You own a successful small business, but you want to scale it into a successful large business. That means attracting more customers and convincing your audience to make larger or more frequent purchases (or both), and that requires clever marketing.

In today’s digital world, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage your customers and drive revenue. The problem is, manual email marketing is tedious, time-consuming, and difficult to run strategically, and basic email tools don’t do much to help.

You need an automated system that can handle every aspect of your email marketing campaigns for you, leaving you to focus on running your business. A small business CRM with built-in email marketing tools is your best option, giving you a 360-degree view of your customers and prospects and helping you send targeted, personalized, and timely emails that get results.

Read on to learn how implementing a CRM with email marketing can help take your small business to the next level.

What is a CRM with email marketing capabilities?

A CRM software, or customer relationship management system, is a vital tool that enables small business owners to manage all their contacts and communications in one place. A CRM that includes email marketing capabilities combines customer interaction management with email tools, delivering a powerful tool for connecting with customers and boosting sales.

What can a CRM with email marketing do for my business?

A CRM that incorporates email marketing allows you to understand leads and customers more deeply, segment them into different groups, and create and automate drip campaigns, all tailored to your different customer segments. Here are some of the top features that a CRM with email marketing should offer:

  • Email marketing automation. Set up sequences to onboard new subscribers, promote sales, and send newsletters automatically
  • Audience segmentation. Sync your CRM contacts with an email service like Mailchimp to build targeted lists and send personalized messages
  • Lead generation. Identify the most promising prospects, then schedule cold emails, drip email campaigns, and nurture emails to promote your business.
  • Customer information organization. Keep contacts, communications, and email campaigns in one centralized database so they are always at your fingertips.
  • Messaging personalization. A CRM stores details about your contacts so you can segment lists and tailor personalized messages to send at scale.
  • Tracking and analysis. See open rates, click-throughs, and conversions in easy to read reports, then optimize your email marketing efforts to better target your audiences.

The benefits of automating your emails with a CRM

A CRM with built-in email marketing tools allows you to easily segment your contacts and set up personalized, automated email campaigns. This brings a number of different benefits.

  • Produce tailored messages

A CRM gives you a complete view of all your customer interactions and transactions in one place. This makes it far easier to understand different customers’ preferences and pain points. Then you can use the built-in editor interface to craft customized emails, newsletters, and promotions that speak to each reader’s specific needs and buying behaviors.

  • Increase engagement

When you send the right content to the right people at the right time, you’ll see higher open and click-through rates. Your contacts will appreciate receiving useful, relevant information and offers, and will be more likely to engage with your brand.

  • Nurture leads

Email marketing automation allows you to set up drip campaigns that send emails in a specific sequence and at a specific pace over a period of time, to move the lead through your sales funnel. For example, the first email might be an intro to your business, the second could include some helpful resources, the third may offer a “new customer” discount, and so on. This is an easy way to stay top of mind and guide new leads to becoming loyal customers.

  • Establish efficient workflows

With automation, you can write your emails whenever it’s convenient for you, and then schedule them to be sent at the right time. This means you’ll save time on sending emails manually, never miss the optimum moment to be in touch, and be able to organize your time more efficiently.

3 tips for creating effective email marketing campaigns

Now you have a CRM with email marketing in your corner, you want to make the most of it. Effective and appealing email marketing campaigns are key to boosting sales and engagement with your subscribers. Here are some tips to craft emails that convert:

  • Personalize your emails

Your CRM gives you details about all your leads and customers, including their name, location, and purchase history. Use this information to personalize your emails with their first name, their city, a product or service they bought recently, and more. People are much more likely to open and engage with emails that are tailored to them.

  • Segment your list

Your contacts don’t all have the same interests or pain points, or are at the same stage in the buying process. Divide your list into segments based on attributes like location, age, gender, product interest, customer lifecycle stage, how many times they’ve visited your website, whether they’ve checked your pricing yet, or other categories that are relevant to your business. This lets you send targeted emails for each segment.

  • Include clear calls-to-action

Every email should have an obvious next step you want the reader to take, like visiting your website, signing up for a webinar, or making a purchase. This is called the call to action, or CTA. Place your call-to-action prominently near the top of the email, and repeat it in different places. Make sure your CTA includes links that take the reader directly to visit your website, fill out a form, read a blog post, register for early bird notifications about new collections, make a purchase, or whatever action you want them to take.

A good CRM and email marketing platform makes it easy to gather subscriber data, divide your list into segments, and automate personalized campaigns. Using these techniques, you can create emails that speak directly to your subscribers’ needs and move them to becoming loyal customers.

Boost sales engagement easily and affordably

For small businesses, a CRM with email marketing capabilities offers an easy, affordable way to streamline operations and boost sales and engagement. The flexibility and high return on investment of email marketing, combined with a CRM’s organization and automation, gives SMBs a competitive edge, and can make a huge difference for resource-strapped small businesses.