Promoting a brand and keeping in touch with customers are just two of the essential tasks of running a successful business, but knowing how to go about it can be a bit of a minefield. Email marketing is frequently used as a means of doing both of the tasks above but how do you know whether your emails are working and if you're even putting the right things into them in the first place? Follow these top tips to ensure you get the most out of your email marketing campaign:
Individualism
It's easy to get caught up in emailing everyone on your list to ensure they all get your latest brand message but be careful not to talk to your customers in the same way as you refer to them. Calling them subscribers is fine if you're discussing things within the company, but calling your customers such a generic name will instantly make them feel like they are just another number in amongst the crowds. Your customers give you their names so make sure you use them; it can make a huge difference.
Automate
If the opportunity presents itself, consider using email marketing software to manage your subscribers. It will allow you to send out emails on specific days and at times of the day that are likely to have the most impact. Scheduling will save you time and you can also access templates with many types of software, helping you to design your emails faster.
Go mobile
This is one of the most important things to bear in mind. Having your emails optimised for mobile is absolutely essential if you want to engage properly with your customers. Research has shown that mobile use for emails is increasing steadily and you risk being left behind or getting lots of people unsubscribing if you don't get involved in the optimisation game.
Think about your subject
The first thing that people read when they receive an email is the subject header. If it isn't something interesting to them, looks a bit spammy or doesn't have one, there's a risk that the email won't even be opened; it'll be deleted immediately. The subject bar is your first point of sale opportunity so make sure you put something interesting and not too pushy. Your sole aim is to get your customers to open the email.
Give something back
If you want to keep your existing subscribers and bring more in, give them something. It might be that you offer an exclusive discount to subscribers who get their friends to sign up, or perhaps you send them a voucher on their birthday.
People love getting something for free so a little giveaway every now and again can go a long way.
Get to the point
If you have a point to make, get to it quickly. Don't fill your emails with fluffy content that your subscribers won't bother to read. Make sure it's clear, concise and necessary. Obviously, you want to be nice to them but don't ramble, otherwise they'll get bored and hit that unsubscribe button.
Don't pester
Timing plays a big part in how long your subscribers stay signed up for so you need to find the right balance. Send them too many emails and they will think you're pestering them; send too few and they'll forget you exist. The industry you're in can largely dictate how frequently you get in touch with your customers so play it by ear. As long as you give your customers information that they want, they will be reasonably happy.
Inject some personality
You might be sending an email about the most boring topic in the world but if you inject a bit of personality and humour into it, you can have your readers gripped. Remember that you are sending them a message and talking to each one of them individually so ensure your email is entertaining and reflects the personality of your business.
Get linking
If you are sending an email that is trying to sell a product, make sure you link to it. People want to see what you're talking about straight away so direct them to the product page. Be careful that you don't fill your email with so many links, that it looks spammy, but ensure the relevant ones are there. Don't be afraid to include links to different pages on your site - it will direct the customer to exactly what they clicked on, not just to the homepage.
Call to action
This is probably the single most important thing to remember to include in all of your emails. It's also the thing that you are likely to forget as well. The whole point of email marketing is to increase sales so make sure you give your customers a clear message to do that. Actively tell them to buy something, don't merely hint at it and hope for the best.
There are dozens of other little hints and tips to perfect your email marketing technique but the above are some of the golden rules that you should keep in mind at all times. They might just be the difference between losing subscribers and gaining new ones.
By Lauren Sutton, Brand Journalist for Vertical Leap.
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