In this post we’ll explain these 6 ways to make email marketing
work for you:
1.Segment your contacts
2.Be more social, less salesy
3.Be specific and focused
4.Be patient with the process
5.Conduct A/B tests for subject line and timing
6.Leverage email marketing software
Email marketing often gets a bad rap. Most people get a lot
of emails every day, and many of those
emails are junk, so it’s no surprise that many of them end up in the trash or
even labeled as SPAM.
On the other hand, there are compelling
statistics
that support the effectiveness of email marketing. Here are just
a few:
- Email marketing return on investment averages
28.5%
- 72% of people prefer to receive promotional
content through email
- 97% of businesses use email marketing to convert
email recipients into buyers
There’s no denying that getting your email into an inbox and
getting it read is a challenge, but
there’s also no denying that if you achieve that goal, it is worth your efforts!
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Here are 6 Tips to Ensure
That Your Emails Get Read More Often, and Get Results:
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1 - Segment Your
Email Contacts
One of the biggest mistakes we see businesses making in
their email marketing efforts is sending the same email to everyone on their
list. Segmentation is the key to improving open rates, click-through rates, and
conversions, and decreasing opt-outs and SPAM rates.
There are many ways to segment a list – interests, position
in sales funnel, geography, demographics,
and hundreds more - and every contact list
is different. There is no one size fits all, so when determining how to segment
your list, remember the goal of segmentation - to give your reader what they
want and avoid sending them what they don’t want.
Here are 2 examples of effective segmentation:
- A fitness center sending a series of emails to NEW subscribers
- A
real estate agent sending one email to potential BUYERS and a different email
to potential SELLERS
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2 - Be More Social, Less
Salesy
If you treat email marketing exclusively like an
advertisement, you will quickly watch your list dwindle as people unsubscribe
or report your emails as spam. You’re also trying to provide helpful
information and to build ongoing relationships
with your contacts, so the tone and content of your emails should reflect that
strategy.
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3 - Be Specific and
Focused
First, you need to realize that the purpose of an email
isn’t always going to be about selling a product or service. However, it’s still going to be about getting your reader to
take some kind of action – click to your
website, download a coupon, give you a call, and – sometimes – make a purchase.
So how do you do that? First, know what it is that you want
to accomplish with the email and focus on that goal. Then be as specific as
possible. A clear subject line that tells your
reader what they will get for opening the email will improve your open rate
,
and a call to action within the email that clearly explains what they will get by taking
the action will improve conversion rates
.
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4 - Be Patient with
the Process
Effective email marketing doesn’t happen overnight.
Occasionally, a business will hit it out of the park and see amazing results
with their first email, but most have to work at finding what works best for
their contact list and their business.
You can start with what the experts say is the best time to
send an email, the best frequency, etc., but then you have to see what works
for you. Think about when your audience is most likely to open AND engage with
your email (segmentation can play a role here).
5 - Conduct A/B Tests for Subject Line and Timing
Conduct A/B tests by sending an email on Tuesday at 6 am to
half of your list, and that same email (subject line and all) on Thursday
at 6 am to the other half of your list. Then, look at which email got the most
open rates, click-through rates, etc. Once you determine the best day, conduct
an A/B test to figure out the best time. Once you figure out the best day and
time, try another A/B test to see what subject lines work best.
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6 – Leverage the
Power of Email Marketing Software
Whether you are seeking a simple, easy-to-use email
marketing system, or something more sophisticated that provides autoresponders
and integrates with a CRM package, there is likely a great solution to meet
your needs. For a quick overview of some of the more popular email marketing solutions, click
here.
Need Help Getting
Your Email Marketing Campaign Up and Running Quickly?
Not sure where to start? Power Marketing International can
effectively design, monitor and manage your email marketing campaigns at a
fraction of the cost of what most agencies charge. For a free email marketing
consultation, give us a call at (484) 297-6395
or contact us online.