How do you create an effective email campaign?
E-mail plays an increasingly important role in today’s Web marketing. Because customers aren’t always logged into their online communities or near a computer, they rely on e-mail to keep them informed of relevant updates, news and promotions. This e-mail notification process not only keeps users engaged in their communities, it’s also helping to drive the site visits and page views that make the Web 2.0 business model so successful. But… in order for a subscriber to open the email, our messages must be relevant to break through the clutter. Read my summary below for tips on how you can create an effective email campaign.
Sources I used:
1. iMediaConnection.com
2. online Marketing for Marketers blog
3. Yahoo Small Business
Summary of top things I learned:
1) Get to the point quickly, focus on what the subscriber wants and make sure your brand is immediately recognizable.
2) Include your message and call(s) to action early in the email.
3) Be sure your subject line is clear and short – this may be your only opportunity to capture your audience.
4) Be sure not to forget about frequency…always an important consideration.
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I think it would be very hard to solicit new clients from email these days. I think that an email campaign can only be successfully used in communicating to current clients.
Actually, as an employee of an email service provider (Silverpop), I can tell you that there are many potential uses for email marketing as a prospecting tool. The best way to use it depends upon whether your company targets other businesses (B2B) or consumers (B2C), but both scenarios present great potential uses.
Business to business companies have the opportunity to create a dialogue with their prospects by sending updated information about their products and services, or by providing valuable information such as whitepapers or case studies. This keeps the prospect engaged throughout all stages of the buying cycle (information gathering, evaluation, selection, purchase, etc.).
Business to consumer companies can focus on both promotional and informational content. News about new products and services might create initiative to buy their products, or coupons can be used to incent recipients to convert. Additionally, informational content (news alerts, etc.) can often be used as an advertising medium to generate ancillary revenues for a company.
Important to any strategy, however is the proper use of opt-in processes and communication strategy, so your customers (and/or prospects) know exactly what type of information they will receive and exactly how often they will receive it.
Norman,Jen – I think Toby makes some great points. I use email marketing to build my brand awareness with a weekly branding tip to an opt-in email list. This list grows every day. Over time you will pick up new customers. My blog has been successful in garnering me new business. All of my online marketing efforts overlap and work with each other.
I think if you both re-visited your blog and email opportunities, you will eventually be pleasantly rewarded. To be honest, it does take time. For my blog, it took a year and a half for my first piece of business, but publicity in many forms came within the first six months and continues – as does business leads.
Give it another go.
I agree…my blog was for existing clients or clients you’ve worked with in the past.
Thanks Ed…I see your points!