Email marketing is on the best and cost-effective ways of communicating with a large audience. It can be used by businesses and non-profit organizations of all sizes to stay in touch with existing customers and constituents, as well as to reach out to new contacts. But just as there is an art to all forms of business communication, there is also an art to creating and executing email marketing campaigns in order for them to be successful.
Email marketing campaigns are used for many reasons. The business community frequently utilizes them to:
- Inform of sales and special offers, both online and in-store.
- Clear existing inventory to make way for new.
- Send monthly communications and press releases.
- Increase Internet sales or traffic by connecting recipients to company’s website.
- Promote brand awareness and placement.
- Send coupons for in-store or website use.
The non-profit community will use email marketing for:
- Reaching out to constituents.
- Promotion and ticket sales for upcoming events and fundraisers.
- Opportunities to volunteer or get involved.
- Communication of monthly newsletter.
- To send out press releases.
- Solicit donation for annual campaigns or brick and mortar campaign.
But no matter the reason you are sending an email blast to your list of subscribers, customers, or donors, it will not reach its full potential unless it is accompanied by an Effective E-mail Marketing Campaign. Planning is the most strategic way to execute a successful email marketing campaign. It is the most crucial element of the campaign. If you have sent past email marketing campaigns, and have compiled the results of those efforts, now is the time to review the data and find a way to use that data to tailor this marketing opportunity.
Establish A Communication Schedule
The first step to creating an email communication schedule is to consider the frequency you want to communicate with your customers. If it is one week before Christmas and you have an inventory of products you want to liquidate, consider contacting your customer base one time each day with a slightly different special. Free shipping one day and then 60% off the next day, while simply extending the sale the following day because of the
“overwhelming response received on this very popular item”.
Whereas, if you are promoting a non-profit fundraising gala or event, and you begin your email marketing campaign 3 months prior to the event, you could begin with a “save the date” email. People need not respond to a save-the-date email, and will be less likely to delete future emails about the event prior to reading.
Combine Online And Off Line Marketing Solicitations
If public relations and advertising are part of your marketing plan, be sure to use email marketing to your advantage to help improve the efforts of the other. If your PR company has prepared a press release to be sent to the local media outlets, let your constituents know about it encase they miss its publication in the newspaper. Never be ashamed to send emails touting publicity received by your company or organization. It is a great way to brand your company seeing as no response is needed on their part. You want to make sure you are mixing up your email campaigns with some requiring a response, and others not requiring the reader take any action. You will increase the percentage by which your emails are opened if people do not always feel that they are being coerced into something or being sold something.
Pay Attention To The Day And Time Emails Are Being Sent
One rule of thumb is to avoid weekends, holidays, Mondays and Fridays for sending marketing emails. Consider that people may be providing you their work email address, and on these days they may be away from their office. This means that the next time they are in the office they will be sorting through the accumulation of email they have, and will be more likely to delete something that is not of an urgent matter or considered important.
Keep in mind that if you have a distribution list of several thousand names, it may take two or three days for all emails to be sent and reach the inbox of the intended recipient. Therefore, the best time to send an email blast to list of several thousand is around Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.
Do Not Overwhelm Customers With Too Many Emails
Many times a single email is not sufficient to generate a sizable response. Good email marketing campaigns rarely involve a single email. A campaign can have multiple email messages sent to a variety of contact lists, each one soliciting a different response, which, in turn, requires a different subsequent email. But how many should be sent? If too many emails are sent that your target audience may be offended or feel they are being pressured. If not enough emails are sent then the full potential of the email campaign may not be reached.
No matter the reason for the email, be as prepared as possible to respond to the actions your email viewers are taking. If your email is targeting sales, but no sales are being made, considering offering an additional discount or coupon for “One Day Only”. If your customers respond to your email marketing once, they are more likely to respond again in the future. The trick is getting them to respond the very first time.
This information will help you, if implemented in its entirety, to design and execute a very successful email marketing campaign.
