Getting More Strategic with Email

Throughout the development of email programs, it’s essential to move customers through the customer lifecycle – from acquisition to brand advocate. Email marketing plays an important role in an effective multi-channel marketing strategy that can help create brand advocates by engaging customers and driving them to higher lifetime value through increased relevancy.

While strategic email marketing programs drive customer loyalty and ultimately, more revenue, it can be difficult and time-consuming to execute these programs. We recommend that you take a phased approach. Make a commitment to implement 2-3 new programs each year. Over time, you’ll form a sophisticated email program that will become a powerful asset to your bottom line.

Email Security Breach

I have received three messages in the past few days from organizations where I do business.  The emails were notifications or alerts announcing the their ESP that my email address and other personal information “may have been exposed by unauthorized entry into their system.”   Two were financial institutions.   When picking your next ESP, make sure you do your homework and pick one that is financially sound.

Mobile Rendering with Email

When creating an email marketing message, you need to remember to optimize the mobile and preview pane view. The number of users checking email on their mobile devices increased 35.8 percent in November – from 51.6 million in November 2009 to 70.1 million. Therefore, make it easy for a user to view and act upon the email without viewing the full creative.  You should have a link in the pre-header, make the navigation HTML and clickable, and build the email so the top left creative has an action in it.

Email Call to Action

To drive better conversions or to get the results to improve, it is always key to put your message or call to action “above the fold”. Most recipients preview their emails in the preview pane. Remember the real estate is limited. Your key call to action and or graphic must reside in this area if you want to maximize open rates.

Understanding Opt-in

Smart marketers should offer a very clear opt-in mechanism so visitors understand they are proactively giving consent to receive further communication from the brand. The best marketers also offer choices about which types of communications consumers are agreeing to receive and how often they wish to receive them (i.e., special offers vs. company highlights).  Do this and you should see your open rates and conversion grow.

Call to Action

If you are not doing so already you need to include a call to action in every message.  Each email you send should spell out exactly what you want the recipient to do. Make links obvious and call attention to any special directions you are providing. And it’s okay to be repetitive when it comes to the call to action – include it toward the top of the message and mention it again at the end.  If you do this, you can measure the results and take follow up steps to drive results.

Email Tips

I have been asked recently on how to optimize your email efforts.  Below are a couple of tips that can help with inbox delivery. 

1) Optimize your email for the preview pane.  Your subscribers probably view their inbox in a preview pane.  Make sure your compelling message or offer renders in the preview pane.  Quick tip:  Pay attention to the first two or three inches of your e-mail, as this may be all the recipient sees.

2) Keep the “from” line familiar.  If you subscribers don’t recognize the from name, they will likely not open the message. 

3) Have a compelling subject line. This is the most important factor determining whether an e-mail is opened. Keep it short.  If you are torn between multiple subject lines, do an A/B test. 

4) Make email content scannable   Your subscribers will scan the email.  The typical email is only viewed for 5 seconds or so.  Make sure the content is easy to scan.  Maybe the use of bullets can get your point across. 

Alway try to learn more about your subscribers so you can target them more effectively.  Improving you email marketing takes work.  Keep at it.

Email Marketing should be conversational

Those of you who have evolved with email marketing over the past 8-10 years already know that has changed.  Originally email began as a one-to-one tool, it then evolved as a way of communicating one to many.  Today, marketers are shifting to a one-to-some model, using personalization, segmenting and CRM to  create highly targeted messages.  Early on the marketer was dictating who, wat, when and how.  Now the subscriber is in control.  Listen to your subscribers and follow through on what you say you are going to do and you will be successful.

New ESP

When you are selecting a new ESP, make sure that your selection criteria includes the functionality that you need both today and in the future.  Right now, I am hearing that a single dashboard where you can manage multiple digital marketing channels is optimal.  This includes: email, social (publish to facebook) and a calendar function.  Just make sure you are “over-buying” for your needs.

Social Media Survey

In a recent study called Marketing Budgets 2010: Effectiveness, Measurement and Allocation, by Econsultancy, said that social media is the fastest growing digital marketing channel.  Of the 70%+  respondents, they said they will be increasing their budgets for social media marketing on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition, 65% of respondents said they’re planning to increase their budgets for on-site social media, such as blogs or ratings and reviews.  If you have not engaged your ESP or digital agency for some help, you might do so to stay ahead of your competitors.