Katie Thomas is our awesome Director of Strategic Account Services out of the Baltimore office. She was generous enough to give us valuable insight on a problem she runs into constantly: The unfortunate batch and blast. Read on to see how you can avoid doing this, and give your email program the love it deserves.
I’ve been visiting a lot of clients recently, and there seems to be a reoccurring theme. “We don’t have time … we just send out the emails because we know we need to.” It’s surprising how many clients today are guilty of “batch and blast.” I’m sure this sounds all too familiar to you. So don’t be shy, raise your hand and admit that you are one of them. You’re not alone.
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I know that time is valuable, you wear multiple hats, and email marketing is only a small bullet item in your job description. But I have to ask if you knew:
- Email is still the largest communication channel. With over 5 billion members, it has more users than Facebook and Twitter.
- It has the highest ROI of any digital channel. Industry standard of $40 for every $1 spent.
- It’s the digital marketing glue. Think about it, every time you sign up for one of those new social sites, shop online, or join the latest box subscription; you give them your email. They know, and you know, that it’s the most consistent way to get in touch with you. Because let’s face it, no one likes talking on the phone anymore.
Now that that’s got your attention, you may ask, Well what can I do that will have the least impact on my time, but give me some results? Here are three tips to help you achieve that goal.
Tip #1
Ask yourself these questions with every email you send out:
What do I want the subscriber to do with this email when they receive it?
If you can answer that question, you know what kind of content to put in your email.
Will the subscriber be able to accomplish that “task” I set in the above question when they get the email?
Meaning, if you want someone to click through to your website to learn more, is there a clear call to action and supporting copy urging them to click through?
Does the content of the email follow through with the promise set by the subject line and pre-header?
If your email subject line and pre-header promise there is a great deal inside, you better have a great deal lined up for that subscriber in the content of your email. Elephants don’t forget, and neither do people.
(What’s pre-header you ask? That’s the snippet of HTML copy that you see just after the subject line in your inbox preview. One of the most underused email tactics to get subscribers to open.)
Tip #2
Send emails that, at the very least, have mobile in mind. I don’t care if you think your audience doesn’t use mobile devices to read email. Just because they won’t, your future generation will. You always have to cultivate the next grouping of subscribers in order to be sustainable. And yes, they are mobile savvy; they never look up from those things.
Tip #3
Provide content in short digestible chunks. You don’t need to put a book in your email. Be short, sweet, and get to the point quickly.
Some of this probably sounds familiar to you, and it should. As a seasoned marketer, it’s the basics of marketing. Those principals don’t get thrown out the door because you’re sending an email. Those principles still apply to email, and in fact help create successful email campaigns. Lastly, don’t forget to marry your email marketing efforts with your print and web.
Now, go create. Send meaningful emails. SEND WHATCOUNTS.
Also check out Ask The Experts: Email Deliverability And Engagement and Keeping On The Good Side: General Email Best Practices To Remember.