How to use email marketing as a blogger

In the digital age, bloggers possess a powerful asset that often goes overlooked—their email list. Building this list organically and using it effectively through email marketing can be a game-changer. It not only connects bloggers with their audience on a personal level but also enhances engagement and drives more readers to their blogs.

In this article, we'll explore email marketing for bloggers. We’ll discuss its benefits and provide six invaluable tips for success in this marketing channel.

What is email marketing for bloggers all about?

Email marketing for bloggers is really about using email campaigns to engage with your blog's audience, share valuable content and build a lasting connection. It's about sending timely and relevant messages to your subscribers' inboxes, fostering engagement, and driving traffic to your blog.

In marketing, two fundamental strategies stand out: push and pull marketing. Push marketing relies on proactive efforts, such as pay-per-click ads or cold outreach. Pull marketing, however, centres on creating content and experiences that naturally attract an audience—an approach that resonates with bloggers.

Email marketing epitomises the essence of pull marketing. By cultivating your email list, you're essentially nurturing a community of readers who willingly choose to hear from you. This level of engagement opens the door to long-term success, enabling you to nurture prospects, explore collaboration opportunities, and gather invaluable feedback.

The benefits of email marketing

The impact of email marketing extends far beyond a crowded inbox; it translates into concrete results:

Effective customer acquisition: Email marketing stands as a juggernaut, with a staggering 40 times higher effectiveness in acquiring customers compared to Facebook or Twitter.

Increased Engagement: Subscribers are more likely to interact with your content, whether it's reading your latest blog post, sharing it, or leaving comments.

Revenue boost: When it comes to conversion rates, email marketing excels. Approximately 4.24% of visitors from email marketing make a purchase, surpassing the 2.49% from search engines and 0.59% from social media.

Ownership of your list and brand-building: With email marketing, you retain full ownership of your list. Unlike social media platforms with ever-shifting algorithms and rules, you determine the terms of your email communication. This one-on-one channel ensures your message reaches your audience.

Above that, email empowers you to craft and reinforce your brand's identity. Consistent visual aesthetics, a well-defined tone of voice, and personalised messages align your emails with your blog's unique personality. The more distinctive you become, the more attention and trust you attract.

Personalisation and measurable outcomes: Email marketing offers an extensive canvas for personalisation. Unlike generic billboards or social media posts, emails can be tailored to deliver highly personalised messages. By addressing subscribers by name and sending targeted emails to specific segments, you boost engagement and conversion rates. In fact, personalised emails tend to achieve six times higher transaction rates.

Email marketing also provides real-time insights into your campaign's performance. Metrics such as open rates and click-through rates offer invaluable data for fine-tuning your approach and optimising future emails. Scaling your email marketing endeavours as your subscriber list grows becomes a seamless process.

Monetisation opportunities: Through email, bloggers can promote products, services, or affiliate partnerships, opening up monetisation avenues.

Mastering email marketing as a blogger

Now that we've established the significance of email marketing, let's explore how to harness its power effectively:

1. Choosing the right campaign strategy

In email marketing for bloggers, selecting the right campaign strategy is important. It shapes how you interact with your audience, deliver your content and achieve your blogging goals. Here's a detailed exploration of how to choose the right campaign strategy for your blog:

Types of campaign strategies:

• Audience engagement: Are you primarily focused on building a deeper connection with your existing audience?
• Audience growth: Do you aim to expand your readership and attract new subscribers?
• Monetisation: Is your blog tied to a business, and are you looking to generate revenue through email marketing?
• Content promotion: Are you using email marketing to drive traffic to your blog posts or promote specific content?
• Newsletter campaigns: Regular newsletters provide updates, valuable content, and insights to your subscribers. They are great for maintaining audience engagement and providing ongoing value.
• Welcome campaigns: Automated welcome series introduce new subscribers to your blog, its content, and your brand. They help nurture leads and build trust.
• Drip campaigns: Drip campaigns deliver a series of pre-scheduled emails to subscribers over time. They can be used for onboarding, lead nurturing, or delivering educational content.
• Promotional campaigns: These campaigns focus on promoting products, services, affiliate partnerships, or exclusive offers to generate revenue.
• Content campaigns: Email marketing can be used to highlight and drive traffic to your blog posts or other content, such as ebooks, webinars, or podcasts.

2. Optimise your opt-in forms:

Opt-in forms are the gatekeepers to your email marketing success. They are the entry point for new subscribers, and optimising them is important for growing your email list effectively. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to optimise your opt-in forms to maximise your email marketing potential:

Placement matters: The positioning of your opt-in forms on your website can make a significant difference. Consider placing them strategically where they are highly visible but not intrusive. Common locations include the top of your homepage, within blog posts, on your About page, and as exit-intent pop-ups.

Engaging headline: Craft a compelling headline that clearly communicates the value of subscribing. Use action-oriented language that conveys what subscribers will gain from joining your list. For example, "Join Our Newsletter for Exclusive Tips and Updates."

Clear description: Beneath the headline, provide a concise description that outlines the benefits of subscribing. Explain what type of content subscribers can expect and how often they will receive emails. Transparency builds trust.

Captivating call-to-action (CTA): Your call-to-action button is the trigger for subscription. Make it stand out with a contrasting colour and persuasive text. Avoid generic phrases like "Submit" or "Sign Up." Instead, use enticing language such as "Get Started," "Join Now," or "Unlock Access."

Minimise required fields: Don't overwhelm potential subscribers with lengthy forms. In most cases, asking for just an email address and, optionally, a first name is sufficient. The more fields you require, the lower your conversion rate may be.

Privacy assurance: Address privacy concerns by including a brief statement assuring subscribers that their information will be kept confidential and only used for the stated purpose. This can alleviate any apprehensions about sharing personal information.

3. Segment your blog readers

When you segment your blog readers effectively, you can provide them with content that speaks directly to their interests, needs, and preferences, thereby increasing engagement and building a deeper connection. Here's a closer look at how to segment your blog readers for maximum impact:

Understand your audience

Before you can effectively segment your readers, you need a clear understanding of your audience. Collect data on their demographics, interests, behaviours, and engagement history. This data can come from sources such as analytics tools, surveys, or user profiles.

Decide on the criteria you'll use to segment your readers. Common segmentation factors include:

Demographics: Age, gender, location, profession, etc.

Interests: Topics or categories of blog content they engage with the most.

Engagement level: How frequently they visit your blog, comment, or share your posts.

Behaviour: Actions they've taken on your blog, such as downloading resources or signing up for newsletters.

Group your readers: Once you have your criteria in place, start grouping readers into segments based on shared characteristics. For example, "Tech Enthusiasts" might be a segment interested in your technology-related blog posts.

Tailor Content to segments: Create content that caters specifically to the interests of each segment. For instance, write blog posts that dive deep into topics relevant to a particular segment.

4. Crafting compelling email content:

When it comes to email marketing for bloggers, crafting compelling email content is the linchpin of success. Your emails should not only capture the attention of your subscribers but also resonate with them on a personal level. To achieve this, it's important to focus on clarity, conciseness and effective structuring. Here's a closer look at how to make your email content truly compelling.

Hierarchy of information: Think of your email as a mini-blog post. Like a blog, your email should have a clear structure. Begin by highlighting the most critical details at the beginning. If you're sharing a blog post, put the headline and a brief, enticing introduction upfront. Your subscribers should immediately grasp what the email is about.

Well-structured paragraphs: Avoid lengthy paragraphs that can overwhelm readers. Instead, opt for concise, well-structured paragraphs. Each paragraph should convey a single idea or piece of information. This makes your email more scannable and less intimidating.

Visual elements: Incorporate visual elements with good quality. Images, infographics, and icons can add depth to your email content and make it more engaging. However, be mindful not to overload the email with visuals, as this can slow down load times and disrupt the flow of the message.

Personalisation: Personalise your email content whenever possible. Address your subscribers by their first names, tailor the content to their interests or past interactions with your blog, and make them feel like valued individuals rather than generic recipients.

Engaging language: Use language that resonates with your audience. Maintain a conversational tone, as if you're having a one-on-one chat with a friend. Avoid jargon or overly formal language unless it aligns with your blog's style and audience preferences.

5. Crafting irresistible call-to-action buttons:

Your CTA buttons act as the bridge between your email and your blog. To enhance their effectiveness, design CTAs that are attention-grabbing without being intrusive. Clearly convey that the CTA is clickable, using concise, action-inspiring language in your CTA copy. Ensure your CTA stands out visually from the rest of the email.

6. Embracing A/B testing for optimisation:

A/B testing, also known as split testing, is the secret ingredient for continuous improvement. Experiment with different elements in your emails, including subject lines and CTA buttons, to discern what resonates best with your audience. Use the insights gained from A/B tests to refine your approach.

The synergy between email marketing and blogging is undeniable. Implementing these strategies can help you expand your email list, create compelling emails and drive traffic to your blog. By doing so, you can transform your subscribers into loyal readers and lifelong fans, fostering a deeper connection with your audience and ultimately growing your blog's success. If you're not already using email marketing, now is the time to start and watch your blog's audience flourish.