There is a fine line between a successful email marketing campaign and one that does nothing but tarnish the reputation and image of the brand involved, and advertisers might be surprised just how easily they can land on the wrong side. Marketing best practices include considering the sheer volume of emails the average consumer receives on a daily basis – so many of which are coming from businesses in the form of marketing campaigns – extensive work needs to be done to ensure that the programs are successful.
Email marketing has some of the highest returns on investment in the advertising realm, and remains the single most effective segment when it comes to converting new clientele.
This is why the companies cannot simply shy away from these types of campaigns out of fear that they will lose a bit of ground with their customers, but rather should be embracing the modern best practices that have proven to yield optimal results.
Social, direct mail and content marketing, as well as search engine optimization, programmatic marketing and other emerging pursuits, will likely continue to take up more of the average branding budget in the coming years, but email cannot be forgotten. So long as the firm gets each mailing right in terms of the included content, timely measurement of successes and failures, avoidance of excessive recipient lists and a few other key points, these can be highly profitable endeavors to say the least.
Best practices for avoiding spam
All Voices recently explained some of the ways in which email marketers can avoid the dreaded spam filter in most consumers’ inboxes, as well as the image that those communications are in fact junk in the eyes of recipients. Again, this is not necessarily the most complex task, but one that does demand the attention and commitment of advertisers every time they sit down to compose an email or craft a new campaign.
According to the news provider, marketers should find ways to engage recipients right from the start and ensure that the value of the mailing and the brand itself within the first line of the content therein. Provocative subject lines and main-field content that instantly attract the attention of the recipient and give them something to think about, such as a special offer or deal, will often be the most effective in this regard.
Additionally, the source noted that marketers should not try to fool spam filters, which some actually do, as this will often be the first step toward turning a recipient off from the communication and the brand itself. Focusing on quality and ensuring that there is no reason for a filter or for a user to view the email ad as spam is the best way to go.
Sustaining engagement
Startup Smart reported that a few simple steps in email marketing can go a long way toward achieving and maintaining strong customer engagement with these advertisements. For one, the news provider argued that personalization will not always be the right choice for all marketers, as it will only be effective when the right levels of resources and time are put in to making sure that the mailings are indeed unique in a way that woos the recipient.
Half-hearted approaches will be more likely to work against the brand when it comes to personalization, and the source pointed out that wrong steps can lead to an image of insincerity. Startup Smart noted that segmentation should always be a priority to iron out the email marketing recipient list, and brevity will always be king with respect to enjoying strong results.