Email marketing can be an extremely effective means of growing and maintaining a loyal customer base. That said, to design the strongest campaigns possible, you need to understand which tactics work, and which don’t.
As with any email campaign, best practices apply. These include crafting engaging subject lines and verifying email addresses. The following tips will also help: Keep these Do’s and Don’ts in mind, and you’ll maximize your return on investment.
Do…
Segment & Personalize
Your followers want to receive emails that are relevant to their needs and interests. Depending on the nature of your business, that may mean that certain messages you send will only be valuable to select customers.
For example, perhaps you’re marketing an apparel company that sells clothes for various climates. A customer who lives in a warm weather climate probably won’t be interested in a promotion for winter coats. That’s why you should segment your email list; doing so will ensure customers receive messages they find relevant.
Adding the recipient’s name to the subject line is also important. This simple tactic has been shown to boost open rates.
Optimize for Mobile
Current trends indicate that more people are more likely to check email via mobile device than computer. Thus, it’s important to make sure your emails look well-organized when viewed on a phone’s screen.
Avoid large chunks of text, use headers to organize content, and incorporate a reasonable amount of visuals or other media. Doing so ensures the email appears readable and compelling on all devices.
Track Campaigns
You can’t know if a strategy is working unless you closely monitor its performance. That’s why you want to know exactly what the goal of a particular campaign is before you launch it.
For instance, if you’re launching a campaign to sell a product, you want to track key metrics that let you know how many people who read your email went on to make a purchase. By tracking key metrics, you can make any necessary changes to your strategy early on.
Don’t…
Rely Solely on Text
Most devices and email clients can now efficiently display videos and other forms of multimedia. That means simply relying on text when sending messages is no longer the best strategy.
You want your emails to stand out with dynamic, brand-appropriate imagery and features. While there is a danger of including too much visual content which can make a message look cluttered, using none at all is an outdated tactic.
Include Too Many CTAs
Every marketing email should include a call-to-action. Once a follower reads your message, you want them to take a certain action, like making a purchase or signing up for a service.
The content of the message should also align with the CTA. That’s a good reason not to include more than two, although sticking with just one is often the best choice. Your marketing email should serve one distinct purpose for your business. Include multiple CTAs, and it’s difficult to align the content with the goal, making it all the more difficult to convince a reader to take action.
Send One Version of an Email
Again, email marketing is useful because it gives you the chance to monitor a campaign’s performance. That’s a good reason to send out multiple versions of a particular email.
Through A/B testing, you can refine your strategies. If you send out just one version of a message, you won’t have the chance to learn what is and is not successful. A/B testing allows you to come up with new ways of improving your campaigns.
Keep these points in mind as you plan your strategy. Email marketing is effective because it lets you reach potential customers in one of the few places left on the internet where they’re relatively undistracted. With these tips, you’ll be able to take full advantage of this powerful marketing tool.