email marketing best practices
TRANSCRIPT
E-Mail Marketing Vehicles
E-mail marketing service providers enable users to initiate campaigns that target in-boxes instead of mailboxes. There are many options available and most are inexpensive.
However, an e-mail campaign is only as good as the message, the targeted list and the ability to measure the impact.
• Build awareness of your brand or product• Generate new leads/ event registrants/ customers/ clients• Initiate immediate product sales• Enhance customer retention programs• Strengthen relationships with existing customers/clients• Put out new product information and details• Boost revenues by up-selling to existing customers/clients• As part of an integrated marketing and communications strategy• Distribute press release-type news• Drive website traffic• Position your business as an industry authority worthy of trust
E-Mail Campaign Marketing Objectives
Hitting the Bull's-Eye When Targeting the MessageBefore any e-mail marketing campaign can begin, a target
audience must be determined. Once you’ve decided who you want to send your message to, you need to figure out what you want to say to them.
Is your objective to raise brand awareness? Are you running a sale, discount or a specific offer? Are you targeting existing clients or going after new ones?
If you are going after new leads, you can rent or purchase lists from vendors all across the internet. These lists represent a wide variety of segmented, potential targets.
Vendors such as infousa.com and netpostmaster.com offer both retail/consumer and business-to-business lists.
Another consideration is the timing of the message’s delivery. Statistics say B-2-B campaigns work best when delivered Tuesday-Thursday in the afternoon. However, individual targets may dictate different delivery times.
The Best List is Your listUsing CRM software, such as ACT!, GoldMine or Tour de Force allows your sales team to record vital contact information from current clients and potential leads. Every time you interact with a client or potential client you have an opportunity to build-up an op-in e-mail list that belongs to you.
Ask your customers for their e-mail addresses by stating the benefits of receiving important information from a company they patronize. You can offer on-line-only coupons and deals, new product information, discounts or other enticements.
You can also add a “join our mailing list” button to your website or even collect business cards in a fishbowl on your retail counter.
When collecting personal information, your customers will expect you to have a privacy policy. Make one easily accessible.
Anatomy of an E-Mail 1
Eye-Catching Graphic
Clear Headline Reveals Purpose
Links to your Website
Open with Benefit to the Reader
Support your Claim
Strong Call to Action
Though different styles can be used depending on the purpose, this successful design informed clients on products they may not have know the company offered. The e-mail also provides links to pages on TIGG’s website that could interest readers if they don’t need “Mobile Trailers.”
Open Rate: 19.9%
Anatomy of an E-Mail 2
Describe the Subject
Speak to Your Audience (Engineers)
Additional Product Information
Case Studies Provide News & Info
Link to Additional Case Studies
Links, Mailing List & Call to Action
This e-mail was specifically targeted to Engineers and Consultants in the municipal industry. The case-study-style provides details they can use. Clicking through to view additional case studies takes readers to a municipal-water-themed landing page on the company website.
Open Rate: 29.3%
The Importance ofE-Mail Subject Lines
The subject line of an e-mail often determines if the recipient will open it or not. Here are some subject line best-practices and tips.
• Keep character length (including spaces) under 50• Spell out a benefit to opening the E-Blast “Quick Quotes on Custom Air Receivers”• If a continuing newsletter, keep subject line consistent and descriptive “Winter 2012 Newsletter: Christmas Cake Craze”• Use urgency when appropriate “Last Chance to Savor Summer Fun”• Generate curiosity, then deliver in e-mail body “12 Ways to Earn More Money”• Ask a question the reader’s mind will auto-answer “Do Remediation Systems Have Wheels?”• Avoid spammy subject lines “Free, Trial, Save, ALL CAPS, $$, Cash”
Open Rate: 26.2%
Create Your Own E-Mail Subject line
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Subject lines often make or break an e-mail campaign. In this exercise, come up with a product, service or event you are trying to promote. List your target audience and craft a subject line that you believe will motivate recipients to open your e-mail.
Though opinions vary on the max length of subject lines, they all agree that subject lines should be brief, catchy and tout the contents of the e-mail. In this exercise you have 40 characters (including spaces) to get us to open your e-mail.
What are you promoting? ___________________________________________
Links in E-Blasts Lead to Landing Pages
Link to Landing Page
E-Blast Website - Landing Page
The landing page is the destination of links within the e-mail.
The goal of this e-mail was to get recipients to visit a certain page of TIGG’s website and view its certification credentials.
Oftentimes, a consumer-based landing page is set up especially for purchase conversions or data collection.
That model may not apply to business-to-business informational e-mails.
Follow-Up E-Mails To E-Blast Openers
Recipients who open an initial e-mail are even more likely to read a follow-up message. In the case above, a personal message was sent only to people who opened the first e-mail. The re-send open rate (48.7%) was 27.6% higher than the first message(21.1%).
Open Rate: 21.1%Re-Send Open Rate:
48.7%
Follow-Up Increases Opens
E-Mail Surveys Provide Customer Feedback
E-mail surveys are a great way to gage your client satisfaction rate and determine potential new products and services they would like you to offer. First, TIGG sent clients a “personal” e-mail from the company president with a link to the survey. Then, a hand-signed thank you card was mailed to survey participants.
Survey Invite
Satisfaction Survey
Snail-Mail Thank You Card
Track E-Mail Metrics to Measure Effectiveness
There are many ways to measure the effectiveness of an e-mail campaign. Was the open rate high? Did recipients click through to your website?
Statistics may be evident, but long-term effects may not. It can take several attempts to build trust, generate buzz or get the word out about innovative products and services. Landing page traffic is a good indicator of how engaged recipients were by your e-mail.
E-Mail Marketing - Final Thoughts
Several Service Providers to Choose From
Objective of E-Blast Determines Message & Style
Target/Segment E-Blast Lists
Build Your Own E-Blast List When Possible
Design E-Blast to Fit The Objective
Write Subject Lines That Get Opens
Include Links to Landing Pages
Send Follow-Up E-Blasts to Openers
Surveys Provide Feedback
Track E-Blast Stats & Metrics
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