Email Marketing: 12 Tips for Getting It Right
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In the world of marketing, things are always changing. But email marketing remains one of the most effective tools you can use to promote your business.
Today's consumers have instant access to their inboxes 24 hours a day. If you're not capitalizing on this opportunity, your business is missing the mark. Email offers a direct, personal link to customers, but you have to make your email campaign stand out from the rest. That's why you need a smart, competitive approach to achieve the results you want. Here are 12 tips for a successful email marketing campaign. 1. Segment Your Subscriber List Segmenting your subscriber list is critical for a winning email campaign. Catering your message to your audience results in higher engagement. The more you know about your customers, the better. You can segment emails steams based on factors such as:
2. Make It Personal Email segmentation and personalization go hand-in-hand. Once you have the data, it's easier to find your audience and make a personal appeal. Getting customers to open your email takes strategy. One of the best ways to appeal to people is to make them feel special. Personalizing the subject line of your email is a good first step. But there's more you can do. Segmenting your email lists allow you to target your messages to certain audiences. You can focus on anything from recent searches, recent purchases, to website behavior. The goal is to find the right message for the right audience at the right time. 3. Automate Whenever Possible You're busy and can't write every email your business sends out. Instead, let automation lead the way. Without it, effective online marketing is impossible. Automation is the key to a successful marketing strategy. With the right tools, you can create a successful and consistent marketing campaign. Automation saves you time and energy so you can focus on running your business. With the right automation in place, you can be sure your customers are receiving the right messages at the right time. 4. Keep It Short You can send out an amazing email full of helpful information and exciting details. But if no one reads it, all your efforts are useless. Today's consumers want information fast and uncomplicated. They do not want to read long complicated emails. You want to reach people but not annoy them. Keep emails personal and to the point. Here are a few tips for keeping your business emails short and sweet.
5. Think Quality Over Quantity Emails are a powerful marketing tool but sending out too many is never a good idea. No one wants to receive repetitive emails from the same company. Overdoing it weakens your message and frustrates the recipients. When someone feels overwhelmed by your emails, they're likely to mark them as spam or unsubscribe in frustration. There's no need to rush or send out multiple emails about the same idea. Start slow and build from there. Make sure anything you send potential customers has some value. Test your audience to see how they respond to your messages before sending more. 6. Timing Is Key The time you send out emails matters more than you may think. The variations of sending times matter more than the actual time itself. There's no perfect formula for emailing customers. Instead, you want to experiment to see what works for your audience. When you see success, go with it. If you find it's not working, try something else. Most people check their emails daily, and some do it multiple times a day. The more you know about your audience, the more likely you are to find the best times to reach them. The goal is to build a network of existing subscribers and use email to deliver a powerful message about what you have to offer. Don't overwhelm potential new customers. Once you have a group of loyal subscribers, try increasing the frequency a little at a time. 7. Refine Your Landing Page Writing impactful emails matters. But if you're sending customers to a boring landing page, they won't stay for long. Take some time to review where you are sending your recipients. Your landing page should highlight your business and provide a smooth transition from your email message. Your subscribers may click through your email to get to your product page or landing page. What they see must make sense for it to be effective and lead to a conversion. Your landing page should include the following elements:
8. Keep It Consistent No matter what marketing tools you use, always keep your unique brand in mind. Your emails and your website should be consistent and reflect your brand. As recipients move from your email to your website, they should understand who it's from and what you're offering them. If your website doesn't offer potential customers a pleasant experience, your message is lost. Always keep the customer's journey in mind. Aligning your email design with your website helps the visitor understand your brand and the valuable products or services you offer. 9. Welcome New Subscribers New subscribers need your attention. You want to send them a warm welcome and let them know you appreciate them. Introduce yourself, your business, and what you have to offer them. Set expectations for the type and frequency of emails you will send. Allow subscribers to decide how often they want to hear from you and allow them to adjust their preferences. Start on a positive note with the goal of keeping your subscribers happy. Everyone wants to feel welcome. Don't miss this opportunity to build relationships with your subscribers. 10. Maintain Your Email List Not everyone who receives your emails will bother to take a look. Although some people will unsubscribe, others will simply ignore your emails. This can affect your delivery rates and leave uninterested subscribers on your mailing list. Take the time each quarter to clean up your subscriber list and focus on sending emails to those who may take the time to open them. If a subscriber hasn't opened your emails in two to three months, they probably don't care to hear from you. It's a good idea to remove them and focus on building a list of active subscribers. 11. Ask Readers to Reply Email allows you to develop a relationship with your subscribers. Unlike direct mail, email provides a way for readers to respond. Capturing the reader's attention takes more than just throwing information into an email and sending it their way. Your marketing emails should include the following:
A subscriber who engages with you is more likely to become a customer. Engaging with subscribers is a great way to personalize your emails, understand what customers want, and develop strong relationships with your subscribers. 12. Offer Value If you send out emails that lack value, subscribers won't bother to read them. Take the time to ensure you're offering valuable content in your emails. Every correspondence should offer value. This will strengthen your brand and lower your unsubscribe rates. You want a mix of relevant content and promotions. When subscribers request information about a product or service, send them the specific content they need to help them make an informed buying decision. To offer value, you need to understand your audience and target content to their needs. This helps you win subscribers' trust and turn their interest into actual sales. Top Tips for Email Marketing Today's marketing experts understand the timeless value of email marketing. But getting it right is a process. It takes time to understand your subscribers and tailor your message to their needs. Keeping this in mind will help you use this powerful marketing tool to your advantage. If you're interested in improving your writing skills, we can help you take your emails to the next level. Contact us today to learn more. |