Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. When done strategically, it can help generate new leads, convert them into paying customers and retain them over time. It is also a cost-effective way to reach your target audience and deliver high-value information directly to their inboxes.
Benefits of Strategic Email Marketing
Strategic email marketing can provide numerous benefits for your business, including:
- Increased brand awareness
- Enhanced customer acquisition and retention, and
- Improved financial performance
The best thing about email marketing is its high return on investment (ROI).
According to a survey by the Direct Marketing Association, the average ROI for email marketing is 122%. This means that for every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses can expect to earn $1.22 in return. Email is an incredibly cost-effective way to reach your audience and drive results.
Email marketing also has the ability to support remarketing efforts. Remarketing is the practice of targeting ads to those who have already interacted with your business, and it can be especially effective in the e-commerce industry.
By sending targeted emails to customers who have abandoned their shopping carts or left items on their wish lists, businesses can remind them of their intent to purchase and potentially recover lost sales.
Email Marketing for ECommerce
ECommerce businesses can target specific segments of their audience through email marketing. By collecting customer data such as purchase history and interests, businesses can create targeted email campaigns that are more likely to convert. This can lead to higher conversion rates and increased sales.
In addition, email marketing allows businesses to nurture relationships with their customers by providing valuable content and personalized recommendations. This builds loyalty and trust, leading to repeat purchases and customer retention.
7 Key Email Marketing Best Practices
Below are seven key email marketing best practices that eCommerce businesses should follow to effectively communicate with their audience and drive sales.
Optimizing Subject Lines
The subject line is one of the most essential elements of an email marketing campaign. This is the first thing your recipients will see when they receive your email, and it can decide whether or not they choose to open it. Therefore, it’s crucial to spend time crafting a subject line that is both attention-grabbing and relevant to your message.
When optimizing your subject lines, there are a few key things to consider:
1. Keeping your subject lines concise and to the point is important. Aim for around 50 characters or less, as this is the maximum length displayed on most devices.
2. It would be best if you also considered using capitalization sparingly, as it can come across as spammy. Instead, try using personalization, such as the recipient’s name, or incorporating a sense of urgency or scarcity.
3. It’s important to show personality in your subject lines. This can build a relationship with your readers and make your emails stand out in their crowded inboxes.
4. Finally, staying up-to-date on subject line trends and best practices is a good idea, as these can change over time.
Crafting Compelling Copy that Converts
Once you’ve grabbed your reader’s attention with a strong subject line, the next step is to keep them engaged with compelling copy. This is the body of your email, and it’s where you’ll have the opportunity to deliver valuable information and persuade your readers to take action.
To craft compelling copy, start by identifying your main message and what you want your readers to do.
For example, do you want them to:
- Sign up for your newsletter?
- Purchase a product?
- Register for an event?
- Or something else entirely?
Whatever it is, make sure it’s clear and prominent in your email. You should also aim to provide value to your readers by including relevant, informative, and helpful information.
Along with your main message, it’s necessary to include a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your emails as well. This could be a button or a link that prompts your readers to take the desired action.
Pro Tip: Make sure your CTA is well-placed and visually appealing to increase the chances of your readers clicking through.
Segmenting Lists
List segmentation divides your email list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or interests. This allows you to create more targeted, personalized email marketing campaigns that are more likely to resonate with your readers.
There are many ways to segment your lists, including by location, age, gender, industry, or past purchase history. By segmenting your lists, you can create email campaigns that are more relevant to your readers, which can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Personalizing Messages
Personalization is another key component of successful email marketing. Adding a personal touch to your emails, such as the recipient’s name or location, can make your messages feel more relevant and personalized to your readers. This can build a stronger connection with your audience and increase their chances of engaging with your emails.
Automation and A/B Testing
Automation is a powerful tool in email marketing, allowing you to set up automated email campaigns triggered by specific actions or events. This can effectively maintain engagement with your readers and keep them coming back for more.
One popular type of automated email campaign is a funnel series, a series of emails that are delivered to a reader over a set period. This can be an effective way to nurture leads and guide them through the sales process.
On the other hand, A/B testing involves sending two versions of an email to a small group of recipients and measuring which version performs better. This can help you to optimize your emails and increase conversion rates.
Ensuring Emails are Mobile-Friendly
Your marketing emails should look and function correctly on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. If they are mobile-friendly, you can avoid losing out on a significant portion of your audience.
Recent statistics have revealed that over half of all emails are opened on mobile devices, so it’s crucial to ensure that your emails are optimized for this platform.
Measuring Results
To achieve financial success through email marketing, it’s essential to measure and analyze your results continually. This will help you to identify what’s working and what’s not and make any necessary adjustments to optimize your campaigns.
You can track many metrics to measure the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. By continually measuring and optimizing your campaigns, you can improve your financial results and achieve tremendous success through email marketing.
Email Marketing Best Practices FAQs
To wrap things up, we’ll answer some of the most common questions about email marketing best practices.
What are the best practices in email marketing?
As we shared above, the best practices in email marketing include the following:
- Optimizing subject lines
- Crafting compelling copy that converts
- Segmenting lists
- Personalizing messages
- Using automation and A/B testing
- Ensuring emails are mobile-friendly, and
- Measuring results
How do you create an email marketing strategy?
There’s four steps to create an email marketing strategy:
- Start by identifying your goals and target audience.
- Determine the types of emails you want to send and how often you will send them.
- Consider the best ways to segment your lists and personalize your emails.
- Set up systems for measuring and analyzing your results, and be prepared to make adjustments as needed.
What is the 80/20 rule in email marketing?
The 80/20 rule in email marketing refers to the idea that you should focus on providing value to your readers 80% of the time and only promote your products or services 20% of the time.
This helps to build a relationship with your readers and establish your brand as a trusted source of information. By following this rule, you can create email marketing campaigns that are more effective and engaging.
How do you use email marketing for ecommerce?
Email marketing can be an effective tool for ecommerce businesses. By sending targeted emails to your audience, you can promote your products, drive traffic to your website, and increase sales.
Some strategies for using email marketing in ecommerce include sending abandoned cart emails, offering special promotions or discounts, and showcasing new or featured products.
Get Started with an Email Marketing Strategy for Financial Success
By following the best practices we’ve discussed so far, you can create effective email marketing campaigns that drive financial success.
Whether you’re just starting out with email marketing or looking to improve your existing campaigns, Markacy can help. Our team of experts will provide you with a customized email marketing strategy that meets your business goals and delivers results. Contact us today to learn more.
