So you’ve got your strategy in place; you’ve got your incredible product, which you know is important and valuable, and you’ve got your offer to make your customer base want your product more than ever. But how, when email marketing is such a minefield, can you make sure that your message is getting to the right people? With so many providers to choose from – from the very cheap, free to use platforms, to the high-end corporate set-ups with integrated account management and support – how do you know you’re getting the absolute best value for your money?
The best way to know that your message is presented in the way you want, reflecting your brand ethos and company values, is to ensure that your email marketing campaign is done properly. And to do it properly, you need to have not only the know-how when using sometimes convoluted and counter-intuitive platforms, but also the oversight of any email campaign to ensure that it’s going out exactly how you want it.
1. Don’t be afraid to experiment with design
Most templates on email marketing platforms appear to be simplistic and straightforward. Once you understand how imagery and text can be manipulated within these editing tools, you can see the wealth of possibilities some simple design tricks can open up for you. Whether you’re using a design agency or are working on your own collateral in-house, don’t be afraid to experiment with imagery, fonts and colours. Sometimes moving away from rigid corporate brand guidelines can help your product stand out from a catalogue of others in a consumer’s inbox.
2. Be clever with your subject line
Vast amounts of data being produced by companies like Mailchimp shows what makes an effective subject line, and what is going to cause your prospect to send your email directly to their ‘Deleted’ folder, or worse, unsubscribe. The best way to ensure that your email gets a) opened and b) read, is to make sure that you’re grabbing attention with a flashy subject which isn’t click-bait, which is more annoying than anything else you could serve to your prospect. Statistics show emails that use personalised fields (such as names) in the subject are far more likely to get opened. Try to avoid words and phrases like ‘free’, ‘discounted’, ‘special offer’ and ‘last chance’, and avoid using prices or numbers. Not only do these look like spam to any half-intelligent consumer, but they’re also less likely to get past the email provider’s spam filters, meaning they’ll end up in the junk folder.
3. Appeal to your existing customer base
Emails sent to membership databases are up to 40% more likely to be opened, so make sure you aren’t eliminating the customers who already know and love your brand. Ensure that you have a keen and accurate understanding of your data and personalise the campaigns you are sending for each data segment. The email you send to a new lead isn’t going to look the same as the email you send to someone who has been buying your products religiously