Why are companies willing to spend so much on email marketing? Email marketing has a great return on investment. Reports from The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Constant Contact suggest that for approximately every $1 spent on email marketing to existing customers, companies generate approximately $40 in sales.
However, businesses must keep several factors in mind when using email marketing. For one, the return-on-investment calculations are from using existing relationships, for which a company already has contact information and has received permission to send emails. Factoring the cost of marketing into acquiring emails, the return-on-investment numbers would be much lower.
A steady drumbeat of communications will help you build relationships with your audience and help you stay top of mind so that when they are ready to purchase, it’s you and your products that they remember. Email is a highly effective and cost efficient way to reach your customers and prospects. To be most effective, you’ll want to create a plan that outlines what types of emails you want to send and when you want to send them out. Creating an email-marketing plan can seem like a daunting process, but it doesn’t have to be! Below are five tips that will help you develop a plan that will structure and increase the effectiveness of your email marketing.
Consider Your Audience(s)
What’s more compelling than connecting with a customer on a personal level? According to a Marketing Sherpa case study, personalized email subject lines returned a 17.36 percent higher than average click through rate. Think about what your audience is interested in hearing. Providing information that is valuable to them will keep them opening and engaging with your messages. You should also take a look at your list and determine if there are different types of audiences that are interested in different information or messages. You can easily divide your list into different segments and send customized messages to them, so that you are delivering the most meaningful messages possible to your audience. Depending on what information you have, you can divide your list using demographics like age, income or gender, job title, past purchases and so much more.
Write compelling subject lines
According to HubSpot, A good subject line should contain no more than 30 to 50 characters. It should also create a sense of urgency and should give readers some indication of what to expect once they open the email.
Hold the buzzwords
Nothing says “I put no thought into you as a customer” like an email littered with business jargon. Steer clear of words and phrases like: hit the ground running, innovative, cutting-edge, leverage, reach out, think outside the box, value-add …
Keep call to action near top of email
If your main call-to-action falls below the fold, then as many as 70 percent of recipients won’t see it. Also, any call-to-action should be repeated at least three times throughout the email. Too often, important calls-to-action are buried at the end of a newsletter or in an inconspicuous place on a website, making it more difficult for readers to find and respond. Don’t turn your prospects into pigs hunting a truffle -- make it easy for them to find your offer!
Optimize for mobile
You’ve heard it before. We’ll tell you again. Return Path points out that 63 percent of U.S. consumers delete emails immediately if they are not optimized for mobile. Make sure that you have less text that is well spaced out and that your content is highlighted. Reduce the fine print to what is required and put in pictures that are relevant. Pictures help break the monotony of reading and help with cognition. Design your email well - think about putting pictures in a frame, they need to look pleasing.
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