Email is something we all use on a daily basis. While the majority of the internet has moved from desktop and laptop-based browsing, to mobile, and from websites to social media… email usage has still been the driving force behind connectivity and engaging with others.
However, with so many site owners and bloggers focusing on how they can create more content, rank higher in Google and also use social media to drive more traffic to their sites, few consider the possibilities that lie within email marketing and outreach.
To help in this process, we will be highlighting five unique and effective ways to start using email to not only increase traffic and awareness for your site, but to also improve your branding and expertise as well.
The Best Ways to Use Email When Trying to Grow a Site or Brand
As we make our way through each of the recommended methods below, be sure to consider implementing each into your day to day operations earlier than later. Some of these methods will require a little more time and effort than others, but be assured, they are all worth it!
1 – Use a Professional Email Signature
Without a doubt, one of the most important things you can immediately do to increase engagement, is to add a signature at the bottom of all emails. And not only will this increase engagement and trust, it’s also an excellent way to make a great first impression.
For site owners and bloggers, we are usually sending and receiving hundreds of emails per day. When we get an email from someone random and it just as their text name at the bottom, that doesn’t usually go over too well. Through the use of an email signature, you can have the following look and feel at the bottom of every email you send out — which can result in thousands of engaged responses every month!
As you can see through each of the examples above, having an email signature clearly makes a big difference. And even better, they are fully customizable and the ability is also there to incorporate your latest social media and blog posts for others to read.
While this might seem a bit complicating to the average person, it’s actually quite simple and there is no need to download any software or know how to code. To learn more about this process, we recommend you take a look at this detailed reference guide on how to create an email signature.
2 – Start a Mailing List for Your Site
Every website and blog on the internet should have a mailing list or newsletter. With the majority of people visiting new websites daily, and less than 30% of them actually coming back for another trip in the future, the best way to keep such audiences is by getting them to join a mailing list.
Once you have a site newsletter or mailing list in place, this allows site owners to send out mailings on their latest content, product releases, promotions or anything else they like. And just like setting up an email signature for your inbox, setting up a newsletter for your site is quite simple as well.
Through the use of solutions like Aweber, Mailchimp or Constant Contact, anyone can create a new account and grab a simple code to place on their site. This is even easier for WordPress users, as each have their own plugins that get the job done.
Whether it’s on your site sidebar, bottom of your posts or even as popup, setting up a newsletter signup form is pretty simple. And when doing this, be sure to create a call to action that makes your audience want to sign up (like the one above). This is often a free PDF report or a coupon that can be used on a future purchase.
The most important thing to remember when building out a mailing list, is that it will always be working for you. Even if you only have a hundred site visitors daily and just 5% of them join your mailing list… that’s an additional 150+ joining your newsletter every month!
3 – Outreach to Other Site Owners and Bloggers
Another excellent way to start using email to grow your personal brand and expertise, is to simply reach out to other bloggers and influencers in your niche market. Social media is a great way to get started in this process, but email is much more direct and can lead to more opportunities. Again, this will work even better if you have an email signature in place that shows your face and contact information.
When connecting with other site owners and bloggers through email, there are many different ways to start working with each other. Some of the most popular methods include:
- Cross promotion of content in your newsletter or on social media
- Asking to contribute content to their site as a guest blogger
- Doing an interview series on your own website and creating new content
- Outreach to update old links or resources with updates ones on your site
- and many more…
As you can see, just relying on Google and social media or traffic and growth to your site and brand is a big mistake. Through email you can make much bigger connections, while networking your way to the top. Additionally, such methods may also help secure new backlinks and media promotion for your site that may not have been possible otherwise.
How to Grow Your Brand and Expertise with the Power of Email
Billions of emails are sent every day, and the majority of them are just quick text emails without signatures or any direct call to action. Even if you are only sending out a few emails per day, this might not seem like a lot, but by the end of the year this quickly adds up to several thousands of emails being sent — and that’s a whole lot of potential outreach, branding and networking being missed out on.
No matter what type of website or blog you currently have, email is still one of the best ways to grow your business — either indirectly through every day contact and mailings, or with a full focus on outreach and advertising.
Be sure to implement each of the winning methods mentioned above, and soon you will discover the true power that lies within email outreach and marketing.
