Email campaigns are the most widely used marketing tools nowadays and not without a good reason. This form of advertising is highly rewarding if done right, and by far the most affordable. On average, marketing campaigns generate $44 per dollar spent.
Suffice it to say that more than 90% of adults worldwide use email on a daily basis. The possibilities are endless once you get familiar with the benefits of segmentation and personalization.
Of course, there are a couple of factors that need to be taken into account in order to boost the productivity of your email campaigns. One of them is – optimization for mobile devices.
Actually, the great majority of emails are accessed on mobile devices, which means that not only your messages need to be mobile-friendly, but also your website (and especially the page the call to action will lead the recipient to in the end).
As for B2B, marketing automation is witnessing a boom, with an increase of ca. 60% per annum. B2C marketers using automated campaigns claim their conversion rates are around 50%, with transactional emails generating six times more revenue and eight times more clicks than all other email campaigns combined.
Overall, 75%+ of email revenue is being generated by targeted campaigns, which means that insights come very, very handy.
Boosting Email Campaigns
Considering everything mentioned above, it is safe to conclude that a well-devised strategy is the first step towards creating successful email marketing campaigns. There are multiple factors to be taken into account, so planning is key.
Absolutely all emails you send need to be personalized, targeted and mobile-optimized.
Targeting basically portends knowing your target audience(s). Who is your offer intended for? This is the answer you need to find first.
Segmentation can also make or break a campaign. Successful email marketing campaigns are capable of boosting ROI by stunning 760%, according to various studies. This number is not to be made light of; this is serious revenue that is a result of perfected campaigns.
Segmentation is best performed by using various insights and mixing the elements to come up with a perfect offer. Not all people are looking for the same type of offer, so sending personalized offers is the best way to boost your ROI. The basic formula is to use demographics, purchase history and behavioral data, but other insights can be helpful, too.
Optimizing Email Campaigns
Optimization is the essence of all marketers’ nightmares. They’ve heard it so many times that they can barely stand it being mentioned, but in truth, optimization doesn’t have to be a scary process.
For one thing, email optimization is way simpler than, say, website optimization. For another, the 760% mentioned above should make things even easier. Since mobile phone usage has increased 394%, and tablet usage 1,721%, and that ca. 53% of all emails are being accessed on mobile devices, optimization should be a top priority.
First of all, if you are new to email marketing, use a template. These are abundant and freely available online. Take your time coming up with your own template since this is the single most important step.
Next on, you should test-send your messages. Devices and browsers are many, and they display characters and (especially) emojis differently. To ensure that the messages you send look presentable on all devices, check them out yourself first. The two most popular options are iPhone and Gmail, so pay particular attention to them.
Email list optimization is just as important. Check your mailing list with an email verification tool to increase deliverability and ROI.
Optimize subject lines and pre-header text since they decide the fate of your email. Subject lines must not be cut; to stay on the safe side, go with no more than 41 characters. Subject lines should be concise and explain the offer plainly. A clarification should follow up in pre-header text and full text should be consistent. The preheader text should feature between 40 and 50 characters.
Email Structure
Finally, provided that you’ve done your homework with the subject line, we come to the matter of email contents. Now, this is the part where you get to actually boost productivity by attracting more people to perform the desired action.
To do that, you need to write stellar messages, neither too long nor too short, be clear, concise, consistent and – persuasive.
For example, newsletters are a great way to keep people informed about the offer, but actual offers should be presented in a way that creates urgency and solves recipients’ issues. You will know what they are by using demographics.
Remember the mobile users? Especially because of them, you will want for your emails to be readable “at a glance.” Commonly, great emails follow a loose structure incorporating the major elements that make them stand out, as follows:
1. Short and concise subject line
2. Stellar pre-header text
3. Consistent message body
4. A CTA
5. An unsubscribe button
6. Contact information
Optionally, you may also ask for feedback. Communication is always encouraged and, contrary to popular belief, people actually respond well to direct questions when they are likely to benefit them in some way.
Key Takeaways
To resume, the best way to boost your productivity is by sending relevant offers to people who are looking for them. Emails promoting the offers should promote only them, not bat around the bush or boast about your great brand.
The checklist for an email-done-right is:
· Subject line up to 41 characters
· Pre-header text between 40 and 50 characters
· The offer, described concisely and consistently
· A CTA stating clearly what it is about (avoid “click here” and similar platitudes)
For best results, couple your email marketing strategy with your social media activity. Many people turn to brands’ social media pages with queries. Make certain to answer them in a timely manner (this is also the fastest way to build trust). Finally, share your offer on your social media pages. In that way, more people will get to see it (and share it).
Boosting productivity, after all, is a combination of information digging, listening to feedback, optimization, personalization and (above all) efficient communication. This is also the formula that makes brands trustworthy – the quality that promotes window shoppers to regulars.
