Successful Email Marketing Campaigns

If your Inbox is anything like mine, learning that 144 Billion emails are sent globally everyday is not a shocker. The average business person receives over 100 emails to their work email daily. In fact, according to figures from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), email marketing has now overtaken direct mail in terms of volume.  Given this massive amount, how can companies craft email marketing campaigns that are successful and set themselves apart from the rest of the very crowded Inbox?  Let’s look at the ingredients of a great email marketing campaign.

• Plan, Plan, Plan – Obviously some major forethought needs to go into each email marketing campaign.  Consider the following items before designing an email.  Who is your target audience? What are your objectives? What is your budget? How are you going to implement and track your campaign? Deciding the answers to these  questions will help you with the direction, content and tone of your email.
• Perfect those Lists – The better quality your email lists are, the more likely your email will get delivered (and be read).  The use of “opted in” email lists and those who have previously agreed to receive emails is always best for marketing purposes.  Gather from sales reps, vendors, and clients who would be interested in the information you are willing to offer.  Consider also segmenting your email lists to develop specific offers for targeted audiences.  When possible make the greeting line personal for the recipient.
• Catchy Headers – The first line of your email is the header.  This is your chance to catch the readers attention and make a positive impression.  If you lose them here they may not read the content or call to action.
• Text Length and Content – Craft your message carefully including key words that keep the reader engaged.  Write your messages so they appeal to customer interests and hobbies. Ask your customers what they want to hear about: special offers, new services, etc. Keep your emails short and to the point.  A good “Rule of Thumb” is the more regularly you email the shorter the content should be.  For example, if you email a Tip of the Day – it should be extremely direct and to the point.
• Images – Pictures and Logos should coordinate with your brand and the image you wan to portray.  Keep pictures custom and use them to enhance the email not just to fill space since images take longer to download and can take away from the message.
• Give a Call-to-Action – This is the ultimate goal of your email marketing campaign.  Do you want to explain a new product or service?  Are you asking for input from customers?  Make “what you want the reader to do”  clear and easy to understand.
• Measure Success – Measuring your email marketing efforts is key. In order to improve future email campaigns, it is important to know what works and what doesn’t work.  Find out which emails were opened and read via careful study of reports and email analysis.

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