How to Create a Successful Email Campaign for Pre-Launch
I’m back and still answering the everyday question: Is email marketing dead? Do I really need an email campaign?
The answer is EMAIL MARKETING IS LIFE.
Email marketing is a whole new world to 95% of people I work with. When I first got started in crowdfunding, I thought sending something from a founder’s Gmail address was all you needed for success. Boy was I wrong. There are a lot more intricacies that go into email marketing than I initially knew. If you want to ace your pre-launch email campaign, follow these eight tips:
Think Mobile-First
When it comes to crowdfunding, the majority of people will interact with your project via their mobile phone right up until the point of contribution. Therefore,
it’s beneficial to create and send emails that are optimized to be read on-the-go using a mobile device.
Thinking mobile-first covers everything from subject lines (shorter, quipper subject lines show up better on mobile) to the content inside (how are images and text stacking when it comes to mobile).
Hit Industry Benchmarks
After working with multiple campaigns, it’s become clear to me that there is a set pattern in the most successful ones.
There is an optimal number of emails to send during pre-launch and there are specific benchmarks that signify success.
Meet (and exceed!) those benchmarks and you’ll be breathing easier when you do launch your project.
Win With Compelling Subject Lines Increase
As with any email, the first thing your subscribers will see is the subject line. Your subject lines have to be enticing and attractive enough to compel people to click to read the content inside. This is important because people interacting with your email has a direct correlation to crowdfunding success.
Show urgency, fuel curiosity, and be concise.
Always Include A CTA
Calls-to-action (CTAs) are mandatory for every email you send. They’re mandatory because email is the main trigger point to get people to your crowdfunding campaign page; if they’re not used to clicking on something in your emails during your pre-launch stage, what makes you think they’ll start clicking on your emails when you do launch?
The CTA in your email should be a big, bright button or a clear text link. Instead of adding multiple CTAs to each email (choice paralysis is a real thing!), make sure that each email communication leads up to one actionable CTA.
Make It Easy To Share
The great thing about having your own audience is that they’re interested in your content and want your project to succeed.
With crowdfunding, the more people know about your project, the more likely that you will be to meet your goal.
Having your audience share information about your project is a win-win situation.
In your emails, include a sharing link. Make that a clear CTA at the end of your email (see number 4 above).
Always Thank Your Subscribers
By just being there with you, your email subscribers are already taking you one step closer to crowdfunding success. Be sure to let them know how much you appreciate their presence, their help, and their support.
Entrepreneurship is a long road with many ups and downs, the more people you have on your side cheering for you, the less the downs suck.
Ensure Subscribers Know Your Launch Date And Time
How can someone be there to back you when you launch when they don’t know your launch date and time? Be sure that this information is front and center in your final emails before launch. People often forget to include timezones in their email; is your launch in PT? ET? GMT?
Use Mailchimp To Get Started
After using (and struggling through) so many different email services, it’s a no-brainer for me to recommend Mailchimp. It’s the easiest platform to get up and running, even for a complete beginner when it comes to your pre-launch email campaign.
If you’re not sure what to do, I’ve created a free online course to take you through setting up your landing page and email marketing for your crowdfunding launch.
Resend Emails To Non-Opens
People access their emails at different points throughout the day: some are morning checkers, others in the afternoon or evening. By the time they do get to check their email, yours might be buried under hundreds of other emails. After sending the initial email, resend it 24 hours later to anyone who didn’t open the first one. Be sure to change the subject line (in case something else might be more attractive to them) and send it at a slightly different time than the first email.
Email marketing is crucial to your crowdfunding campaign success. Keep these core tips top of mind to ace the process as you get started on your email marketing journey. If you need more help with email marketing, get the Crowdfunding Starter Kit for free.
Originally published at https://crushcrowdfunding.com/
