Email marketing is one of the most effective ways of attracting new customers and building better relationships with existing ones. When used correctly, your strategy can help you to reach your business goals and promote your product.
In 2017, there were 3.7 billion email users globally. And this number is rising rapidly. That means, if you want to reach as many customers as possible, you need to get your strategy right.
But what happens if your existing strategy isn’t working?
If you’re using the same tactics over and over, and not seeing any results, it could be that you need to update and relaunch your email marketing strategy.
Whether you’re looking for a total change of direction, or trying to make small improvements to your existing strategy, a fresh look at what you’re doing can help you to stay focused and achieve the best possible results.
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Here’s our guide to relaunching your email marketing strategy as effectively as possible, and get the best possible results.
Understand your customers and their motivations
Before looking at developing your strategies, you need to assess what your business is currently achieving. This is the research stage. The aim is to gather as much information and insights on your customers as possible to help you move forward.
Look at your customers. Who are they? What do they buy from you? When do they buy from you, and how much? And why do they choose you over your competitors? By asking yourself a few simple questions, you will gain a deeper understanding of your customers and begin sending them content that they can engage with.
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There are various ways to gather this information. You can use emails, online activity – including social media and apps, or you can talk to your existing and potential customers through market research.
Additionally, you can talk to your customer service staff, and find out what the biggest concerns are to your customers at the moment.
Review your current strategies and create a plan
Once you’ve gathered as much data as possible, it’s time to review your previous and current strategies.
Look at your previous efforts. Which methods worked well, and which didn’t? This can help you get an idea of what appeals to your customer base.
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You can also look at your competitors for inspiration. However, it’s important not to copy what your competitors are doing. You want to be unique and stand out. You don’t want to be a duplicate of another company.
Create your content
Next, it’s time to create your content.
Let’s start with the subject line. Most of the time, the subject line will determine whether or not the customer opens the email in the first place. That means that it’s crucial that you get it right.
To create the perfect subject line, there are a few points to consider. These are:
- Always try and include the customer’s first name. This makes it more personal. And the customer will know the email doesn’t belong in the junk folder
- Keep it short. Mobile devices don’t pick up that many characters. And a lot of your customers will be viewing the email on a mobile device. If it’s too long, they won’t be able to see it
- Make sure it fits with the tone of your brand. Do you want it to be formal or relaxed? If you want to use a chatty tone, try using short, catchy phrases or emojis to make the title stand out to the reader
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In terms of the content itself, you need to make sure it’s valuable to the reader. Story-based content works best, as it’s easier to follow and sounds like a human, not a robot. Your writing should also be professional and free from errors.
The visual design of your email should be eye-catching and appealing to your audience. If you need helping creating your design, you can use an online service,. Don’t forget to include a clear call-to-action at the end of your email. What do you want the reader to do next? Buy a product? Subscribe to your newsletter?
Whatever it is, it needs to be in line with your objectives. It also needs to stand out on all types of devices, including desktop and mobile.
Personalize your emails
When you’re creating your content, one of the key points to remember is that the more personal it is, the better results you’ll tend to see. Personalised content gets higher retention rates. This is because it keeps your customers engaged and makes you relevant to them.
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Some ways you can make your content more personal include:
- Using cart abandonment reminders
- Recommending products based on the customer’s interests and previous activity
- Personalising content based on the data you’ve collected
- Using special offers that relate to the customer’s location, interests, or other information
To streamline this process, you can also categorize your customers based on their interests or previous interactions. By doing this, you can send different, relevant automated emails to each group, which will include the most appropriate content for them.
Set up a calendar system
So, you’re content is ready to send. What’s next? You need to establish when you will send it. For this, you can use a calendar system to help you stay organised.
There are two types of emails: time-based promotions and non-promotional content.
For time-based emails, you should be encouraging the reader to take a specific action. This could be signing up to an event, ordering a special product, or anything else.
On your calendar, you need to set up a date for the initial announcement, followed by a reminder, and a last chance. These promotions could fit in with important dates, holidays, or seasonal events.
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For non-promotional emails, you should focus on building a relationship with your customers. You can offer them help and advice, or fun information about something that interests them.
These should be scheduled at regular intervals and plotted on your calendar accordingly. In particular, these types of emails work well during quiet periods, as they hold the customer’s interest.
Final thoughts
Re-launching your email marketing strategy can be one of the best ways to improve your results. Follow these steps, and you can achieve more success from your campaigns in the future!