Why email marketing?
According to Econsultancy’s 2018 Email Marketing Industry Census, marketers report the highest rates of return on investment from email marketing compared to other marketing tactics.
But despite this, Econsultancy also notes a general underinvestment in this channel. Though higher sales were recorded from email marketing, only around 15% of a company’s marketing investment was being allocated to it on average.
Logically speaking, that doesn’t really make sense. So when it comes to creating a digital strategy that works for your business, look at it this way: email marketing is a successful digital marketing channel many companies aren’t investing in as much as they could. This combination of factors presents a host of opportunities to gain an advantage over your competitors.
Asking the right questions
How can you boost engagement? What are your existing or potential customers looking for? What is likely to secure higher open rates? These are the kind of questions to ask yourself when formulating your email marketing approach.
A successful example would be an exercise app sending customers weekly fitness updates and statistics. That’s engaging, and the emails are likely to be opened, offering the opportunity to get people onto other channels such as websites and apps.
The content of your emails is also very important. Don’t overcomplicate things. Try to keep the presentation clear, simple and easy to click through to where you want your customers to ultimately end up (i.e. a page on your website).
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Also, look to keep your emails contextual. Sending emails in the summer? Consider images, videos or gifs that reflect this. What is your potential or existing customer’s mindset, and how can you make the most of that?
The 3 Vs
When it comes to contextualising your emails campaigns, think of the ‘3 Vs’ – visibility, value offer and velocity.
The important elements of your email from your point of view – i.e. email sign up, calls to action etc – should be made clear and visible to any reader.
Also, make it obvious why a subscription or a discount is worth taking advantage of from your email recipient’s point of view. Any legwork they have to do only increases the likelihood of them losing interest.
The level of velocity within your email is also important. Don’t waffle or include any unnecessary information. Get to the point, make it quick and easy to collect any information you need, and you increase the chances of your email being successful.
By sticking to the ‘3 Vs’, you can enhance the user experience and increase the chances of your email marketing campaign being a success.
People want personalisation
When it comes to the future of email marketing, personalisation is a very high priority. Adding relevant, personalised content and information significantly increases the likelihood of engagement.
Companies cite challenges such as lack of resources and time, as well as data integration difficulties, as preventing this from being a possibility. But those who are willing to invest in personalisation and overcome these obstacles see large benefits.
Replenishment emails are also a good option that can help build customer loyalty. If a customer buys a product from you approximately once a month, why not send an email to encourage them to keep doing so (just in case it’s slipped their mind)? That can help to secure their business in the long run. This kind of email marketing approach can be easily automated and highly effective, particularly for B2B businesses.
Automate and Achieve
By adding automation to your email approach, you can send out pertinent emails to existing or potential customers that are relevant to their current situation. For example, you might be able to send out an automated response to a website visit, or to a lapsed customer that’s not bought from you for a specific amount of time.
These opportunities present the chance to maintain and enhance the relationship with the people on your mailing list.
Similarly, a cart abandonment email can be sent out if a purchase is abandoned at the last minute. Why not include product review and or a small discount code here? These customers likely need reassurance that what they’re buying is right for them, so look to make sure this is the case.
You can also automate the time at which you send your emails to help enable higher open rates. But always be aware of ‘over-sending’, as this only enhances the likelihood of your emails ending up in spam folders.
Other considerations
What device are your customers viewing your emails through? In the modern age there’s a high chance it’s via mobile or tablet. So be sure to optimise your emails for these devices. If you don’t, your chances of conversion go way down.
Also, make sure to preview and test your emails before sending out. If there’s any mistakes in the format, text or anything else, that’s a major problem. Such things reflect badly on your brand and make it less likely for recipients to open up your emails in the future.
Landing pages are also extremely important.
Having a great email is fantastic, but if it sends customers onto a hard-to-use, non-optimised landing page, there’s a very good chance their journey will end there.
Get email marketing right
Artificial intelligence and the internet of things are only going to support the development of this area moving forward, so consider the role email marketing plays in your current digital strategy, and whether more can be done. It could prove to be an excellent decision for your business.
If you’re keen to look into your email marketing options say hello to a member of our team today.
