10 tips to make the most effective email marketing campaign

Sure it’s all about Social media, but let’s not forget about the impact you can have on thousands of people with Email Marketing. Are your thinking of those spammy emails you delete from your account? No, not those. We are talking about slick, meaningful, and purposeful marketing that gets people to click on an email, read, and finally get them to your landing page. Believe us, when we say it isn’t easy. But there are a few key elements you need to figure out to have a good chance at making marketing impact. So here we go.

Emails are a two way street
Marketers often fall for the easy trap of sending out the “batch and blast” method of email campaigns. Sure, the email is sent and is received, but does it really engage your audience? Look to extend the conversation by listening, adding relevant value, and engaging prospects with meaningful communication via email marketing campaigns. Seek their participation by including social share buttons.

Go beyond click through rates
While metrics are important, sometimes it’s important to remember that stats and numbers aren’t everything. Alongside your metrics, it is also important to pay attention to things like where prospects went on the web site, number of visits, visit frequency, social sharing, and how you can segment them based on their behaviors. The key point to remember is that you are trying to tap into engagement levels as well as traditional metrics.

Segmentation
An interesting and effective approach is combining the standard segmentation criteria with behavioral data to create more complex segmentation strategies. Be sure to look at data including: who opened the email, whether they downloaded the offer, the length of time they spent on the web site, and what they downloaded while they were on the site. Once you have a grip over what your different segments find interesting, you can fashion and customize your offers to suit their needs.

Your message means everything Never forget that email campaigns are not merely a mode of covering information and data — they send out a message. Use these campaigns to tailor your messages according to the prospect’s profiles, interests and actions. Consider sending different emails/messages to the different segments of your list when appropriate.

Automate whenever you can
Automating your email marketing campaigns gives you more time to spend on developing strategy and being creative. Use your marketing automation solution to automate campaigns based on event and behavioral triggers, and have more time to build relationships with prospects.

Never stick to one style or method
The biggest risk you can run is having your email campaign underperform and underwhelm, so consider mixing up campaign styles and methods. As you test different email components such as delivery days, content angles, surveys, and fulfillment pieces, you will start to learn what your customers are responding to. Fresh methods and content will ensure that you keep your audience engaged.

Ensure deliverability
Sometimes, you have to keep the very basics in mind because even the best campaign and strategy will fail if your message doesn’t reach the inbox of your intended recipient. Identify any issues that may prevent your message from getting to your prospect’s inbox. Always try and avoid common spam trigger words like free, opportunity, offer and click here, keep your copy fresh and interesting.

Testing
Achieving optimal results from your email marketing campaigns requires testing. Consider testing subject lines along with standard A/B testing to ensure the right message goes to your prospects’ inbox. Also be sure to test the deliverability of your email with a small in-house group prior to delivery and make sure that all your links go to the right pages.

Analysis is crucial
Email marketing campaign reports don’t all require that you spend hours in front of an excel sheet crunching numbers and data. Leverage the reporting dashboards in your marketing automation solution to get the details out in a format legible for all. Use these details to understand prospect interaction and improve future campaigns while boosting marketing ROI.

ALWAYS use social shares
As mentioned earlier, engaging your readers in a dialogue should be your primary goal. This is why adding social shares to your emails are absolutely essential. Whether it is a content piece or an event invite, you will have more opportunities to spread your word if you include easy functionality for your readers to spread your message.

Knct Lab can help you create the perfect email marketing plan that works for your company and its specific goals. We use research and a persona-based marketing approach that will seamlessly integrate with your marketing plans and create a plan to achieve a unique path in the digital world. Here’s wishing you tons of luck and many clicks!

Need help creating your company’s marketing plan? Contact us at www.knctlab.com