It is not without reason. E-mail remains to be the top service, the main reason being its stability. While any social media following that one has is limited to that particular social site's lifetime, E-mail is personalized and remains constant. By data, it is found that most adults who have an online presence will have E-mail id's and maintain active usage of them.
Remember seeing mails from various websites in your inbox, you may not intend to buy those products, but those emails give you the gist of their product and put their idea in your thoughts. This is what E-mail Marketing is.
If you think E-mail is outdated and E-mail Marketing is too old-school to reach your target audience, it is time you revise your opinion. Think how many of your friends lack a mail id, and how many of them check their emails regularly; it will not be surprising if you find 85% of them to have an active mail id. This is the reason why E-mail Marketing is playing a vital role in all the algorithms and advertisements.
While E-mail Marketing is efficient in all fields, let us see how it influences books' sales and what authors should know about it.
What is E-mail Marketing?
Before we talk about how vital E-mail Marketing is, we should know what E-mail Marketing is? Like you see advertisements all over social media or any other website for that matter, e-mail marketing is a way of mailing your product's ad to prospective customers. This marketing method is considered very effective and efficient since the advertisements reach the audience directly, and there is a higher conversion rate than other modes of marketing.
Before we talk about how vital E-mail Marketing is, we should know what E-mail Marketing is? Like you see advertisements all over social media or any other website for that matter, e-mail marketing is a way of mailing your product's ad to prospective customers. This marketing method is considered very effective and efficient since the advertisements reach the audience directly, and there is a higher conversion rate than other modes of marketing.
As useful as e-mail marketing seems to be, it is quite tricky too. It is visible that we move most of our marketing emails to spam, half being already moved by algorithm, reaching the inbox of the customer itself is a tedious task. There are certain tricks and formats to be followed to have a successful reach with e-mail marketing.
E-mail Marketing and Book Sales:
E-mail marketing is influential; by now, you could have seen that. But, how is it helpful in book sales and for the author to gain exposure? Let's see.
The fundamental reason to opt for e-mail marketing is to introduce new products to customers. In that way, it is the primary medium to advertise your books. Say, the ABC author of XYZ book is active in all social platforms, even with most active involvement, it is not very likely for every post of the author reaches every person in his network due to the algorithms.
This drawback can be easily overcome by having a stable e-mail list. Since the e-mails are direct, there is a minimized chance of missing out. A well-constructed email can drive your sales to a higher rate without spamming the readers' inbox.
Tips for Effective E-mail Marketing:
As said earlier, to be successful in email marketing, you should follow specific terms and tricks. Since e-mail is the most personal way to reach your target audience, it is straightforward to convert your potential customer to your current customer or even a recurring customer with a well-tailored copy. Here are the few tips listed for effective e-mail marketing.
E-mail List:
The first thing you need to focus on to proceed with e-mail marketing is to grow potential and stable e-mail list. You can't randomly send a promotional mail to a set of mail ids obtained from an unexpected source; that will be quite a waste of time.
To create a proper e-mail list, you can ask your network to subscribe to your newsletters. This is the ideal way to grow your e-mail list. Since you obtain your audience's permission to send them the mail, there is a lesser possibility for your mail to end up in spam.
Crispy Catchy Subject:
When you send out a mail, the reader chooses to open or ignore the mail solely from your subject line. So, your subject line needs to be tempting and catchy. Creating a short and crisp subject line is the key to attract readers. However, just having a quick, fancy subject isn't enough; it should also convey the aim of your mail precisely.
Attractive Email Copy:
You have an ideal mail list and created a catchy subject that has probed the reader to open your mail. The next step is your mail content must induce your reader to make a purchase.
When I say that the content must induce purchasing, it should not be full of "buy me" quotes. Your mail copy should be brief and list all the reasons why the reader should buy your book.
You can also add a small summary of your book to give the reader a peek of your book. Obviously, the book's recap will be available in the online shop, but sending those to the readers' desk directly would only make the reader read your summary even when it is not intended.
Facilitate the Buying Process:
Once the reader is convinced with the mail and ready to make the purchase, he will look for links and buy the product. 50 to 70% of the audience will be lost if they don't purchase while still on the main page. So, you should facilitate the buying process for the reader.
You may link the online stores where your books are sold or send a buy now a page with your mail. This will prevent potential customers from being lost.
Follow with an Autoresponder:
Anyone who subscribes to your newsletters or makes a purchase from your link would look out for confirmation from your end. Make sure you do a proper follow up by enabling autoresponder for different actions that your reader might take. This simple act will increase your credibility among your readers.
Maintaining Constant Touch with Your Readers:
You should make sure that you are in constant touch with your readers all along without spamming them. By sending out emails at regular intervals will avoid loss of contact, and you will remain in their minds longer; this way, when you send out a mail for promotion of your new book or a book launch event, you will not appear an alien to them.
Imagine you are going to a shop to buy a refrigerator, and you see two shops selling the same brand for the same rate; you are confused in choosing between them. Suddenly there pops the head of a salesperson who happens to be your neighbor in one of the shops, now which one will you select? Obviously, the shop in which your neighbor works right. This is the exact reason why you need to have a constant touch with your readers.
By following with them regularly, you become a part of the readers' life digitally, and when you send out a promotional mail, you appear more like a friend than a seller.
E-mail Marketing Platforms That May Help You:
Email marketing is the king of digital marketing strategies. Several platforms help you to perform it successfully.
Few platforms that may help you promote your books or stay connected with your reader base through e-mail are ConvertKit, HubSpot, MailerLite, and MailChimp. These are the few platforms that have grabbed my attention, but there are hundreds of services out there that may help you reach your audience quickly.
If you think what the need to use an email marketing platform is, the answer is simple, these platforms provide customized services that facilitate the subscription and following up with your email list. Before choosing up the service, do go through their offers and decide which may suit you better.
Conclusion:
Coming to the end of the article, you might have known the importance of e-mail marketing. Like any other marketing technique, even email marketing needs attention, careful drafting, and dedicated time. If you think it reaches the customer directly so, the conversion rate will be high by just simply sending a mail, you are wrong.
Every mail you send must be customized, simple, and attractive to attain a decent conversion rate. The article should have given you a clear vision of how to promote your books through email marketing. But the ways don't stop with just the mentioned tricks; there are millions of ways to attain a successful marketing method; those are left to your creativity and ideas.
The better you understand your readers, the better your books will be, and the better your marketing tricks will become. I hope this article helps you and if you find it useful, please share it with your fellow authors.
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