With over 4 billion daily users, email marketing is a goldmine of opportunities for small businesses, helping them tap into a large customer base and build lasting relationships. Through personalized campaigns, the medium helps customers remember your brand by keeping them in the loop regarding product launches, promo codes, and other deals.
In fact, studies indicate that for every dollar invested in email marketing, the average return is $42, making it one of the highest ROI-generating channels for SMEs. However, with hundreds of promotional emails flooding inboxes daily, how do you stand out and resonate with your audience? Well, here are the top 5 email marketing tactics you can’t afford to miss.
1. Draft Click-Worthy Subject Lines
The subject line is the first impression of your email on the customer, and is where 47% of customers decide whether the email is going to be read or tossed into junk. That’s why it is essential that your subject line outshines in the reader’s inbox with a value. If you’ve been using gimmicks like exclamation marks, too many emojis, and all CAPS, ditch them and use these tested strategies instead:
- Write a short and concise subject line (between 4 to 7 words)
- Include the recipient’s name (Here’s your travel plan, John)
- Use numbers to stand out (5 tips to improve your resume)
- Invoke urgency through deadlines (Special promotion ends tomorrow!)
- State the benefit upfront (Learn spanish in 5 weeks – Start today)
- Ask a question to spark curiousity (Ever thought how does Google rank websites?)
2. Time Your Emails Right
There’s a high chance that a product launch email sent at 3 am on a Saturday night is never going to be opened – no matter the value or discount codes it contains. So, when should you schedule your emails? While there’s no golden rule, experts suggest that emails sent on Tuesdays and Thursdays generally have the highest open rates. Regarding the time, B2B and B2B companies may benefit the most from mid-morning spots (9-11 am).
3. Offer an Incentive for Signing Up
Instead of buying generic email lists full of dead, inactive followers, build a high-quality subscriber base. You can do this by adding sign-up forms on different parts throughout your website, like the home page, product page, and even the post-purchase page. However, not many customers would subscribe to your mailing list unless you give them a reason to do so.
Here are a few ways you can incentivize your customers for signing up (and boost brand awareness):
- Promise of weekly white papers or reports
- Early access to sale alerts
- A free zoom session or an e-book
- Discount codes for first-time subscribers
- Informative tools or downloadable templates
4. Segment Your Marketing Emails
A subscriber who just purchased your sofa set would unlikely be interested in another couch a week later. This is why it is essential to target your customers based on segments, ensuring that each group recieves content that is relevant, engaging, and actionable.
Plus, people are more likely to open and read emails that feel like they’re written just for them, with segmented campaigns seeing 50% higher click-throughs than unsegmented mails. The catch here is to divide your list into groups based on different metrics (age, location, purchase history, browsing behavior, and interests) and send personalized emails.
5. Don’t Use No-Reply Sender Emails
When drafting an email marketing campaign, the goal is to build a relationship with your audience. You want to engage them, encourage communication, and build brand awareness, so why would you use a “no-reply” sender address?
Apart from making your brand seem impersonal and cold, such emails are likely to be flagged as spam, noticing lower engagement rates (interactions and replies). Thus, aim to use the name of an actual person or a department to make your emails feel more personal and boost engagement. Always end with a “let us know your thoughts” to encourage replies.
Conclusion
Email marketing is a go-to for reaching the right audience at the right time, boosting sales and brand awareness. If you want your emails to drive results, there’s no better practice than timing your emails right and drafting the right subject lines. Before getting started, aim to build a high-quality list by offering incentives and segmenting your messages according to the target demographic.
However, to obtain an email subscriber base, you need your website (and opt-in forms) to get discovered in the search engines, which is only possible through targeted, precise search engine optimization (SEO). This is where Quantum Designers step in. As professional digital marketers, we know how to craft strategies that help boost your brand visibility in the search engines, thanks to our expertise in web hosting, content writing, and web design. So, contact us today to elevate your brand to new heights.
