does email marketing work?
When you want to communicate something about your brand or sell your products, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to do it.
In fact, a 2015 study by the DMA found that for every dollar spent, email has an average return on investment (ROI) of $38. when shoppers are ready to buy something, they often look for emails from their favorite stores.
Still, people are getting more and more emails all the time, and it can be a challenge to stand out in crowded inboxes. That’s why Mailchimp gives you the tools you need to shine (plus, we’ve got plenty of tried-and-true tips for sending outstanding emails) and build effective email marketing campaigns. Check out our email marketing statistics by industry to learn more about why email marketing works.
how do I get an email list?
You’ll get the highest ROI when you build and maintain an engaged subscriber list, made up of people who want to receive your messages (and who signed up on purpose). Although building a clean list may require more work at the beginning of your email marketing strategy, Mailchimp lists have built-in tools to help you along the way.
There are many ways to find people who want to receive your emails, but we’ve rounded up a few that work best.
to create an email list:
- Create a registration form on your website. When people first visit your website and like what they see, they’ll want a way to stay on top of your brand. create a form to subscribe to newsletters and install a popup to collect customer data from your visitors.
- Use a good old log sheet. Whether it’s your physical store or an event you’re hosting or attending, when you’re surrounded by people who are interested in what you do, provide a place for them to sign up and learn more.
- Drive signups throught social media. If you don’t have a substantial email list (or would just like to see it grow), but have a social media following, take advantage of that resource. Share your registration form on your social channels.
to add more subscribers to an existing list:
- organize a contest or offer a discount. We’re big fans of giving people an incentive to sign up for your email list, and we know that contests work. try offering a prize for a lucky new subscriber or a discount code for a first purchase.
- make your emails easy to share. share them. mailchimp gives you features (like share buttons and social post builders) that let you spread the word about your emails quickly.
- build a landing page through mailchimp. landing pages offer one more way to grow your email list. Using your best images and content, landing pages give people a clear call to action and greatly increase email signups.
can i buy an email list?
not. you shouldn’t buy an email list (and if you’re using mailchimp, you can’t use an email list you’ve purchased).
purchased lists are ineffective and also affect everyone else who uses mailchimp. If you send emails to a list of people whose contact information you bought, many of the emails will be identified as spam, and you’ll also get high unsubscribe rates. Some email spam filters will flag an email campaign if someone with the same IP has sent spam in the past. When you use Mailchimp, your email is delivered through our servers, so if one person sends spam, it could prevent other users’ emails from reaching inboxes. but by banning mailchimp users from using purchased lists, we increase deliverability for everyone.
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This is why we work diligently to keep our sending reputation intact, and it’s important that all users comply with our terms of use, which enforce anti-spam laws. there are 3 main rules you must follow to comply with our terms of use.
do not use third party lists. this includes purchased or rented mailing lists, and lists pulled from third-party sources, including public websites.
get permission. everyone on your list should have opted in to receive emails from you, and their permission must be express and verifiable. If you use one of our registration form options, we track this permission for you.
I’m ready for email marketing, but which platform should I use?
Whether you’re starting your first email marketing campaign or you’re a seasoned email professional, Mailchimp has the tools and support you need. With a wide range of features that do everything from marketing automation to tracking tools to optimizing your emails through split testing, we’ve got you covered from start to finish.
okay, but how much does it cost?
When you create a mailchimp account, you have the option to select a free or paid plan. this option allows you to experiment with our easy-to-use tools and find out how best to use our all-in-one marketing platform. So if you’re just getting off the ground, you can learn to market smarter so you can grow faster. you can stay on the free plan as long as you have 2000 or fewer contacts in your audience.
As your audience continues to grow, our pricing plans scale with your needs as well. for advanced business needs, we also offer a premium plan.
Plus, we’ve got lots of great tips (and fun email marketing tips!) on how to act on your contact data so you can send emails people actually read. we’ll help you create successful email marketing campaigns.
I’m new to email marketing and may need a little help.
we are here when you need us. During your first 30 days with Mailchimp, we’ll give you access to free, 24/7 world-class technical support so you can get the most out of your account.
If you want to stay in touch with our support team via online chat or email, upgrade to our essential plan starting at $11 per month. Whether you hit a roadblock with an email you’re writing or want to learn more about how something works, help is available 24 hours a day. And when you’re ready to take your email marketing to the next level, we’ve got plans for that, too.
Even if you don’t upgrade to a paid account, you can always check out our step-by-step tutorials and detailed information on how our features work (as well as tips and troubleshooting guides).