Zombies aren’t dead or alive. They’re officially undead.

Sadly, many people look at email marketing the same way.

For too long, people have classified email as so yesterday. In light of social media and trendy apps, it’s been declared dead many times. But somehow it still exists. It won’t go away.

Email isn't dead — or undead. It’s alive and doing quite well, thank you.

But here’s the caveat: you must use it the right way. To do so, consider two major principles:

• BUILDING YOUR LIST

• NURTURING YOUR LIST

BUILDING YOUR LIST

Change your mindset regarding emails. Start thinking of list-building as collecting bars of gold. Once you receive one, guard it.

An email is valuable digital currency. Someone is giving you implicit permission to contact them about your business. Don’t waste the opportunity.

Building your list must be one of your top marketing priorities. This doesn’t mean purchasing lists or grabbing any email you can find.

No one wants spam.

You want growth through legit opt-ins. It might not sound sexy, but it’s important.

How do you entice sign-ups? By offering a carrot. Give something of value in return, such as a PDF, audiobook, coupon, or webinar.

This requires traffic — enough people seeing your offer. This can be done organically with your social posts or much faster with paid advertising such as Facebook ads.

Utilize a list-building strategy in everything you do: from your website to trade shows to your blog.

A healthy email list is a necessary ingredient for creating a rabid fan base.

NURTURING YOUR LIST

It’s all about developing a “tribe” who look forward to hearing from you. This means discovering your unique voice. Write like you’re sharing a cup of coffee with a friend.

The best email marketers have perfected this art. They tell stories, share industry principles, and keep their tone conversational, not sales-sy.

Kim Walsh-Phillips does this extremely well. Subscribe to her emails and study her technique.

Here’s a proven outline for structuring your email:

Quick Intro

A Story

Teaching Points

Call to Action

Content Bonus (free download)

Keep the length as short as possible, no more than 5-6 short paragraphs. Adding a P.S. (which includes a call to action) works especially well, too.

Also realize that crafting the right subject line can be the difference between hundreds of people opening your email. Make it clear and enticing.

A good practice is starting your subject line with the word “How.” For example, an HVAC company could use the subject line: “How To Save Hundreds On Your Power Bill With 1 Simple Trick.”

Does that sound more appealing than, “HVAC Weekly Newsletter”? Of course.

Regarding frequency, there are different strategies. For most small businesses, one email every 7-14 days is ideal (as long as you provide good content).

You’ll need to find the balance for your unique industry — not too many, not too few.

EMAIL DISTRIBUTION

Before you start sending emails, choose a mass email distributor.

As a starter program, we recommend MailChimp mainly because it’s a free service until you reach a certain amount of emails.

There are lots of others to choose from, with different levels of complexity. MailChimp offers an easier learning curve, especially if you’re new.

You can also schedule and automate emails depending on your needs. You’ll receive reports on how many people opened your emails (and who) and the amount of click-throughs on your links.

By the way, avoid using your personal email ending with @msn or @gmail or @yahoo. Use an email address that looks professional — ideally ending with your website URL.

BUT PEOPLE DON’T OPEN EMAILS!

This is a common objection, and it rings with some truth. Many people won’t read your emails.

But that’s okay, because even when someone deletes your email, THEY STILL SEE YOUR NAME.

Whether they read your content or not, they’re reminded of you. That’s powerful top-of-mind awareness when they actually need your product/service.

But also remember: there WILL be readers. They’ll read every email you send. These folks will grow to like you, trust you, and eventually... buy from you.

Emails have gotten bad-mouthed for too long. It’s time to dust off that email list! You’re sitting on a launching pad.

Stop looking at emails as zombie marketing and start looking at them as your magic sauce.

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