Email marketing can be one of the most beneficial and direct ways to market to specific groups and demographics—however it can also be one of the most fruitless if done incorrectly. There’s a fine line between great email marketing and an email that’s going to be kicked into the trash or worse, one that doesn’t even make it past the spam filter. Take a look at five ways you can make sure that your email marketing campaign is treading on the side of success, rather than floundering when it hits a customer’s inbox:
- Personalize your messages: Through the use of integration tags and other snippets of code, you can create tailored emails that are completely unique to the different customers you’re sending them to. This will ensure that your recipients feel appreciated, rather than just marketed to like one of the masses. Some personalization tips include designating the customer’s name, rather than their email address in the “To:” section, inserting their name in the greeting of the email and integrating other known information throughout the email, such as past account activities on a certain website.
- Get to the point: The last thing people want to see when they open up their email is a huge wall of text—nothing is going to put your email in the trash faster. Instead, get to the point of what you’re trying to say and make sure that your clear selling points or important objectives are laid out in a way that’s quickly recognized by your reader. If you’re offering a percentage of the price of an item for sale, make that clear; if you’re hosting an event, make sure that the details are front and center; and if you’re introducing something brand new to a select few email recipients, let your reader know how important they are! Graphics and images go a long way in these scenarios and staying close to the main point is always a good idea.
- Filter your mailing lists: The quickest way to get someone to unsubscribe from your email list is to inundate them with emails. So how are you supposed to send weekly emails, monthly newsletters, sporadic special emails and other company communications without overloading your customers? Easy: let people pick and choose what they want to get from you. Some people may love getting everything you have to send, while others might only be interested in your monthly newsletter recap—whatever the case, you’ll retain that customer and be able to market to them in a way that they’re comfortable.
- Make your emails worth reading: Along the same lines as points #2 and #3 above, be sure that the email you’re sending is full of information or opportunities that people actually care about! You need to look at your email through the eyes of your customers and consider what the value is that they’re going to be getting from it. If it’s a memo about your company’s new partnership with another organization, customers might not be all too interested—on the other hand, if it’s an email about a blowout sale you’re having and all of the great deals you have to offer, it’s much easier to see the value in this message!
- Time your emails: The time of day you send your emails can greatly dictate the likeliness that they’re opened and read, as well as responded to in some way, shape or form. For example, sending an email at 2 a.m. would generally mean that your message is going to sit around in an inbox until morning, when someone opens it up. By this time, your email might be buried under other morning communications and it might be disregarded as a result. On the other hand, if you send your email at 12 p.m., it might be just in time for someone to get it while they’re setting up for lunch, where they’ll leisurely be able to read what you have to say and potentially respond to it. Timing is everything—figure out when your customers are most active with their emails and plan around this time to send your communications.
By researching, practicing and implementing these five tips for your email campaigns, you’re bound to see better traction and higher return rates from your digital marketing campaigns. Spend a little time considering how your existing email campaigns can be improved by the factors listed above and you’re sure to see a higher return on your investment of time and effort!