How to not do email marketing – mass blast outs, no personalisation or segmentation, and mailshots not integrated with other outbound & inbound marketing efforts.
Certain companies seem to have a shotgun approach when it comes to emailing potential customers. An approach that won’t get you more business, but will introduce you to a new group – the ‘unsubscribers’.
At some point I have signed up to an email database to make, or consider making, a purchase on a couple of websites. After clearing my personal inbox recently, I discovered I’d been receiving c.4-5 emails per week from two businesses alone:
Too many emails, Blurb.
Blurb – online photobooks
Signed up to this a few years back, as wanted to create a holiday photobook, which I obviously haven’t yet done (can anyone else relate?). Since then, I’ve regularly been receiving 4-5 offers PER WEEK with no interaction.
La Senza – womens’ underwear
Something comfy (not kinky) for the wife’s birthday last month – calm down. Have received seven emails since 21 May… that’s seven in 11 days. Overkill?
Isn’t email dead?
In a word, no. Discount email at your peril. Hubspot’s latest global survey (late 2019), said that “78% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months”.
Furthermore, the same report saw that the return on investment (ROI) of email marketing sitting at around $40-$50 back from every $1 spent, more than any other channel.
This 2018 report from Campaign Monitor also has 55% of marketing professionals seeing the best ROI from email campaigns, far out performing social or display ads.
Why? It’s people already with some element of interest in your product or service. They have already started on their journey through your marketing funnel. They are aware of you. Keep them engaged.
It’s not spam
Spam is unsolicited email, possibly purchased from an email list, or an affiliated business – remember those tick boxes before signing up to something?
Oh, and a word of caution – NEVER buy an email marketing list. Apart from being unethical and borderline illegal (GDPR), it can damage your brand by inundating customers with products or services they have no need or desire for.
Personalisation, segmentation, integration
Campaign Monitor integration advice – click above to read more.
The future is certainly heading in this direction. An email database is a powerful thing, but when you link it up to other marketing channels – such as EPOS, sales data, your website or a CRM (customer relationship management tool) – you can truly reap the benefits. Campaign Monitor has a good article on integrated email marketing here.
Mailchimp is another go-to in the email marketing world, taking the heavy lifting off companies, and providing useful, effective and easy-to-use tools for marketers to extend reach and build engagement. See this interesting article on the power of personalisation (or personalization, for Americans) to get some food for thought.
Also, I’d thoroughly recommend checking out Mailchimp’s strategic hints and tips for further insight.
So, what are your thoughts on effective customer emails? Which companies do you think do email marketing well, and what are the emails that make you roll your eyes or unsubscribe? Sharing is caring.
Post below or get in touch to see how Authentic can help your business make the most out of email marketing.
Main photo by Torsten Dettlaff from Pexels