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1. Focus on your fan club and recruit more fans!
Weed out the uninterested and start networking to recruit a fresh list and engage them socially!
Part One: Weed out the uninterested
What’s the difference?
Perhaps your not-so-engaged members should be segmented out and targeted with a new approach. Consider sending a last-chance promotion to stay with you, and if not, you may bow out stylishly (for now). They may come around again, but in the meantime conserve those resources for your more eager audience members and for recruiting new ones!
How to make the difference
In our Web Based Email Marketing System (WEMS) we can show you who clicked, opened, spammed, and blocked your message. Search for and segment out those inactive subscribers and market them differently. Send them a focused message letting them know you miss them and see if they miss you back.
Part Two: Start networking to recruit a fresh list and engage them socially.
What’s the difference?
Did your last Facebook status showcase your upcoming event or product? Was your last blog post engaging, but marketable? Wait...you don’t use either of those tools? We need to bring you up to speed! Social media is fast becoming the best way for a company to reach out to, interact with, and build a more personal rapport with customers and users. Twitter and Facebook are social networking hotspots that allow you to market in a friendly, approachable way. We can help create custom email sign-up forms for your blog and/or Facebook page to capture all of your fans. In this day and age, promoting your brand on social networks is a must!
How to make the difference
From optimized blog development and design, to customized Facebook business pages, tailored Twitter campaigns, and robust brand marketing, we do it all! We can set you up for success - all you have to do is create unique content that compels the social media users to "Like", "Tweet" or "Share". Then, we can use analytics and other tracking tools to find out who said what, who helped drive traffic to your site and how to reward those loyal subscibers accordingly. The online conversation is always going...be a part of it!
2. "Extreme Makeover, Email Edition"...
Give your email a smart and stylish makeover!
Now is the perfect time to think about changing up the look of your emails to grab the attention of your readers and keep them engaged with your content. Give your email a smart and stylish makeover! Draw the right kind of attention with these tips for producing visually effective emails.
Where to start...
Take a good look at your current presentation!
Here are five tips to get you on your way:
· Use Images! Images are a compelling way to entice folks to click through to full stories and capture their attention quickly. With a healthy balance of images and text your email will be both enticing and effective to your clients.
· Break up your content! It's important to break up the content in your email. Every email doesn't have to be in the basic letter structure, try changing up the layout, adding borders between sections/articles, including highlighted sections or even consolidating content into lists, which are great for skimming.
Visually let your readers know that even with their busy schedules, your email is quick and easy to read.
· Keep them consistent! Keep your clients hooked with consistency. Each time they open an email from you they should know where to direct their eyes for a quick rundown. From there, that allows them to further their engagement by reading and clicking links throughout the message. In addition, emails should stay consistent within themselves, using only a few fonts at reasonable sizes and staying with a uniform, easy to read color palette.
If you focus on building a campaign that's relatively predictable in terms of timing, content and placement; and use a little restraint when it comes to your font and color choices, your readers will know when and where to find their favorite pieces!
Naturally, there are exceptions to every rule...
· Jazz it up! Once you have a framework for your email campaigns and your readers know what to expect, find a way to keep it fresh! Occasionally break up the standard email with a new graphic or banner that calls attention to an upcoming event or sale. Keep your readers guessing just a little so they aren't feeling as if they've read it all before. If you are short a topic you would normally include in an email, don't fill that section just to fill it, add something new in its place or try a mailing with less content this time.
Which leads to another concern...
· Watch the length! Lengthy emails aren't always going to grab your audience. Emails that are too long are an easy and quick mistake to make.
And it’s understandable, you want to share it all! The key is to take the time to carefully choose what content is most important to your readers. When your email campaign is too long, readers are less likely to read.
Here’s the secret: Don’t give it away all at once. The main goal is to get your readers to your website or to make a purchase, right? Leave a little to the imagination and make them want more. Give only a snippet or teaser of an article or special so they can easily skim for topics that appeal to them. Then direct your readers to the full story with a "See More" or "More Details" text link that will take them straight to your site!
With images, easy-to read sections, and manageable length you'll have your audience anticipating your emails!
Don't forget your subject line.
Easily the most overlooked component of any email campaign, the subject line is sometimes all you have to entice that reader to open your email. A subject line should be like a headline on a newspaper. It should grab your attention and make you want to see what the stories all about.
3. Personalize Your Content…“Hey, we know you!”
Looking for better ways to engage your subscribers?
Sure, including their first name is a nice start, but how about taking it a step further and personalizing the content of your emails to reflect their individual preferences?
What’s the difference?
Sure, seeing your first name used in an email may catch your eye. But there’s a wealth of great information beyond names that you can easily incorporate into your email blasts to create a more personal experience for your readers.
If you pay close attention to subscribers’ email opens, clicks, purchase history, event attendance, etc., you can learn quite a bit about their likes and dislikes, when they read their emails, and more. You can then take this data and create targeted emails which often lead to higher open rates and increased sales.
How to make the difference
Segment and Personalize! Instead of sending a “batch and blast” email to everyone on your list, take what you know about your subscribers and use it to your advantage. The first step is to examine your list and split it up into more detailed segments. These can be based on email opens, purchase history, loyalty, etc. Next, create emails targeted to these different segments. Send a fund-raising campaign to past donors, a reminder email to those who haven’t registered for an event, or a special offer to those with birthdays this month, and so on.
Earn style points
This is where we come in. You know what you want to say – we can help you say it with style. Looking to bring a personal, informal tone to your blasts? No problem. Need something more professional? We have that covered, too. After all, we’re here for you!
4. Automate Your Email Marketing..."Set It and Forget It!"
Automation is a fantastic way to put your Email Marketing resources to work for you, and the best way to get started is to create a Welcome campaign.
What is Automation?
I know, I know…when most people hear the word “automate” they think “impersonal”. On the contrary! Automation is a fantastic way to put your Email Marketing resources to work for you by creating a message or series of messages that are automatically sent based on certain “triggers” you set. And since these automated emails are highly targeted to specific subscribers, it’s very common to see much higher open rates than with a typical “batch and blast” email. After all, subscribers enjoy getting email that’s highly relevant to them!
Welcome Aboard!
The best way to get started with automation is to create a Welcome campaign. A Welcome message is a great way to set an expectation with your subscribers, to thank them for joining, gather more information and even include a special offer as a thank you.
When creating your Welcome program:
• Ask the right questions. Gather info at the point of opt in that you need to take the relationship to the next level and nothing more. For instance, ask your customers how often they want to be contacted, what offers interest them and what products are most meaningful to them. Keep your questions focused solely on things that will help make your program more effective.
• Determine the next steps before launching. Before you launch a welcome program, make sure you know what your next contact will be. Once the customer is welcomed, what offer or promotion is appropriate next? Don’t just add them into the “batch”. Instead, categorize your contact specifically to what you learned when they opted in, and have a plan for two or three follow-up email messages after the initial welcome.
• Create relevant content. A generic welcome message is not as effective as one that recognizes customers as individuals by acknowledging their preferences, needs and other information gathered at the opt-in process. Be sure and develop as many versions of your welcome email as you need to make sure that each one feels like a truly unique welcome to the customer.
Interested in Advanced Automation? Contact the Email Marketing Department for more information.
User Guides:
Click on the links below for helpful user guides to get you on your way to email marketing success!
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