After discussing three techniques to choosing the right social media network, it’s time to delve into another important piece of your internet marketing strategy — email marketing.
“Email is dead”. How often have you heard this statement? Did you jump on that wagon? Have you dropped all your email efforts and moved over to social media entirely?
According to Sikich, 70% of digital marketers see email as the top medium for ROI while consumers who receive email marketing spend 83% more when shopping.
We’ve learned that social media is a great strategy to build valuable relationships and engage with your target audience. Blogging is another viable way to connect with like-minded folks. But how can you actually add email to your marketing weapons and make your messages stand out in an over-used channel?
Considering that US marketers sent 838 billion emails in 2013, how can you effectively interact with customers prior to your newsletters ending up in the trash bin?
Here are 9 easy ways to improve your email open rates and ensure your message stands out in an over-saturated inbox:
- Send from a real person; avoid impersonal email addresses.
- Segment your list and keep it clean.
- Write an enticing subject line.
- Tell your recipients what type of content they can expect. Mention frequency as well.
- Optimize for mobile.
- Keep your CTA clear and concise.
- Personalize if you have your recipient’s first name.
- Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe. This will help you keep your list ‘clean’ – narrowing down your ideal audience.
- Test. Analyze. Optimize.
Should you incorporate email marketing into your marketing plan?
When used effectively, emails are a fantastic channel to reach your core audience in a more personal way, giving the entire experience a familiar touch. People are sick of receiving messages from robots, engaging with anonymous machines and being seen as a number in the universe. In today’s digital world it’s important to understand that we are dealing with human beings who value groups, communities and social interaction.
Therefore, I consider tip #1 – Send from a REAL PERSON that recipients can reply to – very important.
If you want to know more about the effectiveness of email and newsletter marketing, I suggest you listen to my latest podcast interview with Jim Palmer, best known internationally as “The Newsletter Guru”. Jim reveals the key ingredients of a successful newsletter campaign, three best strategies you can implement right away to increase client retention, the benefits of using both print and email marketing, the biggest marketing mistakes entrepreneurs and small business owners make when it comes to implementing newsletter marketing and loads more…
Are you using email marketing to increase client retention and generate more sales? What are some of your best practices? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.
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