Email Marketing has been a part of the mix for so long that we have started to take it for granted. But it’s still a great way to connect with customers and prospects and is an important part of your marketing strategy. What makes your email stand out among all the other emails that inundate readers’ inboxes daily? Here are a few things to consider before starting your next email campaign. Don’t let your next email get immediately deleted or even worse… marked as SPAM!
Know your goal – Are you looking for more revenue from your current clients or looking to attract new business from prospects? Are you looking to increase traffic to your website or build your brand? Knowing your goal will help you better build a strategy, keep you focused on what you ultimately want to accomplish, and lead to more responses from your contact list.
Plan Accordingly – Having a successful email campaign, includes planning the best dates and times for your email. When you send it can be just as important as the email itself. Is it an invitation to an event, a holiday-based promotion, a limited-time offer, or an email more focused on building your brand? Plan accordingly so that it works within your marketing timeline.
Design for response – One big problem with unsuccessful email campaigns is a poorly designed email. A well-designed email will push readers to respond. This includes a convincing subject line to get their attention, your logo and company colors to reinforce your brand, an eye-catching image, text that draws the reader in, and a compelling call to action to get the reader to respond. Don’t forget to add a footer with your company information as well as social media icons so that you can connect with them in other ways.
Measure your results – After you send out an email campaign, it is important to measure your results. If you don’t, you won’t know if it was successful or not. Analyze elements like Open Rate, Click Through Rate, Bounce Rate, and Unsubscribe Rate to see how you can adjust your strategy for better results.
Grow your List – The greatest email strategy in the world will not succeed without a good contact list. How do you grow your list? Some good options for obtaining addresses include an in-store sign-up sheet, asking people to sign up on your printed marketing materials, and having a signup form on your website and social media pages. Be sure to give them a good reason for signing up, and let them know the value of it. Once you have your list, keep it updated – like mailing addresses, people change email addresses as well. Make sure to comply with the CAN-SPAM act as well, using double opt-in and keeping your list clean for better performance.
Creating a successful email marketing campaign starts from the ground up, from knowing your goals to measuring your results. If you need help creating your next email campaign, contact CFS and we’ll lead you down the path to better email response for your business.
About the Author:
Tim Slattery is the CEO and founder of CFS, Inc. in Norton, MA. He has over 27 years of experience and leads a dynamic group of people who successfully deliver superior and flexible marketing solutions and product support services to our world-class clients. You can contact him at [email protected] or click here to connect with him on LinkedIn.
