Email - how to get the best from it
With inboxes bursting with emails, how do you cut through and stand out? Is email still relevant? Does email have a place in modern marketing when we have tools like social media?
The Importance of Email Marketing
Email marketing continues to be a powerful tool in helping companies stay in touch with their clients and supporters, helping them reach their engagement goals. On average, email marketing generates nearly $2 for every $1 invested. In 2016, The Email Marketing Institute found that companies spend an average of $32.65 per year on email marketing. How Can I Keep Up with the Competition? While it needs to be made clear that email marketing is the most cost-effective, it is still a powerful marketing tool.
Tips for a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
Putting together an email campaign can be a real challenge. The following are a few tips to get the best from it. But, keep in mind the software you are using and the size of your images and make sure you don’t trigger spam filters by setting your details like SPF records up in accordance with your email marking software of choice.[nbsp_tc]
The best tips I can provide are relatively straightforward:
- Keep it simple - don't waffle along in the email; keep your messaging synced and simple.
- Don't spam - focus on quality over quantity with information that people will want to read/know.
- Use images - link them to articles - think of them as a hook to get them to your website.
- Make it easy to read - use a white background with black text and clear, clean fonts, as you want people to find your emails easy to read.
- Have a Call To Action - Tell them if you want people to do something.
Content
This is always the challenge; what do you say? To make things simple, it comes down to cross-promotion and cadence. To break it down:
[br_tc]- Use your top three social media posts as content in your newsletter (just because you post them, not everyone will see it).[br_tc]- Link to your blog posts, even past blogs, can provide value to your audience.[br_tc]- Link to your top three most popular products/services.
Again, to reiterate the importance of simplicity, keep the articles in your newsletter short, linking off to the social posts or blog posts for more detail. This will allow you to see what people are interested in, and then adapt and evolve your content. Keep in mind; most people will only read the first two articles.
As for cadence, send them every three months; this will allow you time to organise yourself and the essential content you want to share. Then once you get the rhythm, increase your cadence to monthly.
In addition to a structured email, you can further extend your marketing via email by simply thanking new customers/clients or sending them useful add-ons or upgrades to the services you offer.
Supercharge it
If you really want to supercharge the return on investment, use the analytics that allows you to see who clicked on what link and how often, then call those people and say hi. I recommend you don’t say you’re calling because they clicked on a link but to chat and see if they received it and had any further questions on the topics in your newsletter.[nbsp_tc]
Remember that marketing simplified is about reminding people you exist and do the things you do. Email is another tool that allows you to maintain contact with your community.[nbsp_tc]
