When it comes to choosing marketing channels for your development business, few are as powerful as email. However, figuring out how to get started with it can be challenging.
The success of your email hinges largely on the email marketing software you decide to use. The right solution can make building your campaigns easier and more effective. There are many options to choose from, but a select few are particularly useful for developers.
In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of using email marketing as a developer. Then we’ll provide you with three tips for getting started, including choosing the best software solution and some key elements to include in your mail outs. Let’s get started!
The Benefits of Using Email Marketing as a Developer
As a web developer, your primary use of email has likely been for client communications and basic transactional notifications. However, email marketing can be an effective tool for promoting your services and generating leads.
You can use it to:
- Target specific audiences
- Drive traffic to your website
- Increase blog readership
- Build and nurture client relationships
- Boost brand awareness
Email marketing is also incredibly flexible. For example, you can use it for sending newsletters, industry news and updates, targeted promotions, and more.
This marketing channel also has a high Return On Investment (ROI). In fact, the Data and Marketing Association found that for every one dollar you spend on email marketing, you can expect to see an average return of $42!
How to Get Started With Email Marketing as a Developer (3 Key Tips)
Now that you understand some of the advantages of using email marketing as a developer, it’s time to get to work. Let’s take a look at three tips for getting started with this strategy.
1. Choose the Right Email Service Provider (ESP)
The right email marketing software or service will enable you to utilize features and functionality that enhance your mail outs and campaigns, including built-in metrics and analytics and drag-and-drop campaign builders. There are a handful of factors to consider when choosing an ESP, including your budget and goals.
While there are many options to choose from, there are a few that are particularly well suited for developers. For example, Sendinblue offers a variety of developer-friendly tools:
This includes libraries for popular frameworks and programming languages such as Node.js, spam and A/B split testing, and a solution for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) bulk email marketing. Sendinblue also lets you send SMS messages, access campaign reports, and compile concise email lists.
Another popular, budget-friendly option is ActiveCampaign:
This feature-rich platform offers predictive sending functionality, a library of automation sequences, and a built-in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. It also includes a visual automation builder to help you set up triggers for transactional emails, a large template selection, and contact management tools.
A third option you might consider is GetResponse:
In addition to automation and smart campaign tools, GetResponse offers segmented contact lists, integrated signup features, and a visual email builder and templates. It’s particularly useful if you’re looking to create sales funnels for your digital products or have an e-commerce store to promote.
2. Familiarize Yourself With the Most Important Elements of Effective Mail Outs
Before you begin creating your email marketing mail outs, it’s smart to familiarize yourself with essential elements to include when crafting them. You’ll need to be mindful of the design as well as the content of your email campaigns.
For starters, research shows that at least 46 percent of opened brand emails are read on mobile devices. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your emails translate well on all devices, which you can do by using a responsive email template.
Your content should be scannable and easy to digest. Best practice is to use casual, easy to understand language and short, succinct sentences. You can also break up text with images and clear Calls To Action (CTAs):
Also, aim to personalize the subject line and email contents. Personalized emails can increase customer engagement and result in higher transaction and open rates.
It may take some trial and error to nail down a mail out design that elicits a favorable response. However, this is another reason why choosing the right email marketing solution is so important.
Being able to track click-through and open rates and conduct A/B split testing can help you figure out what’s working and which elements of your mail outs could use some improvements. Continually assessing your campaigns will help you stay on top of changing preferences and trends.
3. Build Out Your Email List
Your email marketing initiatives are going to be most successful when you have a strong distribution list to support them. However, a large mailing list doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time.
Fortunately, there are simple strategies you can use to boost your mailing list subscribers. For example, one way to increase signups is to add an opt-in form to your website:
Some email marketing software solutions – such as GetResponse – come with contact and signup form creation features. Alternatively, you could use a plugin such as Convert Pro to build a variety of opt-in forms, including pop-ups:
You might consider promoting your email newsletter or campaign on social media as well. To help expand your email list, it can help to offer an incentive, such as subscriber-only discounts or exclusive content.
Conclusion
When done correctly, email marketing can be a powerful and indispensable tool for promoting and growing your development business. However, to make the most of your efforts, it’s important to take a careful, strategic approach to it.
In this post, we discussed three tips for getting started with email marketing as a developer:
- Choose a reliable email marketing software, such as Sendinblue, ActiveCampaign, or GetResponse.
- Familiarize yourself with the important elements of effective mail outs, including responsive design, a clear CTA, and personalized subject lines.
- Build out your email list using opt-in forms on your website and promoting it on social media.
Do you have any questions about using email marketing as a developer? Let us know in the comments section below!
