How to Use Email Marketing in Crowdfunding

Email marketing isn't just about spreading the word. It's more about building a strong relationship with your potential backers. So, you must make use of it even before you launch your crowdfunding campaign.

• Holistic testing is a great scientific approach by which you can use your emails to conduct surveys with customers.
• Virgin Holidays uses AI to optimize their email subject lines and get more clicks.
• According to a research by SendinBlue, 59% of subscribers will take action from your email if it contains some kind of promotional offer.

Although we’ve spoken about the effectiveness of social media in crowdfunding, we shouldn’t forget the traditional methods of digital marketing, such as emails. According to Regalix, 95% of companies using marketing automation are taking advantage of email marketing. In fact, if you take a look at this research from Campaign Monitor, you’ll see the importance of email marketing. Naturally, it’s quite obvious to use this channel as much as possible for your crowdfunding campaign. Like we always say, there are specific techniques you need to master to benefit from every marketing channel. So, here we are, with ten useful tips you need to consider while building an email marketing plan for your crowdfunding campaign.

95% of companies take advantage of email marketing

Start Building Your Email List with Existing Contacts

Email marketing is not just about spreading the word. In fact, it’s more about building valuable relationships. So, when you begin working on your email list before launch, try to use your existing contacts. These need not be just your relatives and family members. They can extend to all of your email contacts who you would like to keep in the loop. Most campaigns work on Facebook Ads to gather sign-ups for the newsletter before launch. But by using your existing email list and those of your teammates, you will be able to start off with your newsletters even before spending on Facebook Ads.

Pro-Tip: You can also use tools like hunter.io to find email addresses within seconds and connect with the people that matter. 

Don’t Start Off with Cold Emails

We know your ultimate aim is to get backers from your marketing plan, but you should never force it on them. What do I mean by force? Let’s take an example. Sending three back-to-back emails asking people to pre-order your product once the campaign launches is one thing you should never do. Your communication should be on a flow of strategic movements that encourage trust and credibility and less of direct sales. Instead, what you can focus on is a series of emails that speaks a lot more about your campaign and the industry you’re trying to enter before doing those direct pre-order emails. We also agree with Indiegogo that you must do at least two pre-launch emails for optimal engagement.

2 pre-launch emails is ideal for any crowdfunding campaign

Use Mobile-Friendly Templates

In a world where close to 5 billion people will be using mobile phones by 2019, it would be unwise to not target a mobile audience while designing newsletters. Make your newsletters easy to navigate for a mobile audience. From the subject to the content inside, this template should be easy to read either from a desktop or a mobile device.

Increase Open Rates with Clickbaity Subject Lines

The first thing your subscribers will come across in their email is the subject line. So, you must take that into consideration. You can ask questions, use numbers or do your announcements in the subject line. In fact, you can also show urgency if required or even utilize emoji. Showing urgency will be beneficial towards the end of your campaign. Building curiosity is another cool thing to do in a subject line. However, we strictly advise not to use CAPITALIZED SUBJECTS or those with too many exclamation points!!!

Great Subjects:

1. You Won’t Believe What We Added As a Stretch Goal
2. Only 3 More Days Left Before Our Super Early-Bird Pledges Are Over
3. How to Use “Product Name” in Your Everyday Life

Share Your Blog Content in the Newsletters

We always advise campaign creators to do their own blogs during their pre-launch. You can always share them with your subscribers without spamming them with too many newsletters at a time. These blogs can be a detailed outlook on the industry you’re covering or an in-depth preview of your product. Either way, they’ll be a great approach to avoid the cold emails and build more engagement.

Blog content can be shared via newsletters

Never Forget a CTA

Calls to action should be mandatory for your newsletters. From pre-ordering your product to sharing it with friends, you can experiment with the CTAs you want to use and work on them accordingly. You can also label your social media profiles in the newsletter for extra attention.

Submit on Gadget Flow and Get Featured on Our Newsletters with 165K Subscribers!

Offer Exclusive Codes or Do Giveaways

If it’s within your budget, you can always make your subscribers feel extra special with exclusive discounts or giveaways. This helps to build a strong consumer relationship with your brand.

Personalize Your Emails

The fact that email marketing is beneficial but tough to cash in on is because it often lacks personalization. This is what you must consider while sending your newsletters. You can always address your subscriber by their name, greet them or wish them happiness for any holiday. The purpose is to make them feel special. Additionally, doing surveys with your subscribers is a great form of engagement, too.

Never Forget to Thank

Always thank your subscribers whenever they do something for your brand. Be it for pre-ordering your product or sharing it on their social media, there’s nothing as special as getting that “Thank You” email from your side.

Use Popular Email Marketing Tools

Our favorite email marketing tools include:

Campaign Monitor

MailChimp

Active Campaign

Constant Contact

Mailerlite

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