletters, promotional offers, important announcements, or automated drip campaigns that guide leads through the sales journey. Each type serves a specific purpose.

4. Send and automate

Don’t shy away from automation. Set up workflows to send the right message at the right time, without you lifting a finger. Welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, birthday offers — automate it all. This is all about efficiency.

5. Track and optimize

Numbers don’t lie. Monitor your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. See what’s working, and what’s not. Then, tweak and optimize. This is a continuous improvement cycle.

Why email marketing is still so effective

In a world of fleeting marketing trends, email marketing has remained essential. But why? When you’re thinking about how to use email marketing to grow your business, remember these points:

Direct communication

Email marketing is simple. Your email goes straight into your customer’s inbox. No algorithms, no middleman. You’re talking to them directly.

High return on investment

Email marketing consistently outperforms other marketing channels in terms of return on investment. It’s cost-effective, and it drives revenue. A win-win, right?

Personalization

This is where the real magic happens. You can tailor your content to specific segments and behaviors, making your messages relevant and impactful. This level of personalization is hard to achieve with other channels.

Scalability

Whether you’re reaching thousands with a single send or nurturing individual leads with targeted campaigns, email marketing scales with your business. That’s efficiency.

Taking it further with email marketing automation

What is automation in email marketing? Essentially, it’s the use of tools to automatically send emails based on specific triggers, behaviors, or schedules. It’s about setting up systems that run themselves, so you can focus on the bigger picture.

Break it up like this:

• Welcome emails after sign-up: New subscriber? Automate a welcome series to introduce your brand and get them engaged from day one.
• Abandoned cart follow-ups: Someone leaves items in their cart? Automate a reminder email to close the sale. Don’t let those potential customers slip away.
• Re-engagement campaigns: Inactive subscribers? Automate a re-engagement campaign to bring them back into the fold.

Automation improves efficiency and consistency. It ensures that the right message is sent to the right person at the right time, every time, without you having to lift a finger. It saves time, reduces errors, and maximizes your impact. It is a vital tool for scaling your email marketing efforts.

How to use email marketing to grow your business

So, how to grow a business with email marketing? Let’s get straight into it.

1. Drive conversions: This is where email marketing really shines. Send targeted offers and nurture leads through the sales funnel. Guide them towards a purchase. Every email should have a purpose.
2. Build customer loyalty: It’s not just about getting new customers, it’s about keeping the ones you have. Stay top of mind by delivering valuable, consistent content that keeps them engaged.
3. Recover lost sales: Don’t let those potential sales slip through your fingers. Use automation to follow up on abandoned carts or expired offers. Get those customers back on track.
4. Educate and inform: Position yourself as an authority in your industry. Share resources, case studies, or how-to content. Build trust and credibility with your audience.

Choosing the right tool for email marketing

When it comes to email marketing, you’ll need a robust CRM or platform that lets you manage campaigns, segment audiences, and track performance with precision. You need something that gives you control, clarity, and (most importantly), results. That’s where Workbooks comes in.

For marketing teams that demand more, Workbooks CRM for Marketing is the ideal solution. It’s built to give you the power to orchestrate complex campaigns, segment your audience with laser focus, and analyze performance with insightful dashboards. Looking for a powerful tool to manage and automate your email marketing? Workbooks CRM for X can help.