Digital marketing trends come and go, yet there always remains a constant that’s there in the background, slightly evolving yet still staying true to form.
This is how we feel about email marketing.
Though many might argue that email marketing might be out of date, we’ve done the research, and it shows that email marketing is very much prevalent today, but in a slightly evolved way.
Read on to learn more about what the current trends are and how to nail your email marketing!
The Growth of Email & Marketing
In 1971, the first email was sent by an MIT programmer working on ARPANET, named Ray Tomlinson. A simple message, along the lines of ‘Test123’, and immediately, a whole new chapter for communication began.
Since then, we’ve seen email grow, from being a tool used by those in higher authority, to something we use daily to communicate with each other. In fact, some people might even consider email to be outdated, with the proliferation of various other instant communication methods.
Yet, when looking at the statistics, one cannot deny that email is still used daily. We use emails to create accounts and subscribe to newsletters or services. Email is also a popular choice used in the business world as it still conveys a sense of professionalism, as opposed to other communication means that are considered a little too personal.
The Value of Using Email For Marketing
Don’t let the simplicity of email fool you, because when executed effectively, it delivers results!
Consider how many people use email daily. We reply to clients via email, we use email addresses to log on to e-commerce sites and make purchases, and people even use their emails to subscribe to online magazines.
Every day, we ensure that we check our emails at least once, and for those on the go, emails are even accessible on our smartphones so that we can check them throughout the course of the day.
This is one of the most obvious yet overlooked benefits: the platform is constantly being used and checked by the majority of people. And, don’t get us started on how excited we get to open an email that tells us we won something or received a discount on a product/service. This helps maintain a stronger relationship between you and your audience, which is an added bonus for encouraging customer loyalty.
Now, when you add on the fact that there is no algorithm to hack, but rather a set email list to target, then you’ve completely hit a jackpot when it comes to reaching your audience directly and at a low cost.
If that doesn’t sound enticing, let’s focus on how measurable it is. With email marketing, you can receive clear data and determine who opened it, who clicked on it, and who made a purchase. This provides you with an efficient marketing tool that enables you to test what works and implement new strategies for improvement.
Top Tips To Consider When Creating Your Email Campaigns
- Know Your Goal
As with any marketing strategy, identifying your goals is the number one step.
What is the goal you are hoping to achieve from your email campaigns? Do you want your audience to visit your website? Share your posts? Or are you trying to get sign-ups for an event?
Once you have identified these goals, you will then be able to carefully craft your CTA’s so that they encourage your audience to follow through to your goal.
- Personalisation
People are tired of spam, and more importantly, robotic-sounding advertisements.
Why? Well, probably because the market is so over-saturated with this type of marketing, that it becomes far too easy to spot the sale.
Adding in a personal touch that transcends merely adding their first name to the greeting is how to captivate your audience and keep them reading. In essence, you need to tailor the message to enhance customer experience.
For example, Netflix often emails their audience about series that would appeal to them based on what they’ve watched. Or, the iconic Spotify Wrapped list, which showcases what each user has enjoyed listening to over the years.
- Segment Your Audience
This ties in a little bit with our tip on personalisation.
Blasting everyone with the same message can, eventually, lead your emails to be identified as spam. When you segment your audience into categories such as potential leads, loyal customers, lapsed customers, etc, you can tailor the message to suit each one.
Often, many marketers get caught up in trying to gain new leads and customers, and they forget about those who have remained loyal to the brand. It’s a good practice to occasionally thank your loyal customers with some kind of speciality discount or voucher, as this keeps them loyal.
- Write Captivating Subject Lines
Your subject line is your make-or-break copy.
It is the first piece of writing your audience sees and the deciding factor in whether they open or delete your email. Try to either add urgency or pique their curiosity, so that they feel a need to open your email.
- Include An Interactive Element
Lately, we’ve noticed a rise in including interactive elements in all marketing strategies.
Interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, or gamified content allow your audience to directly engage with you, and this not only captures their attention but also keeps them on your email thread longer.
Instagram Stories are a fantastic example of how including that little bit of interactivity keeps audiences engaged. Since introducing stickers such as polls, rating bars, and question boxes, people have begun engaging more with brands in a quick and fun way.
- Email Frequency
The last thing you want to do is fill up inboxes to the point where your target audience is not getting to all of them.
But also, you don’t want to send one email and then go radio silent for months.
Therefore, setting a good schedule and deciding on the frequency of your emails is a good starting point. Additionally, try to state this in your email copy, so that your recipients know when to expect another message from you.
- Monitor Results and Adjust
Test different variations of your email, from different lengths to tones, to graphics, and monitor which of them receive better results.
This will help you fine-tune your approach to best suit your target. Thereafter, you can pay close attention to key metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate.
The Key Takeaways for Email Marketing
All things considered, I think we can all agree that email marketing is still a strong and relevant marketing tool.
After all, what could be better than a digital marketing strategy that allows you to reach your audience directly, offers measurable results, and is fairly cost-effective?
So, don’t wait—use this valuable tool to your advantage. And if you don’t feel like tackling this all alone, why not reach out to us here at HaystackSEO? We’ll do all the heavy lifting while you sit back and enjoy the conversions.