Are your emails generating results?

Okay, so we have discussed how to acquire emails, but we have never discussed what to do once we get them. In this article, we will talk about how to get the most from your email marketing. I’ll go over content ideas, who to email, when to email them, and measuring your results.

First thing is first, when collecting your users email, it’s important to keep in mind what the purpose will be. For the purposes of this article, I’ll focus on helping e-commerce companies and use the example of an athletic wear brand. There are a lot of companies that will collect emails, and then overload their users with massive amounts of emails, and generate little to no response from them. So sitting down with your team, you’ll want to come up with a 30, 60, 90 day plan. You’ll also want to look at what metrics are most important for tracking. By determining the most important metrics early on, it will help you come up with a strategy that is built to generate the results you‘re looking to achieve.

When thinking of strategy, you’ll want to consider how you acquired the email address you’re about to start campaigning to. Did they give their email at the checkout? Or did they enter email to receive a discount? When someone chooses to opt-in gives insight to how your users respond, and what triggers them to choose to opt-in. For example, if someone opted in through a pop-up, this user would more than likely like to get notices of special offers or discounts. If someone opts in at checkout, they’ll likely be more responsive to new product offerings, or want to be treated more as if they’re a part of a special group. My recommendation would be to create different campaigns based off of how the user info was acquired.

Next, let’s take a look at content. The key to any good campaign is content. You can have great deliverability and a great open rate, but if you don’t have the right content, over time those results will start to worsen. Taking a look at the campaign you are running and who you are offering to will play a factor. For example, if someone recently purchased a

popular product, it could be a great idea to send out an email after their item shipped offering them a discount on a similar product, or another popular product. You’ll want to be sure to include a discount or special offer. You may also want to consider offering a loyalty rewards program. Try using verbiage like “With your current order, you’ve already qualified for X amount of rewards points, purchase X item today and claim double points.” I would also create a countdown for eligibility to claim the points to build urgency.

Imagery is important in each campaign. Considering that most users are accessing email from mobile, you’ll want to ensure your imagery is easily digestible, is relatable, and has the correct formatting.

In this email, you can see it went straight to the junk folder. You’ll also notice that the subject line is showing the offer. While it is great to showcase what the offer is, upon opening the email, there is nothing to backup how to access the offer. In fact, you‘ll notice that the imagery doesn‘t showcase the product very well, it is small, and the spacing is off. This could be a formatting issue, or could be intentional. Here would be the changes I suggest:

1. Either change the subject line to say “Any 5 items $99” or change the first image to show leggings priced at $19.80. I would recommend changing the imagery, and adding a “Shop Now” CTA. 2. Make the images larger to showcase the offer, and the quality of leggings. 3. Adjust the formatting to fit the screen and reduce the amount of empty space. 4. Remove the 3rd image and start with the email body. Making the entire headline bold, and adjusting the font and colors to stand out more. 5. Keep in mind that content above the fold is the MOST important and should be placed strategically to ensure users are seeing exactly what the offer is.

There are other suggestions I would make to this email, but for the purposes of moving on, I’ll keep it basic.

Next, I’ll discuss when to email your users. The last thing you want to do is have people unsubscribe to your emails. It’s important to make sure you’re only sending emails when it’s necessary. Yes, people like to know when you have a promo or special offer, but they don’t like to get an email every day notifying you of these offers. So pay attention to how often these emails are generated. The goal is to drive traffic and peak interest in purchasing product. You’ll want to set up your campaign to showcase your offer, and then schedule a follow up, without flooding someone’s inbox. If you are sending more than 1 email with the same offer, you’ll want to space them out. I would suggest having a countdown on the first email, to let your users know that the offer is limited time, and then in the second email showcase the same countdown to let your users know why they’re receiving a second email. Keep in mind why someone opted in, and only send them emails related to the opt in reason. Of course, everyone loves a good deal, but try not to over do it, or else your open rate will reduce.

Last, but not least, measuring results. Deliverability, open rate, inbox deliveries, conversions, and engagement are some of the most important metrics. As anyone who has been in the industry will tell you, measuring campaign performance and making adjustments are vital for success. There are a couple of key factors in ensuring inbox delivery success. First, make sure you’re list is clean and has the correct info. You don’t want to send mass emails, and then have I correct info. This will flag servers that emails from your server are potential junk. Next, you want to try and personalize your email. Not only does this help with inbox delivery, but also helps increase conversions and engagement. One other note is to be sure you are compliant from a legal standpoint. This would include having the option to unsubscribe.

When it comes to having a successful email campaign, there are several factors that contribute to success. In case I haven’t stressed this enough, measuring your results is the biggest key to success. Email marketing can be extremely rewarding with the right strategy. In the next article, we will discuss building a successful rewards/loyalty program.

Thanks, Elizabeth