A Beginner’s Guide to: Email Marketing
So, I hear you want to start sending emails? Step out of the 1990’s and into 2018 with a few handy tips and tricks on Email Marketing for any business.
Email Marketing is a method of marketing used by businesses every single day. Around 144 Billion emails are sent through to potential customers a day… Sometimes, it’s a little hard to stand out from the crowd. Here’s a few tricks for successful email marketing.
Many of us are aware of the amount of marketing emails sent to our computers each and every day. A lot of people see this as spam and after a few clicks the majority of their inbox has been diverted into the trash.
Benefits of Email Marketing:
Easily Measurable. Conversion and delivery rates are easy to track and manage, giving you feedback on success.- Cost-Effective. Email marketing means no postage, no paper and no leaflets. Completely weight-less advertising, meaning costs are kept to a minimum.
- Environmentally Friendly. Following on from the previous point, no paper is wasted when sending emails.
- Not Intrusive. Unlike telephone calls and mail sent straight to your door, emails are less invasive. They allow users to delete at the click of a button and can revisit the email any time they like.
- Contacting the Right People. Email ads are usually sent to customers that have opted-in for email marketing. These can include previous customers, that are more likely to take interest in the email’s content.
Negatives of Email Marketing:
- SPAM! Repetitive emails from brands can become tedious… Make sure not to bombard your customers with multiple emails a day, many will view these as spam. Email software can detect the amount of emails from the same sender per day and will filter these for the consumer. If you’re repeating yourself, you’ll most likely end up on the spam pile.
- Design Problems. At the ever-evolving rate of technology businesses have to ensure that their email design suits every platform. If the receiver on a mobile device can only view the email on a computer, chances are they’ll forget by the time they get home.
- You’re Not Alone. Unfortunately, nearly every company uses email as a method of marketing. It’s easy to become just another email in a users inbox, make sure to use buzzwords and enticing language when writing, to stand out from the crowd.
Before you get started you’ll need to do a little bit of research into your audience and previous response rates. Here’s a few handy tips on what steps you can take before planning your email marketing campaign…
- Know Your Audience! Make sure your language, design and layout matches the rest of your online marketing. How positive are your previous conversion rates from other digital marketing methods?
- ‘Power Words’. Never underestimate the power of the right words. Having buzz words in an email’s subject line will grab the receiver’s attention, and increase the likelihood of a sale. Even think about including dramatic punctuation or a cliffhanger question in the title.
- Make it Personal. According to a survey conducted by Experian Marketing Services, email subject lines that were personalised by including a name boosted open rates by 29.3% on average and a massive 41.3% in the Consumer Products and Services industry. Using a customer’s name in the title or wishing them a Happy Birthday with a unique discount code is definetely something to consider if you want to ensure high click rates.
- Follow Up… After a customer has purchased something from your site, ensure to follow up their purchase with an email request for their feedback. Asking for the customer’s opinion on a product or service will give you valuable information and positively reinforce the customer’s perception of your business.
Here’s a quick round up…
Using emails for interacting with your customer base is a time and cost effective method of spreading a message fast! Best used to inform customers of deals, discounts or sales as these can be used as headlines to entice the receiver to open your email.
Emails from businesses can become tedious and repetitive, especially if they are sent without good reason. Don’t become just another junk email in the sea of marketing; stand out and grab the attention of the reader.
Clara Babbs
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/makeitclara
References:
These websites were used to write this article on the subject of Email Marketing. Links to websites referenced have also been hyperlinked to text within the article.
https://www.linkdex.com/en-gb/inked/innovative-marketing-strategies-examples/
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/beginners-guide-email-marketing/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_marketing