Best Practices for Your Next Email Campaigns

Did you know in the year 2020 an estimated 306.4 billion emails were sent and received worldwide? With numbers in 2019 hitting 293.4 billion and a projected 320 billion to be expected in 2021, it is evident that emailing is not dead. In fact, it’s increasing in relevance!

Email marketing is one of the best avenues for increasing and maintaining sales. An effective email marketing campaign has the potential to bring you an average ROI (return on investment) of $42 per every $1 spent. This is a remarkable rate of return in comparison to other forms of marketing such as text messaging and social media. Even with social media being as impactful on our lives as it can be, email marketing is still the best way to reach new and existing customers to generate sales.

Although 42:1 is already quite high, some strategies can push you past that average rate of return. Consistently A/B testing different variables within your email marketing helps to develop the format that best suits your target audience. Platforms such as Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer accurate data reporting to get an in-depth look into your email marketing KPI’s.

Examples of these KPI’s are…

1. Open Rate

Open rate is the number of people who opened your email. Using Klaviyo you can perform A/B testing with the variable being the email subject title. Performing this test will allow you to conclude which subject will give you the highest open rate in your email campaign.

2. Click Rate

Also known as CTR (click-through rate), this metric measures how many clicks per impression you are receiving. Understanding this will provide you with an understanding of how relevant your audience finds your advertising to be.

3. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate measures the percentage of your audience that completes a desired action. In most cases, this is a record of what advertisements successfully converted into sales.

4. Website Traffic

This will show you how much of your website’s active online users were directly because of an email sent.

Staying in touch with your existing audience is a great way to generate sales...

It is much easier to get someone to buy from you after they’ve already purchased from you before. Email campaigns that target your already existing audience can include infographics detailing your best selling products of the week. Also, if a customer already has a connection to your brand, staying in-the-know with the most recent trends will matter to them. Give updates on new collection drop dates with funnels leading users with a straight forward direct call-to-action shown in the example below…

Key elements in this email from Apple include a specific time (5:00 pm) and date (December 22) that purchases can be made for it to be delivered on time for a specific holiday. This information is plainly shown in at least two areas of this email which not only creates a sense of urgency but also ensures clarity of communication from B2C.

Another key element shown in this email is the “shop gifts” button highlighted with a color that stands out. It’s placed at the top of the email to encourage users in a simple fashion to be directed to their website. This is a great example of Apple’s infamously minimalistic approach to marketing.

The last key element shown in this simple yet powerful email is the large clickable images which give the audience a shopping experience immediately from opening this message in their inbox. This is a provocatively seamless way to encourage a purchase before a customer even makes it to Apple’s website. Including images and prices of your best selling products in this fashion will generate an increase in sales.

Above is another great example of what it is like to bring the shopping experience into your audiences’ email. Just like the Apple email, there are bright interactive pictures where trending products are highlighted and prices are plainly stated. Wish also personalizes the shopping experience by clearly stating recommendations especially directed at the viewer.

The added buttons on the very bottom should also be acknowledged. Wish encourages multi-network exposure by calling out their mobile application available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. This is a great way to maintain optimal visibility across all available platforms which is a guaranteed way to increase “shopability” to your most loyal customers. Referral programs are also great ways to expand your exposure and easily pull in warm leads.

Let your audience speak!

Interactive email campaigns can increase your conversion rate and bring in higher traffic to your website. Place a survey in your email campaigns for your audience to answer that leads to your website. Ask questions about what they like/dislike about your products and perhaps even leave a comment box where you can provide a space for valuable feedback. These can later evolve into testimonials to showcase on your website that provides a sense of security to your future customers’ purchases.

Final Thoughts

A successful email marketing campaign is easier than you think and worth the initial investment. If you aren’t budgeting for this aspect of your advertising then you are leaving money on the table! We hope these tips will provide you with the tools you need to be able to take on this task with confidence. If you need assistance or guidance with getting your email marketing campaigns set up, make sure to reach out & request a Free Consultation.

- Izegbe A. Jarvis