If you read no further, understand this: Marketers still find email effective, today more than ever.
That’s not to say that all email marketing campaigns are equal, but the stats don’t lie. According to a survey by Gigaom, marketers believe email is still the strongest tool in their arsenal, outranking both social media and SEO when it comes to raising awareness, increasing acquisition, starting conversion, and supporting customer retention.
But just because those marketers choose to spend money on email marketing doesn’t guarantee its effectiveness for you. After all, you’re no stranger to the delete button either. How can you avoid that fate for your marketing email efforts?
Make email marketing work for you
Meet the grown-up version of email marketing. It’s not that annoying kid tugging for your attention anymore. Email marketing’s coming-of-age means it’s a full grown marketing tool with targeted precision and the ability to craft a sophisticated message.
Send targeted emails to clients, customers, and anyone else you need to reach. Pair your CRM with an email service provider (ESP) and other integrated apps to manage your subscriber lists, build email campaigns, and review your effectiveness.
Want to get targeted precision and sophisticated messaging working for you? Here’s how:
Integrate your CRM with an email service provider (ESP) app, such as MailChimp. MailChimp promises you’ll Send better email. Sell more stuff. No wonder MailChimp partners so well with Nutshell’s straightforward approach: Get Organized. Sell Smarter. Grow Relationships.
Learn about your customer. Use their past purchases, wish lists, and browsing history to understand their product preferences and shopping habits. Are they a browser who loads up their cart but doesn’t complete the sale? Create automated, personalized emails through your ESP with customized offers just for her. Tip her off to sales, suggestions for similar items she might like, reorders, or new product purchases. This particular customer might respond to an email with a subject line something like this: We see you left something in your cart? Would free shipping help?
Segment your customer list into groups by demographic, behavior, or both. Customized emails sent to targeted segments earn more customer mindshare. In fact, MarketingSherpa reports that the click-through rate (CTR) of segmented email is up to 50% higher than generic batch and blast emails sent out to everyone on your distribution list. In addition to segments based on customer shopping preferences, your CRM integrated apps can access segmentation data in places like social media.
Reach your customer more effectively. Use your CRM to send them a personal email sequence with their name. CTR increases on emails when the receiver’s first name appears in the subject line.
Use the trends to get your voice heard
Let’s revisit the stats for a moment. Although email marketing is becoming a more agile tool, you’re not the only one to hear the news. More effective email marketing means more email marketing users, which leads to more competition for your audience. How much competition? According to Radicati Group’s Email Statistics Report, email traffic will continue to have an annual rise of about 4%, while business email will continue to grow at a higher rate of 7%.
Ready to jump on the email marketing bandwagon? While email marketing is effective and accessible, you shouldn’t jump in willy nilly. As you craft your approach, keep these points in mind:
Mobile access. Over half of email is opened on a mobile device, according to Pew Research Center. Optimize your email and web pages for mobile usage, or your message clarity will be compromised.
Authentic engagement. Yes, I may have my head bowed to the lifeline of my digital device, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a need to connect. Today, there’s an even greater need for personalized communication. That’s why it’s essential to drop the outdated ‘bait and blast’ emails, using segmented, personalized emails instead.
People still love coupons. Use coupons to earn your customer’s inbox attention. Coupons drive sales, both online and in stores. Nielsen reports that 27% of online shoppers subscribe to store or product emails to save money. While it’s becoming less likely that your customers have ever opened the Sunday paper to cut out a paper coupon, coupons are effective tools, especially when it comes to your email escaping an immediate delete. (Related: 25 Magento Statistics You Need in 2019 to Boost Your Online Business)
Email marketing is not standalone. While getting some attention in the inbox is a good start, it’s nowhere near the end goal. Look at email communication as a portal to other online sites, and pair with other online media like video, social media, and other marketing channels.
Email marketing has a strong ROI. Not surprisingly, email packs the most bang for your advertising buck. In fact, email marketing can generate $44 for every dollar spent. Since it’s kinder on the budget and easier to customize than other marketing channels, email marketing is an accessible approach for small to medium sized businesses. Want to know how much value you’re getting for your own email efforts? Use this simple ROI calculator from Sleeknote!
Earn quality sales with quality email
Your CRM can make your email marketing more effective and efficient. Let us know how personalized emails are helping you hit your target demographic with the right message at the right time.
Nutshell Campaigns plugs directly into your CRM data, so you can create highly targeted audience segments, track the impact of your emails in real-time, and manage all your communications out of a single tool. Get started for free!
