Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers today, as 91% of consumers check their email daily. But that doesn’t mean your email marketing strategy is operating to the best of its ability.
Take a seat, and read some quick, unforgettable ROI tips for your email marketing strategy that can improve email sales and conversion rates.
Do the Research - Be Careful When Buying Lists
It’s true, email lists can make or break your sales process—but you’ll want to do your research first before you waste hard-earned revenue on something that may ultimately harm your business. When you’re first starting a new campaign, it may help to purchase smaller lists to build up your contact list. But purchased lists don’t always contain quality contacts. They may fit the surface profile of your targeted demographic, but they may not know who you are, let alone be interested in the kind of products or services you provide.
If the list you purchase has emails that have flagged others for spam can also hurt the legitimacy of your email campaign, which might end with your message in the Junk Mail bucket. Do the research, and make sure if you do plan on buying lists, you’re sure the list is made up of quality contacts who are interested in what you’re all about.
Don’t Stick With One Idea – A/B Test Your Results
If you’re not tracking the results of your email campaign, you’re doing you and your company a grand disservice. Email analytics are the lifeblood of a successful campaign, as it will show you what’s resonating with your audience, and what’s lacking in terms of content or visual appeal. It’s called an A/B test. The company creates two versions of the same piece of content, with small differences in design or copy. After doing so, they’ll send each email to a different segment of the brand’s target audience, and judge the performance of one vs. the other. Common differences between both versions include:
- Calls-to-Action
- Imagery
- Headlines
- Body Content
- Timing (day and time)
- Offers & Incentives
The more you do this, the better your understanding of your customer base will be, which can lead to decreased costs and increased email sales.
Incentivize - Make It As Easy to Subscribe As Possible
Getting one of your contacts to subscribe to your email list can be challenging—but there’s a lot you can do to make it easier on yourself. If you want more contacts to subscribe, you’ll need to provide them with incentive—as well as an easy way to do so. You’ll want a registration process that gives you the information you need to know from your contact without scaring them away.
But if you want to make your email campaign as successful and cost-effective as possible, you’ll need to find a balance between prying for information and providing them with helpful content. To do so, you’ll need to sit down and think about the kind of information you need to produce remarkable content for your email contact-base. Some obvious choices include:
- Name (first and last)
- Email Address
- Industry
- Phone Number
- Website
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. If you were getting an unsolicited email asking for a subscription, how would you respond, and what kind of incentives would persuade you to sign up? What if they asked for your phone number? Would you provide them with it? Keep this in mind when creating your forms.
Follow these three steps to change the way you approach your next email marketing campaign, and remember to keep your content authentic and engaging. If you wouldn't want to sit through the email, how can you expect your contacts too? Good luck!