Along with social media, paid and organic search are some of the main components of a digital marketing strategy. What do these channels have in common? They all provide lower acquisition and retention rates in comparison to email marketing.
According to eMarketer, email campaigns are more efficient than any other channel at bringing in customers and continually engaging them.
Are you utilizing email campaigns in your current marketing strategy?
If you want to increase engagement and improve return on investment, email campaigns are a useful tool to connect with your audience, nurture leads, and generate sales. Here’s how.
Determine Your Email Marketing Goals
Before you execute an email marketing campaign, you’ll need to define a goal that lines up with your overall marketing strategy.
Email campaigns help provide value by driving traffic to your website, keeping your audience engaged, and increasing sales or donations.
Keep your goals in mind when developing your message and content structure so users follow the intended path. For instance, avoid using “donate” in the subject line. This word can reduce the message’s open rate by 50% or more.
Develop an Audience
Launching a successful email marketing campaign starts with defining your target audience.
Building an email distribution list is always better than buying one. You want recipients who have engaged with your brand and are interested in your offers.
Start by compiling a list of emails using an opt-in form on your website. You’ll need quality on-site content that engages users and prominent calls-to-action that encourage users to join. You can also include existing customers and leads from trade shows or events in this list.
Once you’ve built an audience list, you can segment your campaigns based on location, age, gender, purchase history, and more. Presenting the user with valuable and relevant content helps ensure your campaign is successful.
Select an Email Provider
Once you’ve built an audience, you’re ready to select an email delivery system. There are a variety of options available to help you design and deliver your message. MailChimp and Constant Contact are two popular providers.
These platforms offer automated email drip campaigns that give you the ability to set up welcome messages for new subscribers, send automatic responses, and schedule emails to be sent at specific times.
You’ll also have access to reporting and analytics features to optimize your campaigns. Google Analytics integration helps you analyze Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like shares, bounces, open rate, click-through rate, and more.
Choose the Right Email Campaign Format
You’ll need a campaign format that fits your message. The format you choose for your email drip campaign should align with your goal and work to achieve the desired outcome.
MailChimp offers a variety of layouts to help you execute your campaign:
- Sell Products: Market a line of products or promote seasonal items
- Make an Announcement: Share details about a sale, event, or other big news
- Tell A Story: Send a newsletter to let people know what you’ve been up to
- Follow Up: Send a tailored email to people who have engaged with you
- Educate: Explain your products or share knowledge about a topic
Design for Conversion
Strong design helps communicate your message and guide the user to take the desired action.
Start by displaying engaging pre-header text. Pre-header text is the first line of copy in the message and can increase your email campaign’s open rate if you give the recipient a reason to click-through.
For example, if your subject line is asking users to sign up for a newsletter then your pre-header text might mention a special offer the users gets when they subscribe.
Next, optimize for mobile. Apple iPhones lead the way in March 2018 accounting for 28% of opened messages tracked by Litmus Email Analytics. That’s more than Gmail, Apple Mail, and Outlook.
It’s estimated that as many as 70% of email opens occur on mobile devices. It’s best to use a responsive template, break up large blocks of text, and use buttons instead of text to display call-to-actions. If you’re sending the recipient to your website, you’ll also want to make sure your web page is mobile-friendly.
Lastly, ensure your emails are attractive and in sync with your brand colors, fonts, and tone.
Best Practices to Implement
Sticking to these best practices will help your email campaigns drive meaningful results.
- Grow your email list with an on-site sign up form in the header or footer of your pages
- Follow up immediately when you receive new subscribers
- Segment your campaigns as much possible to provide a tailored message that converts
- Send regular updates at optimal times for you audience
Mistakes to Avoid
These mistakes could hurt your chance of converting valuable users.
- Buying an email list instead of developing your own
- Delaying your response to a new subscriber
- Failing to check for errors in your messages like typos and broken links
- Ignoring reporting and analytics insight that could inform campaign decisions
We Can Help
Looking for help with your next email marketing campaign? We’ll work with you to create and implement effective email campaigns that drive results. Contact us today to talk about more your email marketing strategy.
