Email can be a great tool used to communicate, but it can also be a huge time suck. Some days when we open our email, we get extremely frustrated. There are so many emails to go through, and half of them aren’t directly related to us.
When thinking about an email marketing campaign, our overflowing inbox is the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, in 2014, Madison Logic claimed that 122 billion emails are sent every hour. How do you get someone to open your email with so much coming to their inbox? How do we get our message to the right people? How long should it be? And is it really an effective marketing tool?
What is email marketing?
Thankfully, experts have done the work for us and have given us insight into how to create an effective email marketing campaign. The first question to ask, is what is an email marketing campaign? Email marketing is a direct marketing message to a group of people using email. And like any other form of advertising — there is more than one kind of email marketing. Defining your campaign goal will decide the type of email marketing you need to use.
Are you trying to create brand awareness and trust among your current and potential customers? Do you have enough content for a scheduled newsletter or do you have some general tips you’d like to send?
The success of email marketing relies on several factors.
An email list.
Email lists can be bought or created. If you want to start out small and build your list, use your current database of customers. Ask for an email address when they inquire after or purchase a product. Offer a place for them to sign up for emails from you.
Relevant Content
Make sure you have enough relevant content to engage your group. If all you have time to do is create a coupon with a special offer once a month, don’t send an email out with other information you pulled from the internet. People don’t want a full inbox if the content isn’t relevant to them. On the other hand, if you have quite a bit of information, break it up into bite-sized pieces and spread out your emails throughout the week or month.|
Be Smart with the Schedule
Schedule your emails at the right time. If you have several tips to email, don’t bombard people with numerous emails each day. Remember how overwhelmed you get when looking at a full inbox and consider how receiving multiple emails each day from a business or service would frustrate you. And make sure you are delivering what you promise when they sign up for your emails. If you say you are going to deliver content on a regular basis, follow through.Easy Subscription Management
Make sure your reader can subscribe or unsubscribe to your emails. If you are sending out a large amount of emails — particularly from a list you purchased, you could get flagged as SPAM and none of your emails will get to an inbox. Also keep in mind that any list you create internally will have a 25% attrition rate. That means you’ll need to find other methods to gain new subscribers like promoting your e-newsletter or emailed tips on your website or through other marketing methods.
Don’t Overwhelm Your Subscribers
Use your own judgment. If you think the number of emails you’re sending is too many, then they probably are. Make sure your content is relevant to your readers. And don’t try to constantly push your product in their face. At this point in their buyer’s journey, they aren’t ready to purchase. They are just gathering research and considering their needs.
Measure
Measure your results. Test your subject lines to see which one gets a better open rate. Rate your content and what your most popular message is. Check your subscriber list and see if your attrition rate is faster than the average. Keep a vigilant eye and commit to making your content something readers look forward to receiving.
Email marketing can be very effective if done correctly, but it takes skill and patience. If you want more information on email marketing or need our team of experts to help you create a great digital campaign, contact us now.
