Ten Ways to Email Campaign Success

Creating an engaging email marketing program doesn’t need to take a lengthy time or a tremendous effort.  Use these email shortcuts to reduce your email stress while increasing your return on investment.

1. Keep subject lines crisp.  Concise, attention grabbing subject lines will entice readers to open your email.   Keep keywords focused and relevant.  Use A/B testing to determine which subject line offers the best open rates.
2. Is it really “Free”?  When using the word “free” in your subject line, beware.  The word “free” will often trigger a spam alert and may never reach the recipient.  Trim spam by writing short key phrases that are actionable and plausible.  Customers are skeptical of an email offer that is too good to be true.
3. Create a schedule.  Develop an email calendar that works in concert with the other marketing deliverables.  Use an email contact software system to conveniently and easily schedule your email campaigns.  Constant Contact and IContact.com are two popular choices.   Email templates help you create professionally designed emails that are customized to your target audience.
4. Don’t recreate ~ integrate.  Find ways to streamline your email campaign.  Once you’ve indentified a brand style that works, stick with it.  Rather than retooling the email campaign for each new product launch or new promotion, just make the necessary adjustments.  The email campaign’s consistent look and feel will project a stronger brand presence.  Many email software programs offer integration with a company’s social media platform.  Rather than reconfiguring the same message across multiple media, Icontact.com, for example, makes it simple for the email marketer to copy an email message directly into Facebook or Twitter.
5. Test. Test. Test.  If in doubt of how the email message will appear to the recipient, send test emails.  Make sure to try different servers and also test the message via your mobile device.
6. Get new email sign ups.  Because of bounced emails and subscribers who opt-out, make sure to continuously ask for new email subscribers.  Perhaps consider a nominal gift or coupon if the customer subscribes by a specific date.  Offer multiple methods for sign-ups, including website registry and social media platforms.
7. Create a relationship.  The email is part of a one-on-one dialog with your customer.  Although it is enticing to send multiple offers, don’t.  Be mindful of the conversation with the customer.  Before crafting the email campaign, think about how useful the information is to the recipient.  Remember to always personalize the salutation.
8. Use segmentation.  A one size fits all attitude does not necessarily work with your email campaign.  Offer targeted offers, product information, and customer service tips that are customized for the specific email recipient.  Challenge the company doctrine by pushing the envelope and providing something new to the customer.
9. Constantly monitor and revise.  On a frequent basis, review your latest email campaign results.  If a campaign has a stellar open rate, examine why and replicate the same strategies for future emails.
10. Check the timing.  Email open rates can  have a broader open rate during the latter half of the week and in the afternoon or early evening.  Busy professionals may not have the opportunity to open your email earlier in the day.  Scheduling emails for a Thursday afternoon may be optimal.  Test different campaign times for the best results.