When you’re working on your email marketing campaign, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of sending out emails. After all, when done right, a well-crafted email can immediately send customers to your site or products.
Everyone wants to start a business, but not many people think about having to do the grunt work, like sending out emails.
Let’s face it: after you spend all that time getting your product or service ready for the big launch, the last thing you want to do is send out an effective email campaign — that is, unless you’re using Contact Consumers Consumer Retention Platform.
Our Contact Consumers platform is fast and easy to use, so you can get on with the important stuff while we handle the rest. But before you start compiling your list and putting together your emails, there are a few important things to keep in mind that can make or break your campaign’s success.
When it comes to email lists, bigger is not necessarily always better. The more subscribers you have, the lower your conversion rate is likely to be. But that does not mean you should throw in the towel and give up on your list.
No matter how big or small your email list is, if you know how to use it well, you can experience a great return on your investment. Here are 4 do’s and don’ts from ContactConsumers.com to help you get the most out of your email marketing campaign:
1. DO Make Sure the Content Is Top-Notch
This may seem like it goes without saying, but it’s important to remember that the content of your email is what’s going to drive people to open it in the first place. You want to make sure you’re providing value with every email you send. Whether it’s a free download or an article, ensure that whatever you’re offering is high-quality and relevant.
Solicitation is a very delicate art and one that’s not to be taken lightly. You don’t want to alienate or annoy your potential clients, but you do want to get their attention. The best way to do this is with a four-email sequence.
In the first email, focus on building up interest. It might be a good idea to make it short and sweet with a snappy subject line that gets the message across in as few words as possible. In the second email, focus on creating a stronger connection by providing more information and making it clear that you have something of value to offer.
In the third email, show what you can do for them by giving them examples of how you’ve helped similar clients. In the fourth email, give them an incentive for acting now — this incentive could be anything from a discount or free consultation to an exclusive offer only available on this day.
Also, don’t use too many colors or complicated fonts; it can be distracting and hard to read. Keep your signature professional — a picture of you with your dog is not the best way to promote yourself. Use the spell check feature before you send an email, especially if it is important.
Make sure your server knows who you are by using an email signature. Don’t ever use all caps for emphasis; it comes across as shouting and is hard to read. Put your postal address at the end of emails that you are sending out so people have a physical address if they need one.
2. DO Keep It Short and Sweet
No one wants to spend hours reading through an email when they could be doing something more productive, so keep your emails as concise as possible.
This approach does not mean that your emails have to be boring — you just want them to get straight to the point quickly and easily for readers who are busy or don’t have time for long messages from companies they aren’t familiar with (or are suspicious of).
One of the biggest mistakes we see at Contact Consumers is companies sending too many emails per month. Sure, you want to keep yourself in front of your customers as often as possible, but sending three or more emails per week can backfire and cause frustration for your customers.
The best rule to follow is either one email per week (sent on the same day each week) or one email every two weeks (sent on the same day).
Doing this ensures that your customers will not only look forward to hearing from you but will know exactly when they should expect an email — a simple courtesy that can make all of the difference in terms of long-term customer retention.
3. DO Have a Catchy Subject Line
You want people to open your emails, right? Then think about what would catch your eye if you were scrolling through your inbox looking for something specific or just trying to clear out some space on your phone. What would entice you enough to click on it?
For you to be successful in email marketing, your audience has to stay engaged. The best way to keep them engaged is by personalizing your emails with ContactConsumers.com.
When people feel like you’re talking directly to them about something that interests them — and that’s relevant and useful — they’ll want to keep coming back for more. But before you can personalize the content in your emails, you need the Contact Consumers Consumer Retention Platform.
This platform will help you build customer profiles and track customer behavior so you can learn who they are and what they like — which will help you create better emails.
Don’t use a generic greeting like “Dear Valued Customer.” It doesn’t feel personal, and it may even seem impersonal and spammy. Instead, try using merge fields to pull the subscriber’s first name into the greeting line to make it more personal.
4. DON’T Send Too Many Messages
Email is one of the most effective ways to get in front of your audience. It’s a direct line to their inbox, and it can be a great way to build a relationship with them or drive them through the sales funnel. But if you want to get the greatest return on your efforts, you’ll need to make sure you’re doing everything right.
It’s great to keep people informed of new developments and sales, but nobody wants their inbox flooded with multiple messages every day.
Instead, try sending one comprehensive message that contains all of the pertinent information — that way, they can read through it and decide what they want to do without feeling pressured into buying something. Contact Consumers has the answer.
Emails to Create
Here are the four emails you need to create:
1. Welcome Email
2. Onboarding Email
This email is where you thank the contact for signing up and tell them what they can expect from your emails going forward. It should be sent within 24 hours of sign-up and contain links to your most recent content (blog posts, newsletter articles, etc.)
Your onboarding email should be sent out after the welcome email and give the contact a brief overview of what your company does with links to all relevant pages on your website (i.e., product pages).
Here is where you can show off your brand identity and put a face on your company — make sure to include as much information as possible and make it easy for them to navigate around your site.
3. Promotional Email
4. Follow-Up Emails
The promotional email is where you get to show off your products or services in full force. Don’t forget that this is an opportunity to build relationships with your customers, so don’t go overboard with sales talk — instead, use this opportunity to highlight exactly what makes your product great.
A version of this email should be sent out every week or two with discounts or coupons. Don’t forget a call-to-action: if you want recipients to sign up for something, buy something or contact your company, make sure they know how to do so in each email of your campaign. Include a link or phone number so they can easily reach you.
When someone adds something to their shopping cart but doesn’t end up buying it, they should receive an email encouraging them to come back and complete their purchase. It’s a great tool because it helps keep those sales in place while reminding people of something they were already interested in.
Finally, a post-purchase email confirms that the transaction has been completed and provides any additional information, such as tracking numbers or instructions for delivery.
Why Choose Contact Consumers?
When it comes to email marketing, the hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Once your customers and prospects have opted in for your newsletter, you’re golden. Now, it’s just a matter of keeping them interested and engaged.
If you can do that, you’ll be well on your way to establishing long-term customer loyalty and building a strong relationship with each and every one of your subscribers.
With these simple tips from ContactConsumers.com, you will have more success with email communication. If you need any help getting started, the Contact Consumers Consumer Retention Platform can help you get set up!
