If you are looking to build an online community of like-minded people who are loyal to your blog, you need to do more than just write inspiring and engaging content. Your posts may be finely tuned and well-written, but without readers, your blog exists in a vacuum. How do you build a relationship with casual visitors to your blog and keep them coming back for more?
One option is using an email marketing platform. With the help of email marketing, you can boost engagement, foster loyalty, monitor data and trends, and automate your email marketing strategy. By sending out regular emails or newsletters to readers of your blog, you are maintaining their interest in your content and strengthening your relationship. There are plenty of email marketing services to choose from, and we are going to have a closer look at how to choose the best platform for your individual needs.
Why use an email marketing platform?
People trust email marketing more than other online channels, meaning they are more likely to open your email and read it. With all the digital noise and communication these days, email is considered to be a more personalized form of online communication. For example, according to Marketing Sherpa 61% of consumers enjoy receiving promotional emails weekly, and 38% would like emails to come even more frequently. 79% of B2C marketers rely on email to spread their new articles or blog posts.
Amazingly, 4.03 billion people worldwide now use email, giving impressive reach to your emails. By using an email platform, you will have access to built-in data analytics tools (open rates, click through rates, etc), which will allow you to learn more about your subscribers/readers. You can then use this information to better engage with your readers and grow your audience. They, in turn, will maintain their interest and keep coming back to your blog.
Use an email marketing platform to send emails/newsletters to your readers alerting them to new content, to promote your blog posts, or just stay in touch. An email allows you to ‘own’ the relationship and email is more personal than anonymous traffic. Automate your emails to make life easier. Regular/personalized contact with your readers will lead to a greater connection and loyalty
How to choose the best email marketing platform to fit your needs?
When selecting your email marketing platform, there are certain criteria to keep in mind. Your own individual situation will have a bearing on how you prioritize the following:
○ Price – some have free plans or pricing based on numbers of subscribers.
○ Ease of use – how easy it is to navigate and master the platform?
○ Availability of customer support or paid experts to help you throughout your email campaigns – if you have an issue you can’t solve on your own or you need some expert advice, reliable and immediate support will be reassuring.
○ Marketing automation features – this will save you time and make your life easier. Everything from sending welcome emails to new subscribers or sending out emails with new blog content, automation can help get the right message at the right time to your audience.
Five email marketing platforms for bloggers
Keep your readers interested and informed by communicating with them via an email newsletter. You can share new posts, interesting information, a call-to-action, and a link back to your blog. By bringing the content to them in an email, you will spark their interest and encourage them to revisit your blog.
Here are some options you might want to try for yourself:
Link: https://convertkit.com/
Popular with bloggers, podcasters, and YouTubers, Convertkit aims to help creators connect with their community, build their following, and earn an income.
It is recommended for its email types, automation, and flexibility in managing subscribers as well as the landing page editor. Plus, it offers quick, friendly support.
However, it doesn’t have a lot of free features or email template designs available and can be expensive.
Link: https://www.mailerlite.com/
MailerLite is one of the best available options for newsletter creation and is recommended by bloggers, creatives, but also small businesses.
It is known for being easy-to-use, with a good selection of email types and customizable template designs. You can easily automate your emails, manage your subscriber lists, and get good support if you have any issues. On top of that, it is one of the most affordable email marketing platforms on offer.
The only drawback is a lack of detailed reporting.
Mailchimp
Link: https://mailchimp.com/
This email newsletter service is one of the most well-known, and is still one of the best. Bloggers, ecommerce, and small businesses recommend Mailchimp for its feature-rich, easy-to-use interface, as well as the extensive availability of integrations (WordPress, Shopify etc.).
Essential tools such as email types, email automation, and subscriber list management ensure the smooth running of your email newsletters.
However, it is worth noting that customer support is limited to paid plans, the free plan offers fewer email templates and segmentations and automation is not as robust as some other platforms.
Link: https://www.campaignmonitor.com/
Campaign monitor is a good option for personal bloggers, small business, and professional use to easily create, send, and manage email newsletters.
It is recommended for its user-friendly experience, well-designed email templates, good automation, and easy email list management.
Some minor cons include, no native social sharing features, not many integrations available, and can be expensive.
Drip:
Link: https://www.drip.com/
Aimed primarily at ecommerce marketers and professional bloggers, Drip offers personalized, easy-to-use email newsletter automation.
Email template designs are intuitive and responsive, and there are good integration options.
There is no free version, and pricing is based on the size of your email list.
There are also online forums such as https://www.g2.com/categories/email-marketing which provide excellent user experience feedback to help you evaluate the options available and find the best fit for your needs.
Of course, personal recommendation is invaluable. If you know anyone else who is active in the blogosphere, get them to share their experience, and what they have learned along the way.
Start somewhere (but start)
Whether you are sending out emails or newsletters or just your personal tips and tricks, by sending regular emails to your readers, you are maintaining a connection with the audience of your blog. Building a lasting relationship requires regular contact. These email marketing platforms will help you sustain interest in your blog. Evaluate the different platforms available to see which one best meets your needs – you may even need to do some trial-and-error before you find the perfect fit. Engage readers more directly by email. This will create a loyal audience for your blog and promote return traffic. Take a look at the options available and once you have made your choice, you will be quickly up and running. By nourishing your online relationships with your readers your blog will continue to grow and thrive.
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