Whether you’re just getting into marketing or you’ve been in the business for a while, odds are that you’ve already heard – or maybe experienced – just how vital email marketing really is. It’s a cornerstone of successful marketing relationships.

But if you’re just getting started – how do you build your email system in the first place? 

In today’s post, I’ll share three different tools you absolutely need to get your email system up and running!

For some background behind the importance of email marketing, check out this post Seven Reasons to Set Up an Automated Email Marketing System.

To get a broader overview of email marketing, read this post How To Start Email Marketing.

First, you need an autoresponder.

An autoresponder is an online email system that can automatically work through your email sequences for you. Personally, I have two I like to use. 

The first is ActiveCampaign, which is a powerful tool that allows you to automate campaigns as well as triggered responses (e.g., someone signs up for your email list and Active Campaign automatically sends them your “Welcome” email series). 

What do I mean by the power of automation? Let’s say one of your audience members purchases from you. If you’ve set up your system this way, ActiveCampaign (or your autoresponder of choice) can remove that audience member from one sequence and put them into another sequence now that they’ve become buyers. Other times, you can set up your autoresponder to re-deliver an unopened email. In summary – an autoresponder not only helps you connect regularly with your audience and build those ever-important relationships but also saves you endless time and energy.

Another autoresponder I like is called Actionetics. It’s actually part of ClickFunnels’ software; ClickFunnels is an online system that allows you to create sales funnels, homepages, landing pages, etc. etc. – and they also have an autoresponder. I like this option because it’s a “one-stop-shop” and everything I need is in the same software system, which keeps things pretty simple.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you and what you are looking for with your particular business. Do you need everything in one package? Do you need more powerful campaigns? Both of these systems offer trial periods and you can check them out to see what works best for you. 

Second, you need a deliverability test.

You want to ensure you get the highest possible deliverability rates. I recommend using GlockApps.com, which is a system that tests your emails for deliverability. For example, GlockApps can analyze a given email and let you know “97% will reach an inbox.” 

Shouldn’t all emails reach an inbox? In theory, yes. But as GlockApps explains, an average of 51% of emails never actually reach their destination inbox. Half that number go to spam or junk folders, and half aren’t delivered at all.

You want to make sure that you’re not composing your email in such a way as to have it be marked as spam. GlockApps can do a content analysis and let you know what your email looks like. This site offers a free trial you can use to test everything out and see if it works for you. 

Third, you need a subject line analyzer.

You have important things to say – you need people to click on and open your emails! I use SubjectLine.com, which allows you to test and analyze one subject line every day for free. It will advise you of characteristics like “No Capitalization”, “More than 8 Characters”, “Does not Contain a Sense of Urgency”, etc. With this tool, I know what I did well and what I need to edit or adjust so that my subject line has the best possible chance of “selling” my email to my audience – and getting them to open it. 

In conclusion, your email marketing system should include an autoresponder, a deliverability test, and a subject line analyzer. These powerful tools will not only save you endless amounts of energy and hassle, but also help you get your message across in the most effective way. 

What would you add to this list of tools? Comment below! 

You’ve got this!