Email campaigns can be among the most effective tools in a marketer’s arsenal. However, they can just as easily be the source of great frustration. As spam filters improve and the public becomes more conditioned to delete any email from an unknown source, marketers must continue to tweak and adapt their strategy. Marketers who pay close attention to the data provided by their past campaigns, while integrating new best practices as they arise, are able to generate leads and revenue at a relatively low cost. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few quick and cost-effective ways to improve the effectiveness of your next email campaign.
Personalize the message: When I say personalize, it doesn’t mean simply adding their company name to the subject line. When you do this, as B2B Digital notes, “You are mimicking a personal email to drive these results but you are not delivering an actual personal message.” While you may get a few more opens than you would otherwise, the generic content inside will still lead to a quick delete.
Instead, you should invest a little more time while building your list to learn something about the potential customer you are targeting. Find something unique to say about one of their products, a shared LinkedIn connection, or what have you. A small detail like this should only take a few minutes to find, will make your message more memorable and prove you didn’t simply purchase their address.
Have a goal: An often overlooked but extremely important facet of an email campaign is to have a clearly defined goal. Without a targeted action or response, your campaign will be difficult to evaluate and you will lose your audience quickly. Do you want them to download your latest white paper? Register for an upcoming webinar? Learn about your new product offering? Whatever it is, have it clarified and tailor the message’s content around that goal. Use specific, action-based language and landing pages to drive engagement. Your reader should not have to jump through hoops to get from the email to your desired result.
Be mindful of time: Many marketers also tend to ignore the day and time they are sending their messages. Your message may be well-written and engaging, but if you send it on Friday afternoon, you can expect a significant lower response rate. According to MarketingProfs, 44% of marketers reported Tuesday as the day their messages received the most opens. Over half reported that the majority of their opens came prior to noon. If your campaign is national or international, don’t forget to pay heed to time zones, a mistake 20% of marketers surveyed admit to making.
Optimize for mobile: The number of people accessing the web from smartphones and tablets is only going to continue to grow. If your email and site content isn’t optimized for these devices, you are going to lose a significant chunk of your potential audience. Mobile email marketing also allows you room to experiment with new techniques and practices. Perhaps phone-friendly messages that will grab the attention of professionals on their morning commute?
What do you think? Is email marketing a dying practice, or will it continue to be relevant for years to come? Does the continued growth of social marketing impact email’s effectiveness? What other best practices would you recommend?