Customers are constantly bombarded with email marketing messages. Think about how many you get. You’re a customer too, after all. How many do you open? How many cause you to hit unsubscribe or delete on a weekly basis?
Probably a fair few.
We all do. Otherwise our inboxes start looking like a pile of junk mail on the door mat after a long holiday.
Despite the high ROI from email as a sales channel, the effort going into maintaining lists is generally considered to be increasing, regardless of sector. Customers are more bombarded with marketing messages than ever. They will happily remove themselves from yet another email list if given enough cause.
While organizing a new strategy, or deploying new tools, like integrating a social media listening application, it can be easy to overlook the basics which underpin the entire operation. Such as basic email marketing etiquette.
1. Subject Line: A Bad First Impression
This is the first thing they see. Boring copy, deceptive titles like Re, Fwd or Urgent, ALL CAPS or too many exclamation marks instantly turn off an audience. The best approach is to A/B test several versions, find what works according to the metrics. Give them a hint of what they will find inside, which should be enough to at least encourage an open.
2. Can People See Your Images?
It might work great on a browser, but what about in email on a phone, a tablet, even unpopular devices, like BlackBerry, still receive emails. Make sure whatever device a customer opens it on they can see the visuals. Our brain processes these much faster than words, so you want to be remembered.
3. Sorry Your Name Is?
Having complete email lists usually means having customers names. At all times make sure these are in the emails, ideally opening with “Hello Juliette”, rather than just plain “Hello.”Even the most basic of personal touches makes a big difference.
4. False Promises
Trust is hard won and easily lost in emails. Promising the world, or the most amazing sale ever! – only to send the same email to the same customers the week after – is a sure fire way to start losing customers fast.
Customers want to have a genuine relationship with brands, which mean brands need to come across as people they want to be friends with. No one goes around selling things all the time to their friends. The best brands build relationships first. When customers want to buy what they are selling it will be a natural result of a trust-based relationship built over time.
5. Not Listening
Almost as bad as offering discounts and sales which you repeat over and over is sending the same message, or variations thereof, over and over again. This isn’t reinforcing a message, its damaging your brand.
A relationship founded on trust is even better when a brand truly listens to their customers. With actionable social behaviour data fed into your marketing strategies you can listen, and respond in real-time. Email open and click through rates will start getting a lot better once you build stronger relationships with customers, which you can do with the right listening tools.
Download our free guide, Amp your Lead Gen w/Next Gen Social, and learn what really matters with social listening and marketing automation.
Business Articles | Business 2 Community
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