I get bummed out when I see how much time and effort email marketers put into their creative, but not enough time into strategy or how the technology available to them can really take their email marketing efforts to the next level. The main reason I get frustrated is because the tools are within their reach and are so simple to implement.
So here's my short list of things I want you to explore and then do...if you are not already.
1- Split Testing
This one is a no-brainer. Can you imagine giving the newspaper or a book author the ability to test which headline would be most successful before they go to print? With email marketing technology and split testing, it's a breeze. Which subject line will create higher open rates or clicks? Which creative will motivate more people to take action? Which offer or call-to-action will generate more conversion? With split-testing, any reputable email platform will allow you stage a few options, hit send and let the system pick the winner based on the criteria you choose (opens and click-throughs) and then delivers the remainder of your campaign to the winner.
We've seen open rates at 20% spike to 35% and click-thru rates jump from 4% to over 10%,,,just by trying two different subject lines for a client.
Benefit? Find out what works and get a better response rate.
2 - List Segmenting
OK - another no brainer: stop batch and blasting. Stop uploading a hundred lists to your account. Define your data (in your CRM, etc.), map out what fields of data you want associated with each subscriber (first, last, company, contact type, etc.) and import into a single list. Then create a list by simply identifying a search criteria - i.e. give me a segment or subset of my list of everyone in (example) zip code 03102 who are male. Even better, do it based off of customer or prospect type and create segments based on past interactions or behavior. The options to narrowly segment and send relevant content to that segment is unlike any other marketing vehicle in the world.
Benefit? Cleaner management of data, more targeted mailings, greater response rates.
3 - Triggered Mailings/Autoresponders
You guessed it...another no brainer. Put your outbound communications on auto-pilot. Have a web opt-in form? Set up a series of email "drips" that your email platform can deploy over a timed sequence. Maybe it's like this: Someone visits your web site and requests a white paper or a trial of your software or perhaps they made a purchase. Connect that information to your platform and stage mailings to "auto" deploy based on the criteria you set. You could have a two week window of every other day communications based on who subscribed, what their profile is, what their behavior has been with you, etc. And again, any good platform worth their salt will provide all of the real-time stats on your triggered mailings as well.
Benefit? Let technology go to work for you and keep the right (timed) communication in front of your audience. Multiple touches and BAM! They take action!
4 - Personalization
This is email marketing 101, but do it in an intelligent fashion. People can smell 'mail merge' a mile away, especially if you get it wrong like Dear BRETT HOULE. Nothing wrong with Dear Brett, just make sure it looks and smells believable, not an obvious ALL CAPS pull from your database. If you saw me on the street, would you say, "Hi BRETT HOULE' and yell really loudly? I didn't think so. (Although that would be quite an experience.)
Better yet, personalize an email with some details you know that wouldn’t be what you'd typically store in an email database. How about, "Hi Brett - we feel horrible. Your birthday was yesterday and we were late." How clever. Now I may know intuitively you automated this somehow, but you cleverly spun it to sound human (we made an error!). Have a purchase history on your customers stored somewhere? Why not use that to merge the last product purchased or the last interaction with you. And finally, personalization should be geared around profiles. What type of actual content does a slice or segment of your audience prefer? Or are you sending one-size-fits-all content?
Benefit? Email is all about relevancy. You must know who your prospects and customers are, no? Why not demonstrate that? You'll keep them engaged MUCH longer.
5 - Social Follow & Social Sharing
At this point, if you are not working your email marketing and social networking together, you're probably living under a rock. You have to go where the eyeballs are and email/social is a powerful one-two punch. If you have a Twitter feed or a Facebook fan page like us, you need icons in your emails to not only prompt your customers to follow you, but also to share the content inside your emails with their networks. Forward to a friend is still a standard and many subscribers will use this, but the NEW forward is really the share feature. It allows folks to connect this with their personal and professional networks quickly and easily and may easily garner you some new subscribers.
Benefit?: Everyone knows hundreds, sometimes thousands of people you or I don't. Why not tap that? Let them remarket on your behalf.
BONUS: An idea on the house!
If you'd like me to take a peek at your email or email program, please send me an email to brett@sendlabs.com and I promise to share an idea or two to help you make things a bit better. You can even send me a sample of your latest email campaign to that address. I'd love to check it out. I don't say this often, but use me!
At the very least, I'd love your feedback here.
Brett