Two out of three consumers have purchased a product or service online as a result of receiving an email marketing message, according to a research study by the Direct Marketing Association. The same study found the return on investment (ROI) of an effective email marketing campaign to be 4300 percent.
Statistics like these prove email marketing is a viable option for promotional communications. In a study by Merkle, 74 percent of consumers indicated a preference for email as a means to receive promotional offers.
Still, competition for attention is fierce. How many unread emails do you have in your inbox, after all? There are plenty of email campaigns sent out that never influence customer behavior.
So what makes for effective email marketing? Here’s a list of 6 “must haves:”
- Easy to subscribe. In this world of ‘permission marketing,’ the best campaigns begin with a solid list of subscribers. Build your list with a simple sign up process; consider requiring only an email address. Don’t ask potential readers to “jump through hoops” to subscribe.
- Aligned with the interests of your readers. If you don’t already know your readers’ interests, learn them by testing various formats and content to see what gets the most positive response. Once you know identify the ‘winners,’ building your campaign with them in mind is more likely to engage your subscribers and get results!
- Targeted for day of the week, time of day and frequency. Like the previous item, if you don’t already know how to target for these factors, learn by testing various days, times and frequencies. Monthly campaigns are often sufficient, but in some cases more frequent messages are needed to garner the response you’re seeking. Track your ‘open’ and ‘click’ rates to determine the best days of the week and times of the day for engaging readers.
- Well written and designed. Copy and design work together to attract, engage, educate and move your reader to action. From the subject line to the call to action – use copy and design that work!
- Subscriber rewards. Incentives such as coupons, special savings codes, membership discounts encourage loyal and engaged readers who are moved to action.
- Easy unsubscribe. No one likes to lose a subscriber, but offering a safe unsubscribe is a mark of the professional. Include a ‘poll’ asking the reason for leaving the list to get some valuable, no-cost feedback.
Email marketing is still alive and well in this ‘social media’ world. With the right combination of targeting, personalization, reasonable repetition and cultivating readership, you can get effective results.
What have you done to create an effective email marketing campaign? We would love for you to share your ideas and thoughts here on our blog. Or if you want to know more about email marketing, give us a call or email.
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