Originally devised as a fast means of communication, email has grown to become the most widely used service, incorporating a number of purposes outreaching simple communication by far. Albeit many new apps have taken over some of the original purposes of the email, the service still serves as an efficient way of advertising.
Email marketing is, among other things, the cheapest way of advertising with the potential to generate up to 4400% in ROI. The fact that nearly 95% of adults worldwide use email services on a daily basis only goes to show the growing potential of e-advertising.
However, creating stellar marketing campaigns is far from being an easy task, with multiple factors to be taken into account. One of the most important concerns is – mobile device optimization.
Did you know that:
- 53% of emails are accessed on mobile devices
- 23% of people who open emails on mobile phones read them at least one more time
- 70% of mobile phone users re-read emails
- 75% of Gmail users access emails via mobile devices
- The majority of subscriptions take place on mobile devices
- One third of all CTRs take place on mobile devices?
The figures are, perhaps, not that surprising, given that most people nowadays perform various tasks on the go due to the hectic lifestyle everyone faces. Another important insight in that regard shows that people spend 5.4 hours a day on average checking incoming emails.
Email Campaign Optimization
Now that we know that a good email campaign must be mobile optimized, it’s time to consider other important feats. Let’s use some more stats to determine the next steps:
- Segmented and targeted campaigns generate 77% of overall ROI
- 50% of small and medium size businesses use marketing automation software
- Revenue per email has been rising since 2010
- The average order value per email is approximately three times higher compared to social media offers
The key to long-turn gains lies in targeting, but that, in itself, is not sufficient for long-term success. The reason is simple: no matter how great a campaign, if it doesn’t get delivered to customers’ inbox or if it isn’t read, all the efforts will be wasted.
To make certain a message gets delivered, choose a trusted email service provider, test-send all emails, and avoid spam trigger words (check the CAN-SPAM Act for that).
When test sending a message, make certain to access it on multiple devices and in all of the most popular browsers.
Email Campaign Personalization
The key to keeping customers in the long run lies in a personalized approach. People like to feel special – nothing wrong with that.
In the context of email marketing, the practice translates into addressing customers on the first name basis (you’ll get this info from the subscription form) and providing continual customer support. Make certain to include contact information in every email you send and respond to customers’ questions and complaints via all available channels (email, phone, social media, etc.).
A little trick would be to send shopping cart reminders and cart abandonment emails. Albeit the practice is obviously an attempt at additional income, it also shows that you care about your customers. Because most cart abandonments happen due to technical issues, it is also advisable to ask the customer what went wrong.
In that way, you will show that you care. Any potential technical issues reported should be dealt with accordingly.
Following up from there, you may also choose to send product recommendations. Use customers’ purchase history and to determine the type of products they might be interested in. More subtle methods deriving from this practice may include special offers for selected projects. The options are limitless, as long as you use insights to determine the best approach.
What Content to Send?
The fact that quality content is the single most important factor in making a business successful, surpassing even the SEO efforts, must be observed when determining the type of content to be featured in a marketing campaign.
Coupled with customers’ wishes, this approach renders the best results by far. Namely, even if the content is superb, if the customer isn’t interested in the offer, your efforts will go to waste.
The examples of emails most customers look forward to receiving include welcome messages, order status messages, order arrival messages and newsletters, provided that they are clear and deliver on their promise. Sometimes you can use these apps for your employees too, not only for Marketing. Or Marketing for your employees with an employee aps or so called mitarbeiter app in German.
Finally, the timing and frequency of the campaign are of critical importance. If you run an international brand (e.g., an online shop with worldwide delivery), make sure to mind the time zones. In addition, don’t shy away from sending different offers to different customers. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is interested in cheap offers. Wealthier clientele will expect VIP offers, so always make an effort to get to know your audience.
Last but not least, keep in mind that target audiences may change over time. To ensure that your email marketing campaigns are continually successful, perform analyses on a regular basis and listen to customers’ feedback. Knowing the expectations of your customers is, in short, the key in running a successful email marketing campaigns.
