The Evolution Of Email Marketing and Why Your Marketing Strategy Needs It

Your Potential Customers are Using Email

People everywhere, of every age, race, ethnic background and interest are using email every day. And despite the fact that the emergence of social media has presented a whole new way to connect with people, email still dominates when it comes to getting relevant information that pertains to their wants, needs and lifestyle.

Here are some additional stats:

• Employees spend 13 of their working hours each week in their email inbox
• 72% of people prefer to receive content through email (compared to 17% who prefer social media)
• 57% of email subscribers spend 10-60 minutes browsing marketing emails each week
• 71% of millennials (born 1981 – 1996) will take action on an email containing their preferred marketing content (discount codes and free shipping are their favorite content)

Your Customers are Checking Email First!

They’ve opted in–which means they’re ready and willing to connect via email. Those that provide their email to you are some of the most qualified leads you could ask for.

• Email is 40x more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter
• A message is 5x more likely to be seen in email than via Facebook
• Email marketing drives more conversions than any other marketing channel including search and social

It’s Versatile, Customizable and Inexpensive!

Although email marketing might have a traditional feel, those marketers who harness new technology to create inspired creative and data-driven targeting are redefining the look and feel,  delivering high-quality content and enhancing engagement.

Four Ways to Elevate Your Email Marketing Strategy

The success of any campaign depends on your strategy and is a combination of many factors which together work to reach your audience, engage them and then ultimately get them to act. Email marketing is no different–it can be wildly successful if done right. Technology and data provide a multitude of opportunities to reach the right people, speak to their hearts, minds and souls and entice them to think, feel and react.

There are numerous ways you can elevate your email marketing campaigns including continuously building your email list, implementing auto programs and using creative that stands out.

1. Continuously Build Your Email List

While lists still have their place in some marketing campaigns, building your email list using the following tips can tap into those people who have expressed an interest in who you are, what you do and are open to hearing from you. Take a look:

• Include a call to action sign-up in the footer of every page on your website
• Add a pop-up for each page on your site
• Offer an incentive for signing up such as a promo code, specific content such as a travel guide, or whatever else is relevant to your business
• Collect emails from your current clients at the time of purchase (in-store and online)
• Stay away from buying lists. They are ineffective because none of these people asked you to send them emails. They are more likely to end up on their spam.

2. Strike While The Iron Is Hot

There’s no time like the present! Automating your email campaign allows you to respond to leads and customers immediately when they’re ready to buy or hungry for information. Using automation gives you the ability to interact at any time without the need for staff members onsite and before the trail goes cold or the customer loses interest.

• Auto programs allow you to send emails to potential customers right when they are requesting them, and you don’t have to be sitting at your computer to hit the trigger button
• Auto programs designed to go into effect after potential customers sign up for deals, after customers make a purchase, and after purchasers take a tour and/or visit an attraction (for service-focused companies) have proven successful time after time
• Business-to-consumer marketers who leverage automation see conversion rates as high as 50%
• Automated email messages average 70.5% higher open rates and 152% higher click-through rates

Example of an Automated Program

3. Creative Helps You Stand Out

Millions of emails are sent and received every day. Among them are the dreaded spam–the unwanted and unsolicited messages that most folks delete before even opening them. Creating emails that get opened is step one and perhaps the most challenging for many marketers. But once they’ve clicked, keeping the receiver engaged is key and designing content that resonates with target audiences and converts a lead to a sale depends on standing out among the junk that’s flooding inboxes daily. Here are top ways to set your emails apart:

• Avoid subject lines that sound like spam — don’t use all caps, special characters or certain words and phrases that could get your message bounced (Flash Sale, Cash Bonus, Guarantee, Buy Now!, etc.)
• Subject lines should tell the potential customer what’s inside — whether it’s a deal or important information they need
• Clear & direct subject lines both improve your open rate and help your click-through rate because there are no surprises
• Remember, if you wouldn’t say it to a person’s face, it shouldn’t be in your subject line
• Beautiful creative that conveys your message will improve your click-through rate
• Make sure you are sending the content that you said you would (follow-through with your promises)
• Send a variety of content — engage people by sending deals-focused emails and content-focused emails — each will capture different audiences on your email list
• The goal is to get people to your website and both content and deals will do that

4. Spam Best Practices

We highly recommend that you follow all the can-spam best practices. It will make for less spam reports and happy subscribers.

• Send them something right away so that they remember it and know it’s not spam. (This is a great benefit of an auto program)
• Make sure people are getting what they signed up for & have the ability to opt-out or manage their subscription.
• “Honor opt-out requests promptly” – ftc.gov

While most people appreciate emails that provide them with relevant information, deals and tips, etc. from sources they’ve signed up for, nobody appreciates spam. Make sure you respond to requests and subscribers right away–waiting too long to get in touch can often lead to folks forgetting all about you or losing interest. Utilizing auto programming makes this easy and convenient.

Tried and True–Email Is Still A Top Marketing Tool

When it comes to receiving information and communicating, research shows that people, although not too keen on unsolicited email, are open to messages that relate to their needs, wants and interests. With its automation, personalization and customization capabilities and its cost effectiveness, email marketing remains a vital tool for businesses in every industry.

At BlackDog, we specialize in creating successful email marketing campaigns for our clients. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.