It might seem like the modern age is all about social media and streaming platforms. But in the world of marketing, the oldest form of internet communication is actually one of the most effective. The humble email generates an average return on investment (ROI) of an incredible $36 for every $1 spent!
However, if you want to enjoy some of that 3,600% ROI for yourself, you need to understand how to run an email campaign correctly. Here are four steps to help you create a successful email campaign for your business.
Perform an audience analysis
One of the reasons email is so successful is because of the ability to personalize your messaging for your audience. With other platforms like social media, one message goes to your entire feed. With email, you can send different messages to your different types of audience to appeal to the reader specifically and boost conversion rates.
To benefit from personalizing your email messaging, you first need to understand your audience. An in-depth audience analysis is the first step toward any successful email marketing campaign.
Consider your ideal customer. Think about main demographic information like age, gender, economic class, etc. Then think about their interests and how they use your products and services to achieve a goal. This is all information you can use to better personalize your email messaging for the reader.
Many companies have different audiences they want to appeal to. In this case, it’s best to segment your audience. Send one email to one group and a different email to another. Each email should be personalized to the group. You can create as many audience segments as you need. The more specific you can make your email to the reader, the higher your conversion rates will be!
Use attractive email layouts
Your marketing emails are a representation of your company. A poorly designed text-only email will make your company look boring — or at the very least like you don’t know how to design a good email. Make your emails stand out by using professional corporate email templates from websites like PosterMyWall.
Simply choose the template that best fits your brand, customize the information in the easy drag-and-drop editor, and you’re ready to send to your various mailing lists. Templates are the best way to get attractive professional designs without taking time from your busy schedule to design from scratch.
Grow your contact list
What good is an amazing email layout if you don’t have anyone to send it to? Part of any successful email marketing campaign is constantly growing your contact list.
There are a number of ways to add contacts to your database. Here are just a few of the most popular:
- Add opt-in form to your website
- Promote your newsletters on social media
- Offer email-only discounts upon signup
- Provide email receipts for products or services with an email opt-in
- Just ask!
Collecting contact information should be an ongoing effort. There’s no such thing as “too many” email addresses in your CRM software. Continue thinking of new ways to encourage more people to sign up for your emails. The more email addresses you have in your contact database, the better!
Retarget previous customers
The entire goal of any marketing campaign is to get customers to convert to a sale. But sometimes customers don’t make it all the way down the sales funnel. They get to a certain point and stop before they actually make the purchase.
Email retargeting is when you reach out directly to users who have interacted with your brand and taken a few steps of the sales process without accomplishing the desired action. It’s like a little reminder nudge. One of the most common examples of email retargeting is when you get an email reminding you that something is still in your online shopping cart and asking you to check out.
Depending on the email marketing platform you use, you may be able to automate retargeting efforts. However, you can always keep track of users manually and add them to various segmented lists. Once you have a few users in the “added to shopping cart” list, you can send an email reminding them all to make the purchase — for example.
You can retarget users at any stage of the buyer’s journey. It’s only limited by what data you’re able to track.
Maximize your ROI with a successful email marketing campaign
Email can be one of the most effective forms of digital marketing in the modern world. But it’s only effective if you do it correctly. Start by defining and segmenting your audience and use templates to design attractive email layouts. Then, set up retargeting efforts to reach out to users who may have lost their way down the sales funnel and constantly think of new ways to add contact information to your database.
A successful email marketing campaign can help you grow your business. It might take some effort and planning, but if done correctly you can generate some incredible returns on your marketing investment.
