Think of it as an invitation. Numbers form Jupiter Research shows that effective email marketing campaigns can produce 9 times the revenues of broadcast mailings. And with nearly 80% open rates on permission-based emails, why wouldn’t you try crafting an email marketing campaign?
Yes, people’s in-boxes are flooded, so getting your message noticed takes strategy. And it’s not about sheer volume, it’s about targeting, personalizing, timing, and messaging.
First things first
Before you can wage a campaign, you must have an accurate, deliverable list.
- Check your addresses for accuracy, know your bounce rate, particularly the hard bounces for incorrect emails. Otherwise you could be hurting your campaign. Have subscribers enter their address twice to confirm.
- Remove or re-activate inactive subscribers. Only 38% of businesses remove inactive subscribers, and even fewer try to re-engage them.
List building:
Nearly 80% use sign-up forms, according to last month’s Get Response study, and more than 70% send confirmation emails to new subscribers. That’s good, are you one of them?
For some reason, though, only 41%, are using social media to recruit ‘would – be subscribers’. Don’t miss the opportunity here.
Crafting the message
Most people look at the “from” address, then they scan the subject line…. grab them with something that speaks to their motivation to open. Try using words like ‘sale’, ‘offer’, attention’, ‘invitation’, ‘breakthrough’, ‘personalized’. While all of these words may not apply, find one that does, or use a related term that accurately describes what’s being offered. You’ll need to play around a bit and see what works.
If it’s not a sales related email… make sure the subject line is compelling, or time sensitive – ‘Newsletter Feb 2012′, or ‘important info.’
Do…
Experiment with these components to reach your audience.
- Try differing the length of subject lines, their tone, their content.
- Play around with copy size, images, video.
- Send messages out at different times of day
Don’t…
…go on and on about your business, people are busy and look for the quick take. Simply state what you’re offering at the beginning of the message.
…promise something just to hook your customers in, then provide them with less. If you’re offering free shipping, don’t have numerous exceptions or people will feel duped. Don’t claim your product or service can do something that it can’t.
…overload. Too many graphics and hyperlinks can get in the way of a good message. They may also display incorrectly.
…fumble the connection. If you include a link, be certain it works by testing it out on different operating systems so customers will be
directed where you want them.
The key here is to try, and try again and be willing to adjust and make changes.
Gather information
All of this experimenting does no good if you don’t evaluate the results. Using data collected on your target audience is crucial to crafting your next message. Make sure you can use real-time tracking to see the moment when an email is opened. Analyze where your responses come from, and to what messaging. Go deeper with information… not just how many emails were opened, but by whom, and when.
According to WebTrends research, only 5% of marketers are confident in measuring their online efforts, and 26% are flying blind. It’s easy to spam people, or keep pushing out the same old messages. Don’t be afraid to put in the work to gather a receptive list, or to craft a relevant, well-timed, and targeted message. And don’t shy away from testing, and shifting your strategy.
Would you like more information on effective email marketing? Contact us now.
