However, not all email marketing campaigns are successful, mainly because many marketers think that simply promoting their offer will do the trick… Wrong!
It is important to remember that, in order for a brand to be successful in the long run, it must maintain healthy communication with the clients. Email marketing is just one way to do it.
Getting Started With Email Marketing
First of all, it is important to keep an eye on the competition. Note that not all businesses operating in the same industry and (if applicable) in the same location should be considered competitors. Perform research to discover which brands are successful.
Once you know that, it is recommended to subscribe to their newsletters so that you can always adjust your offer to remain competitive.
What is unknown to many marketers just getting started with email campaigns is that many brands (including some large names, believe it or not) fail to begin their relationship with a new client properly.
In terms of email marketing, the practice translates into a failure to send a welcome message. Really, this simple message (“Thank you for subscribing,” “Thank you for your interest,” “Welcome to our family,” etc.) can make or break a business.
Therefore, make certain to send a welcome message to each new subscriber and a thank-you message to everyone making a purchase. Address people by their names (personalize your messages) - you will attain this info from the subscription form.
Stats show that approximately a half of welcome messages are being opened and actually read by the recipients. Compared to the average open rate of newsletters (13.52%), this is a large percentage.
In simple terms, this goes on to show that making people feel special rarely fails to keep them loyal. And that’s what you should be aiming for - loyal customers who will not browse other offers but will go to your business immediately.
Further out, welcome emails represent a first impression in the virtual world. Everyone knows that first impressions are immensely important, so don’t fail to represent your brand in the best light from moment one.
However, no matter the quality of your welcome message, of the next messages fail to deliver on your business promise or promote undesired content, you will have missed your chance to build reputation for your brand.
Email marketing, after all, calls for a sustainable marketing strategy just like any other form of advertising. You’ll need to do your research, analyze results, keep your offer evergreen and competitive, and come up with just the offers your customers are looking forward to receiving.
Last but not least, the frequency and the timing of your messages matter. Emails sent when recipients are checking their inboxes generate 10 times higher transaction rates than those sent when they are sleeping. If you run an international brand, mind the time zones.
Quality Content Matters
As is the case with SEO, it is important to note that quality emails perform better than random ones. Never make the mistake of confusing quality for quantity. In fact, shorter emails are recommended, given that the majority of offers are being accessed on mobile devices.
That fact implies a couple of other things, too. For example, you’d be good to avoid sending image-heavy emails. It is crucial that your website is responsive and has a fast loading time, especially the pages linked to in your emails.
Many brands lose potential customers simply because it takes ages for the page to load and they’re accessing it on a mobile device.
Finally, all emails should include - on top of the contact information mentioned above - a call to action and an unsubscribe button.
The latter should not be disregarded - it’s always better for a customer no longer interested in your offer to unsubscribe than to flag your messages as spam. Losing customers is a normal process, mind you. Audiences change over time in a similar way trends do. That’s why you need to stay on top of things by reassessing your target audiences on a regular basis.
Finally, some emails are more welcome than others. Types of emails that are being universally looked forward to including welcome emails, order status emails, shopping cart reminders, shopping cart abandonment emails, sales promotions and, occasionally, newsletters.
Does it sound like a lot? It shouldn’t. Once you get things started exactly as they should be started, the following messages will run more smoothly. The key is to remember to keep in touch with your customers, as that will increase your brand’s visibility and establish you as an expert in the field. It’s all about reliability, really. For, why would anyone in their right mind go browsing for similar offers from shady businesses when your brand has proven to be reliable?