Despite the skyrocketing popularity of social media, email marketing remains relevant for many businesses. Responsys reports that email marketing message volume recently achieved record-setting levels and has remained there for several months. More businesses are making the switch from print and direct mail advertising to digital marketing using email. Online marketing consulting firms help their clients create impressive email marketing campaigns.
Retail email volume increased by more than 16 percent during 2011 and is expected to grow an additional 20 percent this year. This means more competition for businesses who have embraced email for marketing to prospects and customers. With many companies battling for attention from the same target audience, the focus must be on creating messages that engage.
An effective email marketing campaign begins with a review of the email contact list. Check the open rate of past email advertising. If it is much less than the 20 percent average, the list may be stale. Also, review click-through rates to determine how many recipients took the desired action and check the conversion rate to identify how many completed the cycle by registering for an offer or making a product purchase.
Once the email list is refined to include only people who want to receive these communications, segment the list to identify recipients who have not recently opened a marketing email. Send each of these people a dedicated message that inspires action. Make it humorous, shocking, or thought-provoking…anything that will create a reaction and cause them to reengage with the company. If there is still no response from certain people, remove those email addresses from future contact lists.
Images capture attention and original images are most effective. Consultants know that stock photos are passé so they encourage clients to use personalized images. Employees can serve as product models and Pinterest and Instagram uploads can also be incorporated into promotional emails. Images should be used strategically because too many graphics can make it difficult for emails to render on different devices and email clients.
Email marketing messages should not be littered with industry jargon or buzzwords. Online marketing consulting firms advise clients to use simple terms that anyone can understand, word messages in the first person, and incorporate a basic call to action. Readers should not have to search for ways to access the promoted offer. Marketers must make things as easy as possible and allow recipients to share the messages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+.
