E-mail marketing is here to stay and is an essential part of any organisation's communication mix. How can you improve your e-mail marketing campaigns? Our consultants have the following advice.
1. Plan
E-mail marketing is just one form of activity. It should not be used in isolation and in some fields (e.g. business to business marketing) it will only ever help you reach your objectives if it is part of a wider series of communication or touch points. Think about how often you will use e-mail, do not overuse the medium and plan ahead to ensure your e-mail campaigns are integrated into other activity; be that trade activity, PR, events or traditional advertising. Ensure your sales activity is plugged into this plan and remember that e-mail is another form of communication, not a sales person.
2. Targeted growth
It is not just the number on your e-mail list but the quality. For success you need to be continually collecting good e-mail addresses. How?
E-mail opt in forms on your website
Collection of addresses at point of sale or at your office front (sign in book)
Collection of e-mail during any telesales marketing activity or networking
Incentivise the sign up by communicating special e-mail only offers.
3. Segment your list and provide relevant content
Most people will be turned off your communication if it is not relevant rather than by hearing too much from you.
You can segment your list by looking at purchase history, demographics, open and response rates and any other information you are collecting about your potential consumers. Remember though not to over collect information. Look at the total volume of consumers or potential customers you are communicating to and be realistic in how detailed your segmentation should be. Keep the message simple and relevant to your target group and you will be ahead of the game.
4. Think about the detail
Subject lines, time of day and time of the week for sending are all important when utilising e-mail marketing. When is your consumer most likely to want to hear your message? Test what works for you.
As a general rule, e-mail marketers avoid Mondays and Fridays and tend to get greater open rates mid afternoon. Of course, if you are marketing a consumer product and looking for a direct purchase the rules change slightly. Look at history and, again, test what works for you.
With subject lines try personalisation if your system allows it. Attempt to entice people to open the e-mail without being too obvious and don't have the subject line too long (40 -50 characters is ideal). Talk to the customer about the benefit; what is in it for them? What is the offer or what can this information provide them with. Also consider who you have sent this e-mail 'from'. Is it your product or brand that holds the relationship with the customer or you personally? Whichever is stronger should be who the e-mail is from.
5. Integrate web and social media
Post your e-mail information to your social network pages (if you have them) and also to your company website. Depending on your business; Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn may be appropriate for you to have a presence on. Keep track of new and upcoming social networking sites or sites that are more popular in other regions. Examples include Bebo in the UK and Friendster in Asia.
Summary
Targeting your growth and focusing on relevance and customer benefit will ensure your e-mail campaigns are opened and responded to rather than being destined for the delete button.
Fit 4 Market runs e-mail marketing campaigns for many clients, including the writing of company e-newsletters and promotional e-flyers and the design and delivery of such campaigns. If you want to know more please contact Adam on 08 8333 0734.
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