To this day, email remains the most convenient, affordable and reliable marketing tool. With a large percentage of adults using the service on a daily basis, email marketing campaigns stand a huge chance of reaching millions of people and tapping into their needs.
Targeted email campaigns may do marvels to that end; with a zest of segmentation and geo targeting, every business can easily attain new customers.
Stats Speak Louder than Words
In fact, 95 percent of adults with internet access use email services on a daily basis. They spend an average 5.4 hours a day checking email. The reason why email remains so popular even with numerous alternatives is that the service is free, customizable and regularly updated.
That being said, stats regarding email marketing teach us that 90 percent of messages done right (we’ll get to the definition later on) reach customers’ inboxes. An important perk is that over half of those is being accessed on mobile devices. As regards to Gmail users, who are numerous, mildly put, 75 percent of them regularly access email via mobile devices.
The insight is important in that it speaks volumes about mobile-ready marketing campaigns. No matter the quality of the content, if it doesn’t look good on a mobile device, it won’t help the cause. Additionally, 70 percent of mobile phone users re-read emails, while 23 percent of people accessing emails on mobile devices read them at least one more time.
As regards click-through rates, one-third of them take place on mobile devices. Stats for subscriptions are even higher, as nearly 90 percent of them happen on mobile devices.
Sophistication Meets Email Marketing
With most businesses understanding the value of email marketing, the service has expanded to meet the demand. Segmentation tools and geo targeting are more sophisticated than ever, with the trend unlikely to reverse. Automation is getting more seamless by the day, allowing for diverse stratagems and strategies needed by all types of businesses.
The latest stats show that email marketing has an ROI of 4400 percent, with the revenue per email steadily rising for nine whole years. Targeted and segmented campaigns generate 77 percent of overall ROI, with the average order value per email being ca. 3x higher compared to social media offers.
That isn’t to say that social media don’t have their role, and an important one at that. Every offer hitting people’s inboxes stands better chances of success if the offer is also advertised on social media. Catchy descriptions and tempting promotions, as a rule, get shared and re-shared.
Increasing the Efficiency of Email Marketing Campaigns
To become successful in the long run, an email marketing campaign should be premeditated. Even when starting on a smaller scale (e.g., less customers and less lucrative offers), email offers should be capable of keeping readers’ attention and leaving them curious as to what is to come next.
Newsletters and established seasonal offers have proven to be welcomed by all, but sending too many emails too often will result in unsubscriptions. Which brings us to an important point: an unsubscribe button should be plastered to every single message as to avoid the messages being flagged as spam.
However, to actually get to the point of getting attention, emails should take into consideration the following factors: deliverability, segmentation, optimization and personalization.
- To increase deliverability of the messages, choosing a trusted email service provider is the first thing to do. This will give any campaign a good start, as messages will be delivered to customers’ inboxes rather than their spam folders and you should put in some effort to keep them there. For starters, avoiding spam trigger words will do the trick (check out CAN-SPAM Act).
- Segmentation provides core insights into customers’ desires and is a powerful tool for triggering the effects of an email marketing campaign. There are many sub-factors to consider in order to fine tune a campaign, with the essential ones being demographics, behavioral data and purchase history.
- Optimization for mobile devices, as mentioned above, guarantees greater open rates. There are several tricks to it, starting with responsive templates. Many predesigned templates are freely accessible online. Do your research before making the final decision because it will pay off in the long run.
Don’t add too many images. Mobile-optimized emails should be kept simple and clean. Think in terms of travelers using public Wi-Fi networks.
Finally, word count matters. Research performed by Marketo shows that the subject-line length should not exceed 41 characters (7 words). If you want to add additional explanations, use pre-header text. As for the body, emails with 75 to 100 words have the highest response rates (ca. 51%, according to Boomerang).
Avoiding long paragraphs is also a good idea. Make certain to state the most important info first, as emails read on the go may have difficulties keeping the readers’ attention for long.
Finally, to keep emails as clean as possible, use buttons for calls to action (and make sure the target webpage is also optimized for mobile devices).
- Personalization will show the readers they matter. Don’t underestimate welcome emails and cart abandonment messages. Address customers by name rather than sending a generic message – first impressions do matter!
Emails Customers Look Forward to Receiving
Some messages are more welcome than others, and the logic behind the sentiment should not be difficult to grasp. The above-mentioned welcome messages make people feel special, and the same may be said for thank you emails.
Next come order status emails. You know the feeling of waiting for that special order to arrive? Your customers feel the same way. On a more practical note, home deliveries are best announced beforehand. Emails that never end up in spam folders include order, shipment and delivery confirmations, shipment tracking and receipts.
Shopping cart reminders and re-order emails may do wonders in terms of ROI. Needless to say, they need to be composed in such a way as to remind the recipient about the value and the promise, so that they will consider re-ordering in the future. Stats show that shopping cart reminders are worth ca. $17.90 per email sent.
As for other types of messages, it’s best to go with a well-thought-out strategy. Remember that a customer base is not a constant; normally businesses wish to expand, so it is perfectly fine to start small and think up improvements on the go.
There is no magic formula to a successful email marketing campaign, but there is wisdom that comes with experience. Use the insights from above to avoid going in circles when starting from scratch.
