I went to Digital Summit Atlanta last week. It was a 3 day digital marketing information fire hose! Bliss for marketing geeks like me. The conference had its ups and downs, but the ups were well worth the money and time invested. The best investment was in a 4 hour morning workshop with Michael Barber: “45 Tactics to Take Your Email from Zero to Hero.” Like he said in his intro, it was more like 115 than 45! Incredible workshop, thank you, Michael!
Most prevalent throughout the conference were workshops and speakers on the power of email marketing. Not that social media is dying. Conversation continues about social, but this year, it’s all about 1) analytics, 2) advertising, and, of course, 23) GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulations).
Most prevalent throughout the conference were workshops and speakers on the power of email marketing. Not that social media is dying. Conversation continues about social, but this year, it’s all about 1) analytics, 2) advertising, and, of course, 23) GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulations).
I have a glut of information I could share from the workshops and speakers, but I chose email marketing to post today because there are still a lot of myths circulating that I’d like to set straight.
For one, we’ve had years of gloom and doom forecasts for email marketing. If I see one more blog on how email marketing is dying, I’ll be laughing now instead of crying. The validation for successful use was clear during the conference. I always believed email would come around to be on top again. The prime beauty of email is your recipient already knows who you are and what you do. It’s easier to keep a fire going than to try to start a new one. And email keeps that fire of customer relationships going for small businesses – and all businesses!
But the emphasis at the conference was clear – we all need to be better at email.
How?
List segmentation is more important than ever.
Segmented email campaigns yield a 760% increase in revenue. Content relevance to a recipient is a guarantee toward better open rates and lower unsubscribes or spams.
- Are you sending dog food coupons to cat owners?
- Athletic shoe sale event announcements to dress shoe customers?
- A big ticket item discount offer to someone who just purchased that item?
We’ve all been on the receiving end of irrelevant emails. And we’ve sometimes unsubscribed as a result. Don’t risk that turnoff. Many of you can integrate your POS or CRM system to provide spreadsheets based on not just demographics, but also by item and amount purchased.
Purchased lists. Don’t buy or use them!
- A purchased list is anathema to privacy policies.
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective May 25th, 2018 makes that clear. Yes, the GDPR applies only to the EU, but it is only a matter of time before the U.S. adapts similar privacy tactics.
- Using a purchased email list will skew your results analytics – negatively.
- Unwitting recipients are more likely to spam and unsubscribe.
- While you can segment a purchased list by demographics, how does one accurately segment a purchased list for relevancy?
Why is email marketing stronger than ever?
The reasons vary…
- People check their phones all day long. Estimations clock 150x daily!
- Email apps are the most popular app used by mobile device users.
- Email open rates on mobile have grown 180% since 2015
- Millennials and boomers prefer email search capabilities over social media for sourcing loyalty savings from their favorite businesses.
- Social media political posts have made followers weary and evasive.
- 86% of professionals prefer email as the primary communication platform for business
- Personalization capabilities:
- Personalized content performs 42% better than non-personalized content.
- 77% of consumers have paid more for a brand that provides a personalized experience.
- Personalized CTAs lead to 42% more conversions.
Yes, the marketing-speak was strong for email marketing all through the conference. But always with the caveat to do better.
Send Better Emails
Consider the following:
- Use mobile responsive email templates. Smartphones and tablets come in all shapes and sizes.
- 80% of email users access their email accounts exclusively from their mobile device.
- 80% stop engaging with content that does not display well on their device.
- Use social share buttons. Social sharing buttons in email increase click through rates by 158%
- Use Video: most ESPs (Email Service Providers) have video placement capability without slowing download.
- Graphics and Images: Images and well made graphics are more important than ever.
- Relevance – keep focused, and always consider your audience. Don’t just blast information at them.
- 87% of customers think brands need to put more effort into providing a consistent experience. A branded email template with consistent and relevant messaging is the easiest platform to provide such an experience.
Email Automation
Another salient feature of email personalization is an autoresponder series. It’s never too late to start.
- Welcome letter for new subscribers
- Update it or create one if you don’t have one.
- Don’t include a coupon unless you plan on including coupons in every email.
- Schedule a series that includes relevant and useful information to that new customer.
- Birthday EmailIt may seem corny to you, but sending a personalized birthday wish to a customer is a feel good thing. A free dessert, 10% off, a free pair of s ocks, even a little giveaway is still another opportunity to bring someone in to your business or store.
- Anniversary email
- Anniversaries aren’t just about marriage. Consider sending an email on the anniversary of doing business with you! Realtors, how about an anniversary of their first year in their new home? Lots of opportunities to connect in a personal way.
- Purchase Follow-up
- Send a follow up autoresponder for high-end products. How about tips on use and care of that new product to prolong its life? Or tips on alternate ways to use the product to increase the value.
Last but not least, upgrade your content
- Don’t bury recipients in text. The average time for reading an email on mobile is 8 seconds.
- Use Hero images to catch attention with simple, descriptive text.
- 80% informational or educational – provide useful information that is relevant to your business and to the recipients’ interest.
- 20% promotional – yes, they know you are a business and expect you want to promote it, but they don’t want a billboard in their inbox.
Email has an average ROI of $38 for each $1 spent.
For every small business and non-profit, the benefits of email are clear.
Don’t dismiss the power of email marketing.
Final Tips:
- Say hello! Be polite.
- Personalize.
- Be human.
- Be consistent in your branding.
- Use your analytics to improve results.
- Have a marketing schedule.
- Enlarge font size: Headlines 30px+, body copy 16px+. Why? Mobile.
- Use buttons for links. It is tough to hit a hyperlink with fingers on a mobile screen.
- Use hero images
- Subject lines matter. And subject line length doesn’t matter. Just be relevant and not boring.
- Use Gifs and videos. Visual works wonders in a world where only readers only spend 8 seconds…
- Automation and Triggers.
- Send an email at least once a month – consistently.
What would you add….? There is so much more I could add, and I will. In future posts…
Note: If you haven’t tried email yet, I highly recommend Constant Contact. Try it for free for 60 days (no credit card or contract required).
