In this world of mobile & social media, does email marketing hold any relevance? The influx of new age media, does that sound the death kneel for one of the oldest yet ubiquitous communication channel of our times?
Well naysayers, we hate to break it to you but email is here to stay. And its utility is getting more and more essential amidst the constant Facebook updates, Twitter tweets, Pinterest Pins and more.
In this age, now more than ever, email marketing campaign is a must to keep your consumers invested in your brand, service or product.
To keep your customers engaged, here are 7 steps that will ensure that your email marketing campaign is geared to accrue the maximum advantage from the onset.
1. Campaign Objectives – Let start with the basics
So why are you selling that product to your customers? What benefits can a customer get if they decide to choose you over the competition? I mean why send this email?
Justify yourself. Ask yourself why this communication between you and your customers is important.
Lets lay it down in a step-by-step way:
- What’s the purpose of the email? Do you want to announce something? Are you inviting your customers? Promoting that product of yours?
- Who are the people you are targeting? Are you targeting a specific demographic or sending a general email to everyone?
- After they are done with the email, what do you want your consumers to do? Buy the product? Take an action? Call-to-action?
- But why would the audience want to do that?
- And last but not the least, what is the success metric that you are striving for?
Its questions like these that let you make email content tailored for the consumers. With a clear roadmap, your email marketing campaign has set goals to accomplish.
2. Choose your ESP (Email Service Provider)
Are you a brand, a business or anything that isn’t a nameless, faceless entity? Excellent!
Speaking of a finely tuned brand image, you have to settle for an email service provider. And no, the free providers like Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo are an absolute no-no for you email marketing campaign. Bulk emails on these services are not recommended at all.
Look for alternatives that can help you design your own email database, campaign management dashboard and customization of email templates. All these tools make sending your email to bulk contacts a cinch!
Check out Constant Contact, Mail Chimp or Mad Mimi, services that offer superior email marketing features. They are all renowned for their intuitiveness and offer everyone a wealth of support and tutorials
3. Get Started on that Email List
Got registered with an ESP? Good. Now it’s finally time you set up an email database for new and existing customers. And since you have an ESP, adding an Email Signup form on your website can automatically connect to your email database. Hassle-free updates to the database sound good.
Some of the most tried-and-tested techniques to offer value to people who sign up for your email subscription are:
- News about New Product / Service Launch (or Features)
- Exclusive Content (could be offers and promotions too)
- Free Goodies!
4. Design your own Email CampaignYou are almost there. It’s time to design that email which thousands of people will read.
An engaging, inviting email that people would absolutely love to read contains the following aspects:
- Catchy Subject Line
- Headline that turns heads (or gets the people’s attention)
- Content that’s beneficial to the reader
- Brief and concise structure. Getting to the point is all that you need.
- A Clear and Prominent Call-to-Action
- Brand Personalization. This can be images, quotes, etc.
Take your time. Make all these elements work together. Conveying the right image is important.
So there you have it. That’s how effective email marketing rolls out.
