February 24, 2020

4 Tips for Successful Email Marketing

Social media might seem like top dog in today’s internet marketing sphere, but email continues to hold strong as one of the chief sources of digital communication.

Like online marketing in general, best practices for reaching customers via email have changed considerably in the last few years. The very tactics that drove website traffic and conversions just a few years ago risk turning away today’s discerning email recipients.

If your current email marketing efforts fail to deliver the results you desire, all hope is not lost. A few modest tweaks to your digital marketing strategy could make a huge difference, as indicated below:

1. Optimize for Mobile

It’s no secret that social media check-ins primarily occur over the mobile smartphone these days, but the same can now be said of email viewing. According to research highlighted in The Email Client Experience, most people now check their email inboxes from the convenience of mobile devices. This primarily occurs via dedicated apps, with a small minority of users checking in via desktop-based internet browsers or installed software such as Outlook.

Because your email recipients almost assuredly rely on mobile devices for reading your email messages, it is absolutely critical that all are optimized for mobile. Ideally, emails will feature clean designs free of visual clutter. This can be achieved by highlighting just one main image or by breaking up blocks of text with subheadings and bullet points.

Consider not only how each email looks, but how quickly it might load in various settings or circumstances. Emails with several images or other forms of rich media, for example, may load too slowly, thereby frustrating otherwise eager readers.

2. Integrate Email and Social Media Campaigns

Email and social media marketing need not become an either-or proposition. In fact, these strategies work best when thoroughly integrated. The more connected your brand’s followers are, the more likely they are to become loyal customers or even unofficial ambassadors. Stronger relationships are possible if you connect with your customers across multiple channels.

Options abound for linking marketing emails with social media efforts. Top strategies include:

  • Highlight social media opportunities in email calls-to-action, complete with easy-to-click buttons that send readers straight to your brand’s Facebook or Instagram account.
  • Use marketing emails to alert recipients to contests, giveaways, or other special offers only available through social media.
  • Place social media influencers front and center in emails, much as you would for Instagram posts.
  • Mention your brand’s latest social media hashtag campaigns—and let email recipients know how they can get involved.
  • Share recent events as captured on Instagram Stories or Snapchat. Encourage readers to follow your brand to view behind-the-scenes content.

3. Amp Up Your Call-to-Action

Outside of the subject line and first paragraph, the call-to-action (CTA) may be the most important aspect of any given marketing email. This critical message prompts readers to go beyond their email apps or inboxes and engage further with your brand on an optimized landing page.

In emails, button-based CTAs produce better results than the links commonly relied upon for webpages. This stems, in part, from their visual efficacy but also from the ease with which they can be used on mobile devices. Either way, your CTA should be enticing enough to convince readers to pursue additional interactions with your brand.

4. Track Your Results

While the suggestions highlighted above generally produce impressive results for modern email marketing efforts, each campaign’s needs will differ somewhat. The specific tactics that pay off for one audience or outreach effort may prove ill-suited for others. Therein lies the value of detailed analytics, which demonstrate exactly which measures prove most effective—and which should be abandoned.

Key metrics worth tracking include:

  • Email open rate. This references how often subscribers actually open your emails.
  • Click-through rate. Arguably more important than the open rate, this metric highlights whether those who open your emails interact with them beyond merely glancing through featured content.
  • Conversion rate. This determines whether your marketing efforts ultimately cause recipients to convert, either by completing lead generation forms or making purchases online.
  • Unsubscribe rate. How often do email recipients opt to unsubscribe from your list? High unsubscribe rates may suggest that you send emails too frequently or that your content no longer resonates.

Keep an eye on how these metrics change in response to new marketing tactics. With careful tracking, you can determine how various strategies impact email recipients—and how they can be adjusted to ensure that your campaign reaches its full potential.

Are you eager to amp up your email marketing campaign? Look to Alt Creative for guidance every step of the way. Contact us today to request a project quote or to simply get a better sense of our services.