Mass email marketing how to get started?

---

Email is considered to be one of the best ways to reach out to people mainly because consumers check their inbox an average of 20 times a day across different devices and locations.

According to eMarketer, email marketing has an average of 122% ROI, so focusing on automated email campaigns can be of great help to increase lead generation. There are two strategies commonly used for email marketing campaigns: Personalized and Mass, and you can mix both. 

Most businesses choose only to run customized campaigns because they believe they are more personal. But, they are missing on a whole world of opportunities, as Mass Email is a great way of reaching people on ToFu (Top of Funnel), create brand awareness and distribute content.

Even though content marketing has evolved to being personalized, it’s possible to send a successful campaign to a mass email list. Our main goal with this article is to show how to send mass emails that work. 

We’re going to cover the following topics:

• Definition of mass email

• How to send campaigns

• Tools for mass email strategy

• Templates

What is a mass email?

First of all, it’s important to note that mass and bulk email are the same thing. It’s all about sending an email campaign to a group of people without any customization. 

The goal here is to reach as many people as possible and hope to get responses back or to at least get a few link clicks.

The mass email strategy uses generic template messages focusing on a large group of people that’s usually not segmented. For that reason, this practice is being abandoned, and most marketers prefer to send personalized messages according to subscribers' interests.

On the other hand, if you create a good mass email campaign, there is a high chance of getting outstanding results. Approximately 33% of people don’t like emails that don’t match their interests. But, if you look on the bright side, there is another 67% who will pay attention to your content. 

Results achieved with email marketing

Truth be told marketers usually don’t give the mass email strategy enough credit, and it is due to lack of tracking or proper planning. Mass emailing usually has a low conversion, but that mostly happens because there is no follow-up strategy, or strong content and copy.

Check out a few statistics that show reasons why sending emails on a large scale can be beneficial:

1. 61% of people would rather be contacted via email than any other channel

2. An average of 40% of people use mobile to check their emails, and that allows your business to reach people who are always on the run

3. It’s expected that email accounts reach 5.6 billion by the end of 2019

4. 99% of people check their emails everyday

The secret is to create a campaign that doesn’t overload the mailbox. And that is what we are going to talk about in the next section.

How to send a mass email and work with bulk email lists

You might be wondering how to gather emails and even get free email lists.  But first, it’s essential to learn more about the regulation to send mass email.

There is a law called the CAN-SPAM Act, which establishes rules and requirements for commercial email, both mass or personalized. Companies that don’t comply with the rules can face penalties for violation.

Here are a few things that need to be done:

• Tagging the email as an ad

• Including an email signature with a physical address

• Adding the option to unsubscribe

• Do not use misleading header information 

It seems complicated, but it’s actually quite simple, and sending mass email through a trustworthy tool can be very effective.

You need to find a software that sends automated emails. The software should have the option to customize the process according to people’s responses. This means that you can add a condition and score based on each lead’s action.

For example:

In order to set up the campaign, you’ll also need a list of emails. The list can be organically created by:

1. Running a content strategy to distribute rich materials in exchange for prospects’ contact information

2. Using a chatbot to increase support and collect leads

3. Extracting emails from Linkedin for large scale strategies

4. Running campaigns with B2B influencers to gather leads

5. Asking for contact information during live events

Some companies also choose to buy lists through specialized brokers who collect email and other contact information by using the link baiting strategy to capture leads.

Link baiting is part of the backlinking strategy, which is basically about creating quality content on the website and hope for other sites to naturally link to it. The ‘baiting’ happens when a rich material or any additional information is shared in exchange for contact details.

These paid lists are viable because before sharing the information, the person formally agrees to share their details with partners and other institutions. 

The downside is that this method doesn’t guarantee lead qualification, and it might risk your credibility with email marketing tools. That’s why we advise you to go with one of the five options listed above.

Now that you are familiar with mass email, you can get inspired and create a campaign for your business.

Mass email app and its benefits

You are probably aware of the fact that automation is quite useful, and it can bring amazing results. So, you should definitely choose software to assist with aspects of the sales process.

In the email marketing area, there are a few tools, such as MailChimp that are commonly used for email campaigns. But, if the goal is lead generation, using a tool with multiple functions, including mass email, is much more beneficial.

Plus, it is quite important to check if the software has integration with tools such as Zapier. This allows you to easily connect to other apps to share information and improve performance and data usage.

Benefits

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, mass email campaigns can be great for lead generation. Lead generation is usually focused on reaching the Top of Funnel: those people who are still not hot leads and are learning about the company and its services.

TOFU

For business people who have already gone through the ToFu, it’s advised to use personalization according to their preferences, but it’s not mandatory as mass email campaigns can be useful for lead scoring.

We learned that sending an email campaign is a strategy that grows stronger each year, and by using a mass email app, you can enjoy some benefits:

• Time optimization: a tool to send mass email and create automation will save your team time during the whole email chain.

• Boost website visits: since bulk email is sent to a large group of people there’s a higher chance of converting them into website visits (and then hot leads).

• Tracking: Data can be very helpful for marketers! By tracking email campaigns and then analyzing the data collected, specialists can come up with better ways to attract and engage people through email.

• History: Write and keep all your email templates saved to create campaigns at any time and share it with the whole team.

Templates for mass email marketing

We created a few suggestions for your bulk email campaign. But, feel free to make any changes as these are just templates, and there are only four email sequences.

Note: Create an email chain with at least five to six emails as 80% of prospects reject offers four times before saying the first ‘yes’.

We hope the templates inspire you to produce great ones for your business.

Tips for a brilliant campaign

Before digging into useful tips, remember that selling is about creating connections, and email marketing is a significant ally in this journey. It helps not only with brand awareness but also with the establishment of the company and its people as market references.

The math is simple: would you rather buy from a company you’re not familiar with or from a company that’s been sharing useful information and that you have easy access to their staff? 

When companies invest in email campaigns, brand awareness generated is more significant than offline. The emails can also be a way of sharing information about the company’s social media.

Let’s check a few things you can watch out for while creating and managing a mass campaign strategy:

1. Creative headline and template

2. Design

3. Signature

4. Timing

5. Follow up

Creative headline and template. Brands that use creative subject lines, such as adding emojis, have a higher conversion rate. 

It’s important to add at least one image to attract more attention. Do not forget to hyperlink it, as it will also increase the chances of people visiting the website by clicking on the image.

Design. The visual aspect will make sure the leads and prospects take your business seriously. Poor layout can cause the person to delete the email instead of reading and trusting the linked content. Good design can establish your brand as an industry leader since it can show leads that you take everything into account. 

Signature. Since you have to add a footnote to comply with regulations you can make it informative, and establish brand awareness. Use this chance to add the company address and also a Call to Action or any information that will catch the recipient’s eyes.

Timing is everything. Follow best practices and do not send one email after another in a short period. Plan ahead and schedule throughout a couple of weeks or months.

Suggestion

• After the first email wait at least ten days to follow up the first time

• The second follow up email can be sent five days after the first follow up email

• The third follow up can be done seven days after the second one and so on

It all depends on how many FUP (follow up) emails your strategy will have.

It’s also known that the best day and time to send emails is Tuesday at 10am, but for B2B email campaigns Saturdays at 10 am might work better.

Follow up emails. The total of follow-ups depends on your strategy, but it’s advised to follow up 3 to 4 times, just to make sure the email didn’t go to spam.

Don’t overlook the follow-up emails, as they have a massive impact on what people think of your product and service. This is your opportunity to share knowledge and make the brand a reference on a few subjects. Take a look at the follow up email templates we created to get inspired.

We also gathered a few examples of real mass campaigns. These are B2C examples, but it’s worth checking out to get inspired:

1. theSkimms

2. InVision

3. RCN

theSkimms used their own anniversary to reach out to their database, advertise their Ambassador Program, and spread the word through Instagram.

InVision invested in bright colors, an informative headline with the name of the expert who will share his knowledge, and added a button with a funny CTA. 

Note that the email does not address anyone specifically.

RCN’s email was meant to their customer database, but it’s a great example of the content type that can be shared as a mass email. Let your customers know what you are prepared for and how they can get in touch with you.

Conclusion about mass email

Mass email can be as good as personalized email campaigns. But it is necessary to put some effort into it and remember to use tracking tools to understand what works and what it doesn’t.

Just like every other strategy, mass email won’t have good results if there isn’t somebody caring for it. Gather your sales team and start brainstorming ways to create successful mass email campaigns in collaboration with the marketing team.

Remember the most important details to help with successful mass email campaigns:

• Choose an automation tool

• Work with at least 4 follow-ups

• Create and share blog content

• Share insightful videos 

• Offer rich materials to create brand awareness

Don't knock it till you try it.