Email marketing is up to 40 times more effective than social media, according to a McKinsey & Company study. However, it is a marketing tool which can often be overlooked and put on the backburner. Many businesses do not appreciate the value it presents.
However, a broad selection is great in a takeaway menu, but less helpful when getting started with a new system. When getting stuck in with email marketing it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Where to begin? What do you need to worry about? This quick step guide is here to teach you five basic tips…
What time and when?
Timing is everything, right? It certainly matters when it comes to getting subscribers to take notice of your emails.
Typically, weekends are for resting and spending time away from the desk. Marketers find that weekends have lower open rates, as do Fridays. Also, evenings are a no-no, even with the rise in flexible working.
Did we get your attention? Subject lines!
One little line, one huge consideration in terms of impact. If you haven’t grabbed your reader’s attention in this one little line, the rest of your efforts will be wasted. Put simply, they won’t be opening that email you worked so hard to create.
A catchy subject line will be sure to grab the attention of your reader. Try promises, compliments or humour to hook them in! A good place to start is thinking about all the emails that land in your own inbox; which one got your attention? Why did you want to read it? Try re-creating this!
Top tip – The A/B testing function allows you to try a different subject line to figure out which performs best before sending.
One-off emails and campaigns – what’s the difference?
Put simply, one-off emails are singular. There are a few types of emails that suit a one-off format. These include (but are not limited to):
- A newsletter that updates audiences on your business generally.
- A conversion email designed to convert leads into customers by sending invitations to act, such as deals.
- A retention email often scheduled to arrive after your customer has made a purchase and to encourage them to reflect on their experience with your company.
Campaigns are a series of emails. Try to think of these as a journey for your customers rather than a one- time engagement for a quick win. These emails are deployed periodically, either with set time periods or via action triggers. You may design a series of emails, for example, to get your audience to sign up for a webinar or make a specific purchase. You may have a product launch, or a new service, so a set of consecutive emails focused on this story works incredibly well.
So, what would a campaign look like? First thing is first, think about your time scales. Will it be spread over a month, or longer? How many emails do you intend to send in this time?
Next, consider the intended objective for the campaign – brand awareness, sign ups or to achieve more sales or conversions? Think about WHY you are sending emails and keep that at the forefront of your mind.
Choosing which type of email marketing format that you’ll use will depend on your target audience, their needs and often the time of year (think Christmas marketing campaigns!).
Read me. Do you need me?
Once you get your audience to open an email, you’re half the way there, but now you really need to make sure they actually read it. Ensure each section has a purpose to keep them interested. Use conversational copy, which is digestible and personal.
What do you prefer reading? Formal emails will include longer more complex styles of writing. However, remember your audience may not like to read emails heavy in jargon and complex issues. A conversational tone is far more friendly and relaxed to read, which is more likely to engage your audience.
Check back in, see how things are performing
Click through rate, open rate, bounce rate…just reading those affect your heart rate? We know, the tracking side of email marketing can seem complicated to begin with.
The statistics usually rely on three things -
- Bounce rate – the percentage of emails returned as the recipient was unknown
- Open rate - how many people opened to read your campaign
- Click-through rate - the percentage of people who clicked on the links in your campaign to follow your CTAs.
Start slow and easy, try to review these three for your first campaign and build from there.
Getting started with email marketing doesn’t need to be daunting. Take things slowly and make a plan before getting stuck in. What is the overall aim for your email? Keep this in mind throughout and check back to this guide to see that you’ve covered all the basics. We hope you enjoy using into transpond. If you’d like a run through, the team are more than happy to help. Pop us a message today.