Email marketing 101: How to send emails that convert

As marketers, we all still use email and probably still subscribe to mailing lists that we know will help us or give us the information we need, whether it’s a newsletter or an event invite where we can register to an event in 3 easy steps.

So let me begin this piece with a rule of thumb: craft an email you would like to receive. Craft a subject line that would get your attention and that you would click on. Design an email that will compel you not just to open and click but also to share it with others.

Simply put, follow the golden rule (like we do at BizScale).

Here’s why:

• According to a report by Radicati, more than 290 billion emails are sent daily
• This number is expected to climb to 347 billion emails daily by end-2023
• Email marketing is still #1 in online marketing, with a 73% ROI
• For every USD $1 you spend on email marketing, you get a return of USD $51
• Email marketing strategies from 5 or even 3 years ago may no longer work today

READ: Take the lead — Why lead generation is important for your business

So what will make your email stand out? Here are 5 ways:

1. Personalize

Super Office defines email personalization as “using customer data to create a personalized message.” This means using not just a person’s name but also their shopping and search history, so the email they receive is more useful for and helpful to them.

Super Office cites a study by Experian Marketing Services that states that personalized emails deliver 6 times higher transaction rates, “but 70% of brands fail to use them.”

Amazon reportedly uses email as the “key of the overall customer experience,” with Jeff Bezos apparently reading through all emails and customer complaints. 

2. Segment properly 

This can be the most time-consuming of all email marketing strategies because there are businesses who simply collect their customers’ data without managing them from the very beginning. And when the business is ready to go into email marketing, they realize that they have thousands of customer data in one huge basket and more time needs to be taken for segmentation.

But it will be worth it. 

Why? 

• Segmenting means the email you send it more targeted to an audience that will most likely engage
• 39% of marketers who segment their emails properly experience higher open rates and 28% got lower unsubscribe rates (HubSpot)

How do you get started with segmenting?

• By industry - Good with services and products
• By company size - Good with event sign-ups
• By customer journey - Where are they in the sales funnel?

3. Design for mobile

As of February 2021, 55% of people access the Internet on their mobile. 43% use their desktop or laptop computer, and 3% use their tablets.

According to Constant Contact, 61% of marketing emails are opened on a mobile device. In the morning, 50% of people use their phones to check marketing emails. The average revenue per email is 4 times higher on mobile than desktop.

How do you design for mobile?

• Use responsive email design (RED)
• Keep the subject short so it does not get cut off on mobile
• Make the call to action the star of your email, next to the main message

4. Test, test, and test

The beauty of email marketing — like all things digital — is that you can keep testing and gathering data that will help you get results that will help you do better each time you send one out.

Test subject lines, message or copy, your call to action, and design. You can also test your “from” address and your email length.

If you’re looking for the best place to begin, click here.

5. Automate 

The most popular types of email marketing campaigns are:

• Indoctrination sequence or a “welcome” series which a person receives after signing up to an email list
• Nurture sequence or the next email after the “welcome” email, meant to move the subscriber down the journey towards becoming a lead
• Re-engagement or “win-back” sequence, meant to bring back people who have stopped engaging with your business through email
• Abandoned cart sequence useful for those in e-commerce, meant to nudge a prospective buyer to complete the transaction they started
• Newsletters meant to go out to a big group of recipients covering a wide range of content that need to be well-written
• Transactional emails are automated emails sent to a receiver after they have made a purchase, like a receipt
• Promotional emails are emails sent to communicate a promo, service, or special offer. They can communicate a coupon code, for example, then can, in turn, show how effective an email campaign is.
• Milestone emails celebrate the customer’s life milestones, like birthdays and anniversaries, and we greet them not just to form a bond with them but also to solidify the relationship.

READ: The write way — Content marketing stats you need to know

The sweet spot is that space between direct marketing emails (20% average open rate) and transactional emails (52% average open rate). Once you’ve mastered that, then you’re off to a great email marketing journey.

Until then, it’s a matter of enjoying the process, staying tenacious with testing, gathering data diligently, and making data-driven decisions.

How can we help you with your email marketing campaign? Talk to us by completing this form, emailing sales@bizscale.com, calling 833-722-5310, or booking a time on Calendly. Here’s to hitting targets and ROI!

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Sources

https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Email-Statistics-Report-2019-2023-Executive-Summary.pdf

https://www.superoffice.com/blog/email-marketing-strategy/

https://marketingland.com/study-70-brands-personalizing-emails-missing-higher-transaction-rates-revenue-73241

https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet

https://marketing.sfgate.com/resources/how-to-create-a-winning-email-marketing-strategy-for-your-business