9 tips for creating effective email marketing campaigns

While some businesses may be under the impression that email marketing is becoming obsolete, research indicates that 90% of adults and 74% of teenagers still actively use email. From a business perspective, email marketing can be a great way to build a strong relationship with customers. Email marketing is effective when interactive and relevant content is used; this engages your audience and entices them to take a look at your special offers and information, with the goal of eventually gaining a response through calls-to-action. Email marketing can be effective in more than one way. For example, a successful email marketing campaign can reinforce your social media strategy, resulting in more website traffic and a higher return on investment (ROI). If your business has been considering email marketing, but you’re not sure where to begin, keep reading for 9 tips and techniques to implement an effective email marketing campaign:

  1. Know your audience

Gather as much data as you can about who is on your mailing list. This information can range anywhere from demographic information, such as age and location, to customer purchase habits. By understanding your audience, you can get a better idea of what content might be more relevant to them.

  1. Set a goal

Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this email? What do I want to accomplish? Your goal should be the guiding factor in creating and distributing your message. Keep a consistent message throughout the content and make sure the goal of the email is related to your call-to-action.

  1. Make it personal

When possible, address your subscribers by name. Addressing your subscriber in a friendly and familiar tone will build trust and can lead them to opening your email. Compared to non-personalized emails, personalized emails have a 29% higher open rate and 41% higher click rate. Segmentation can also be used to personalize your emails. Breaking up your large email list into smaller sub-lists based on your subscribers’ unique interests, preferences, and other characteristics can create effective and personalized marketing that attracts the subscriber to read through and take the next step.

  1.  Make the most of your subject line

The subject line is the main opening headline of your email, and will make readers decide whether or not they will open it. Subscribers are known to open emails with a subject line that poses a question, adds urgency to your message, or includes an offer. It is important to be enticing but transparent, as users can unsubscribe from your mailing list if they feel your emails aren’t honest or relevant to them. Keep in mind that depending on the subject line length, it may not be viewable on all devices. Based on a study by Marketo, 7 words seems to be the sweet spot for subject lines when it comes to overall email engagement. However, it may be helpful to take a look at past campaigns to review successful email campaigns and use that information to help you craft better subject lines for future messages.

  1. Make it clean and crisp

How content is displayed can be just as important as the content itself. Some things to consider are:

  • Use short paragraphs and ensure that the keywords and phrases relevant to your readers stand out.
    • Use bullet points to help people skim the content. This allows for them to take in important points more quickly.
    • Use images sparingly. Images should illustrate your message, not replace your content. Something to note is that some email providers block images or consider them an indicator of spam.66 percent of emails opened on smartphone or tablet
      Source: https://marketingland.com/34-percent-email-opens-now-happen-pc-83277
    • Make sure to grammar-check and spell-check the content.
    • Avoid spam trigger words so your email can reach your subscribers inbox.
    • Make sure your email is mobile-friendly. 66% of all emails are opened on a smartphone or tablet.
  1. Include links and a call-to-action

The goal of your email marketing should be to increase traffic to your website or generate conversions. Links are an important part of an email because those links will drive people to your website or to a specific landing page. A click on a link could lead to a new customer, so try to create visually-pleasing buttons with calls to action that attract readers to “Download Now!” or “Book your room today!”

The call-to-action is an important part of your email, as it gives the customer direction to   complete a purchase or conversion, generates sales and creates customers. Make sure that your landing page directly lines up with your CTA, and that readers are immediately able to find the content they clicked for. It’s no use bringing visitors to your website if they leave immediately.

  1.  Test!

Never send anything without making sure the links work properly and the email looks as it should. Send them to employee accounts first and have them open the email in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo!, and on a variety of different devices including mobile and desktop. Click on every link to make sure it directs to the intended URL. If you’re using marketing automation software to send emails, make sure that your templates are in order and the appropriate actions are triggering your email workflows. Any content you publish is a representation of your brand, so make sure everything works correctly and looks professional.

  1. Track your data

Tracking your data is an important element of measuring the success of your email campaign. If you’re using an email marketing tool like Constant Contact or Mailchimp, you have access to email campaign performance analytics. Otherwise, you can use web analytics like Google Analytics to find information like site visits and conversion rates. Make sure to pay attention to which links and content get the highest clickthrough rate to gauge what your subscribers are interested in. Also note which email addresses were undeliverable, which can happen for a number of reasons. If the email address was simply misspelled, you can help correct the error. However, you may find that some email addresses are no longer valid or have a full mailbox, which lets you know it’s time to update these contacts.  Additionally, it is beneficial to look at what time of day people were opening your email. All of the analytics you track will be beneficial in determining the success of your email marketing, and can provide insight as to what tactics will produce the best results going forward in future emails.

  1. Keep a consistent schedule and don’t spam

Once you’ve established a mailing list and have sent out email campaigns, maintain a consistent email schedule, but don’t overwhelm your audience’s inboxes. Flooding someone’s inbox with too many emails can result in users getting annoyed and wanting to unsubscribe. It’s important to include an easy way for people to unsubscribe to your email as well. While it may seem like an unfavorable option to include, allowing someone to simply unsubscribe is beneficial for both you and the customer if someone decides they don’t want to be a part of the mailing list anymore. If they were to flag your as spam, it could harm your email sender reputation and prevent you from sending campaigns in the future.

When done correctly, email marketing can be a valuable marketing tool. The secret to success lies in creating quality content, not the quantity of messages sent. Pulse Marketing Agency offers services in email marketing to help create and distribute your company’s messages through email. From automated customer service messages and product promotions, to monthly newsletters, we’ll reach your customers with professionalism and respect – and inspire action as well. If you need help creating effective email marketing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a free 30 minute consultation at 207-947-9333.