When email first became available, it was one of the first successful touchpoints brands had with customers. And even with the popularity of today’s various social media platforms, email remains among the highest drivers of ROI. According to data gathered by the Data and Marketing Association, every dollar spent on email marketing results in an average ROI of $38. That’s an extremely good reason to ensure that a brand’s email marketing is fine-tuned and operating on all cylinders.
Here are some things to consider checking and tweaking, if necessary.
Set a benchmark upon which to measure future results. Analyze previous data and results, including what worked and why and higher periods of engagement, most popular days, and time periods. What were the main reasons for unsubscribes, and what changes could be made to change that?
Customer-focused goals
Set goals that are focused on the brand’s customers. What else might be implemented or improved upon that would benefit the customer receiving the brand’s email? What other goals should be listed?
Share and collaborate
Share the plan annually with senior staff and other departments like sales, channel marketing, public relations and customer service. This helps break down silos and gives them ownership that could lead to inspiration and even changes in their strategies. At the same time, reach agreement on cross-functional teams’ expectations, particularly as it relates to workflows.
Establish KPIs
As marketer Alexei Orlov has said in general about marketing programs, “If more than one department is involved, agree on key performance indicators (KPI) like click rates, customer lifetime value (CTV), and conversions. These will influence how emails are built and sent. Establish benchmarks for these and measure them regularly.”
Turn data into action
Turn data and findings into actionable visions regularly. Can successful discoveries be applied to other sends, and how and what changes might be needed? With the data collected, consider what adjustments need to be made to reach the goals and where there’s room to grow. What worked best? What didn’t? Turn to those that worked best and consider ways to expand upon them. Drop or change those that didn’t meet expectations and change the plan to reflect any changes.
Earn trust
Successful email campaigns won’t work if they end up in spam folders. Brands need to obtain permission from customers to send them an email. Customers must be assured that their privacy is valued and protected and how their permission will be used. Consumers must be fully informed when considering and agreeing to the brand’s terms. Inform them of the benefits of opting-in, why it’s valuable, what’s in it for them, and the expected frequency they might expect.
Template
Decide on a template. Will one with different modules work best for the brand? Or will several templates for different communication types be required? In either case, ensure that they look and feel consistent. Because more people are on digital devices, make certain that templates are easily seen and accessible on them as well.
Final action
Today’s consumer adores pictures and videos. Employ them, when possible. Short stories, meaningful content, and bulleted text make it easy for customers to quickly glance at emails. Also, make calls for action stand out by utilizing color, text treatment, or placement so consumers understand and can respond to the email.
