BBVA API Market
Email marketing is one of the oldest online marketing tactics. Some voices were already anticipating its disappearance, especially with the emergence of new communication channels such as social networks. However, surprisingly or not, the fact is that this is still one of the most effective marketing tactics. Why? It is still able to create a direct and personal relationship with the customer or subscriber. Also, it has to be taken into account that more than half the time we spend on the Internet is dedicated to email.
What’s more, there are numerous studies indicating that, contrary to what it was thought, the use of emails in online marketing strategies is an increasing trend. The guide “Email marketing, the perfect ecommerce partner” summarizes some of the figures indicating this trend. For example, in 2013 email marketing campaigns increased 9%, while the email open rate is increasing every month since 2007. Other statistics indicate that in 2014, 71% of the brands implementing B2B (business to business) will use email marketing, 65% in the B2C (business to consumer) segment.
Key points for a successful campaign
As just discussed, companies are increasingly using email marketing campaigns to launch offers or communicate with their clients. But this strategy is not just about sending emails on a massive scale. To obtain the desired results you must take into account some basic aspects:
1.- An updated database
Firstly, it is very important to have an updated and refined database, allowing you to easily see the type of contacts you have. Whether you are creating a database or if you already have it, it is very useful to identify the interests and preferences of your contacts in order to optimize the mailing, as not all subscribers are related in the same way with your business. A good way to do this is creating a registration form that allows you to easily organize your contacts, although you must be careful not to saturate the potential subscriber.
2.- Striking content
Another factor that should be thoroughly addressed is the message you want to convey and the goal you want to achieve through it. The images to be included also have to be clearly identified, as they will help us achieve the desired results. The message size is another aspect to consider: smaller messages are usually rated better than those with too much information. Besides, more information equals more weight, making it difficult to read the message on a mobile phone.
3.- A clear landing page
It is essential to create a good landing page to which you want to forward the recipient of the email. These sites, known as landing pages, must be clear and the message has to be in line with what is transmitted in the email marketing campaigns. They should also include a call to action, easily identifiable and measurable, in order to be able to analyze their effectiveness.
4.- Schedule the delivery
Defining a clear delivery schedule is another key aspect when implementing an email marketing strategy. According to the above mentioned email marketing guide, even though some studies have identified the best times and days for mailings in each market, the truth is that the delivery should be scheduled according to the objectives and the public. Hence, it is important to define a customized schedule for each organization. The time you choose for the mailing is essential to make it to the inbox at a convenient moment, so the message can gain the attention of the user and avoid being considered spam.
5.- Analyze the metrics
After sending the email marketing campaign it is crucial to analyze a series of metrics to verify its effectiveness. It is very important to monitor the reactions from the very beginning. In this sense, it is necessary to prioritize the metrics accordingly to your goals. At the end of the analysis you should not come down if you haven’t achieved the expected results, but learn from it in order to implement improvements in the following campaign.
The future: mobile devices
Undoubtedly, the advance of mobile devices is unstoppable and is something to consider in many aspects of a business strategy, including email marketing. According to the Splio Barometer, 2013 has been the year with a higher growth in email marketing openings in mobiles. Hence, it is interesting to adapt your campaigns also to these devices.
Today, the adaptation of any content to mobile environments is related to what is known as responsive design. As we mentioned already in other articles, the two basic variables that need to be taken into account when designing for mobile devices are the screen size and the fact that they are tactile gadgets. Furthermore, to ensure the effectiveness of an email marketing campaign, the message has to be as concise and clear as possible. Also, the buttons should be the right size in order to facilitate the call to action, as it has to be taken into account that it is not the same to click with a mouse than with a finger.
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