By Joshua Snape | 04/02/2018 10:30
No doubt you read as I did, many predictions that the peaceful days of email marketing would end before now. In fact, the opposite is true. The expected backlash from consumers has not transpired. There are enough effective email campaigns that offer real value to consumers, and which have doused the flames of the “all email marketing is an unwelcome nuisance” philosophy. The good news is that email marketing lives on and can still be a powerful weapon in your digital marketing armoury.
When it comes to successful email marketing campaigns there is no “silver dart”, however. Read on to ensure that you maximize your response and conversion rate from your email campaigns.
The Subject Line
Statistics vary but most studies show that whether your email suffers the ignominy of going straight to spam or gets opened and acted on by the recipient depends more on the subject line than any other factor. So, be sure your subject line catches attention and draws in the recipient.
Your First Sentence
Even if you have a great subject line that manages to achieve the delicate balance between catchy and authentic, some savvy consumers will focus more on the first sentence of your email to see if your communication is worth their attention.
Get to the point quickly, show your audience that you have done your research and that you know their individual needs.
Test and Adjust
Constantly test and adjust your email outreach to refine your campaigns. If you see that one subject line performs better than another, adjust future correspondence accordingly. The same goes for headlines and the first attention-grabbing sentence in your body of text.
The Timing
Your choice of the day of the week and the hour of the day that you send your email can influence response rates. According to Yesware, the best time to send emails is when there is less competition, that is, early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
Don’t Neglect the Fundamentals
Pay attention to professionalism. It is amazing how many marketers think that they can get away with poor spelling and sloppy grammar.
Poor spelling and grammar should not be sacrificed on the altar of sounding natural. The interesting thing about sounding natural is that it doesn’t just come naturally – it requires skill and effort. Make sure you double-check all spelling, especially your recipient’s name, as this mistake will likely not be forgiven regardless of the quality of your content.
Personalization Pays
In addition to the correct spelling of the recipient’s name, a tactic is to refer to something your recipient has recently posted or otherwise written about, and from there direct their attention to your offering and why it’s of interest to them.
With B2B campaigns, show that you are knowledgeable about recipients’ new products and services and enter into a dialogue with them about these. Shwoiing an interest in them makes you their ally, which is a good step toward building customer loyalty.
Don’t Forget Follow-Up
It may seem counterproductive to send a follow-up email to your initial outreach if you have received no response, but it is still worth trying. A simple call-to-action follow-up that briefly and respectfully reminds a recipient to act on your earlier message can show your audience that you are genuine and are willing to go the extra mile for a customer.
Maximize Response with Market Research
It is better to research 500 quality recipients than 5,000 generic ones. Reach out only to targets that genuinely stand to benefit from your product or service. Your time is precious. Spend it on quality leads and not on tire-kickers.
In summary, email marketing is still effective. At a time when a lot of companies are zigging by spending a great deal on social media marketing, email marketing allows your to zag to greater sales.
For more support with email marketing, connect with Strategis today.
Joshua is an accomplished writer, blogger and marketing consultant. His successful track record includes sales and marketing across four continents—Europe, N. America, the Middle East and Africa. Josh is also a successful entrepreneur and established his own marketing consultancy in Cyprus, which serviced clients throughout the Middle East. He now enjoys living and working in Vancouver for part of the year, and spends the rest of his time in the Turkish Riviera working remotely to assist clients communicate effectively in a wired world. Connect with Josh at: joshua@strategisconsulting.ca.