Email marketing has proven to be one of the most effective ways of generating customer interaction and driving sales, no matter what business you run. With consumers spending more time on their devices, your content becomes even more likely to reach a lead or existing customer via email.
However, email campaigns can require a bit more TLC than other marketing strategies. In addition to proper follow-through actions, the platform and tactics are constantly changing. And in order for you to get the best results out of your email marketing campaigns, you must find ways to optimize.
Below are a few key tips to get you started with optimizing your email marketing strategies.
Customize Senders & Subject Lines
Grabbing the customer’s attention is often the first obstacle when launching any sort of marketing strategy. With email campaigns, the first thing that recipients will see is the email’s sender name and subject line. To increase the chance of your message getting across to the recipient, list your sender name as a real person. Sending emails with a real name, and maybe adding a picture of the sender instead of a general business name helps set a friendly, humanizing tone. You can also test different sender names, such as your company’s CEO vs. a marketing representative, to see which performs better. For subject lines, the best tip is to keep it short and sweet. To prevent the subject line from being cut off in a mobile or desktop preview, use a short phrase with actionable language like “learn more about a trial,” or “join us for a limited time offer.” You can also customize the subject line by including the recipient’s name, which will help draw their attention.
Call on Customers with a Call to Action
A call to action can be one of the most important aspects of an email campaign because it will essentially get you to your end goal of completing a sale or converting a customer. To optimize your call to action, first decide what action it is that you want readers to take. Then, decide how you want to bring it to life. If you are currently using a link for readers to click on as a CTA, consider opting for a button instead. Clickable buttons are often included “above the fold,” or in the top half of the email. Regardless of where yours is located, make sure it is bright and easy enough to read so recipients don’t scroll right past it at first glance.
Create Segments for Personalization
Using segmented lists in email campaigns is an effective way of personalizing the messages you send. Most email marketing services now allow you to segment your email lists into smaller groups with specific attributes. For example, you can break your master email list up into groupings based on geographical location, age, gender, purchase history and more. Say you are launching a promotional offer for customers who have previously purchased the same service or product. Through segmenting, you can send the offer to those with a matching purchase history without having to send it to customers that it doesn’t apply to. Thus, email segmenting can increase the likelihood of getting your message across to the right customer.
Email optimization is a journey, rather than a one-and-done action. The goal of optimization is to continually adjust and test different aspects of your email marketing campaign, record the results and compare strategies to see which proves to be the most effective for your business. There are a number of ways to begin optimizing your email marketing strategy aside from subject lines, senders, calls to action and segments, but if you need additional support in getting started, the experts at Allegra are always happy to help.
