5 Tips to Make an Effective Email Marketing Plan

A New Year has started and a new quarter has begun, it is time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy and revisit your email marketing plan.  We have talked previously about how having an email marketing plan acts as a roadmap to guide you in this post here.  Now, let us talk about ways to help ensure your success when putting together an effective email marketing plan.

What is your objective?  To start off, you first need to identify what you hope to accomplish with your emails.  Why do you feel that you need to do email marketing for your business?  Is it to keep in contact with customers?  Do you hope to increase revenue?  There is a wide range of goals that can be reached through email marketing tactics.  Emails can be used as a source of revenue in the form of a paid subscription or exclusive promotions and limited time offers only available to subscribers.  It can also be used as a way to show a more personal and human side to your business in the form of personalized birthday ecards to clients.  By determining what your objective is, you are setting the direction that you will move in for your roadmap.

What types of emails will help you achieve your objective?  Now that you have determined what it is that you wish to achieve with your email marketing efforts, you need to determine which types of emails will be the most effective in helping you achieve that objective.  Here is a list of different email types for you to consider:

Promotional Emails – These emails tell your customers about special promotions you are running for a set period of time.  They can be exclusive to those receiving the email or be general promotions that you are offering to all existing and potential customers.

Newsletters – These emails are sent on a regularly scheduled basis and can include tips, news about your organization, a spotlight on a particular service or product, or can be generated from blog postings on your website.

Daily Deals – These emails highlight a new special or deal everyday.  Examples of a daily deal email would be email subscription services like Groupon, SaveLocal and Living Social.  Typically these deals are only available for a short window of time.

Paid Subscription Emails – These emails are typically paid for at the time of sign-up by the customer and billed automatically either monthly or yearly.  Examples of content can be tutorials, guides, courses, secrets, hard to find deals, etc.

Autoresponders – These emails are sent automatically and are typically triggered by an action by the customer.  An example of an autoresponder would be a welcome email that a customer receives upon signing up for a service, subscription or by creating an account on your website.  Birthday ecards and promotional gifts are also considered autoresponders, although they are not triggered by a specific action by the customer.

How often will you be sending out correspondence?  If you have decided to make use of autoresponders, you will not need to spend a lot of thought on how often these will be sent since they are generated automatically.  For your other chosen email types, you will need to decide how often you want each type to be sent out.  When deciding on the frequency of your correspondence, try to put yourself in the shoes of your customer.  What would they want?  If you are planning to send out promotions, how often would they want to receive them AND if you are sending out other types of emails as well, how often would they want to receive correspondence from you in general?  There is a thin line between keeping your customer informed and your customer feeling that they are being spammed due to the volume of emails that they are receiving from you.

It may help to segment your email list to target your different email types to specific groups of customers.  This will help cut down on the volume of emails one individual customer may receive from you and keep you on the positive side of that thin line.

Who is going to write the content?  Depending on the types of emails that you have chosen to send out, you may need to enlist the services of a copywriter or designate this task to a member of your staff.  If you have the time to spare, this can be a job that can be done by you.  The most important aspect of an email is the content, so it is important not to rush through the process of preparing and writing it.  If you do not have the time to write the copy or the resources to delegate this task to a staffer, you can use a site like scripted.com, fiverr.com or enlist the services of a company like eTouch Marketing.  eTouch Marketing not only manages email marketing, but also offers copywriting services.

What will your emails look like?  We all feel like we may possess a little creativity and this can make it very tempting to try to design something on our own.  Although you may be able to create something in-house that looks decent, it is best to leave this task up to the professionals.  By doing so, you can ensure that any branding that you are incorporating in your other marketing efforts are in line with your email marketing efforts.  If you are using an email marketing service provider, they will have options to help you achieve a professional look for your emails.  You can also enlist the help of a Graphic Design student from your local college if cost is an issue.

Execute!  Now that you have an outline or roadmap for what you plan to do, it is time to put your plan into action.  Putting an email marketing plan in place is essential in order to guarantee the success of your campaigns.  A plan is only of benefit to you if it is consistently implemented or executed.  If you indicate to your readers they will hear from you the first week of each month, then this needs to happen on this time basis for you to gain credibility and to keep it.

Align Your SEO/SEM Efforts With Your Email Marketing

So, you’ve jumped into the SEO/SEM pond to optimize your website and you are starting to see the results of these efforts in the form of more traffic and higher conversions.  You (or your hired SEO/SEM Professional) have identified keywords and audience segments to target that have higher lead generation and you are seeing an increase in business.  Well, why not use some of that information to help generate higher open rates and click-throughs in your email marketing efforts?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is a tactic used to help search engines index your site and proper SEO can help bring you up higher in the non-paid search results rankings.  Part of the SEO process, identifies keywords that a user is likely to search that would lead them to your site.  SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, is the process of advertising or promoting your website in the paid search result rankings.  An example would be the results that show up on the right sidebar of a Google search or in the shaded box at the top of a search results page.  Keywords are a large part of SEM as well.  If you are using SEM, you have probably identified phrases, subject lines and keywords that garner the most click-throughs and conversions.

You can use this same information to craft the subject lines of your emails.  In a previous post, we talked about keeping email subject lines simple and branded.  With the information garnered from your SEO and SEM efforts, you can make. “simple” aspect, keyword related.  If you sell olive oil products imported directly from Italy and you have found through your SEO/SEM efforts that the keywords “olive oil from Italy” have garnered a lot of click-throughs, a subject line, “[COMPANY] Olive Oil from Italy – Winter Sale,” may be an effective subject line to advertise a sale flyer email.  You can also use the audience segment and keyword information from your SEO/SEM efforts to craft the content of your emails.  Maybe you found that you had more click-throughs from SEM campaigns that focused on flavored olive oils.  You can then focus your content more on flavored olive oils or run flavored olive oil sales specials via email.

If your customers signed up for your email list, they are interested in what you have to offer, if you can tailor your emails more specifically to their interests, you can gain more click-throughs and increase your open rate.  SEO/SEM implementation takes a lot of time effort, and sometimes money to incorporate into a businesses marketing strategy.  Make that effort and/or money stretch even further by incorporating the information gained, into your email marketing efforts.

Subject Lines and How to Write Them

The almighty and sometimes elusive subject line is the topic of much debate and discussion when it comes to email marketing.  Most people want to know how to write the perfect subject line to entice people to open their email messages.  If you search the web, you will find article, upon article on this topic and the best and worst ways to achieve the perfect subject line.  Some of the information and advice from experts contradicts each other and can be confusing to the novice user, but there is some advice that in general is agreed upon by all.  I am going to try to summarize the common viewpoints here.

In a recent study conducted by Constant Contact 64% of people surveyed, opened emails because of whom the email was from.  While 47% opened the email based on the subject line alone.  Constant Contact’s take on this is that marketers need to stop stressing as much about the subject line and spend more time on the content of the emails to provide content that the reader will want to read.  I agree with this notion, however I believe that it should be noted that just a little under 50% of people opened the email because of the subject line.  If you can combine the brand/company recognition that is in the “from address” with that of the subject line, you may be able to capture both that 64% and the 47%.

Brand recognition in the subject line has proven to be an effective way to get people to open emails.  If people from the above survey opened emails because of this recognition factor in the “from address”, it should also work to drive the people that are paying attention to the subject line.  A study conducted by MailChimp, showed that simple subject lines that contained the company’s name had a higher open rate than gimmicky subject lines.  Something as simple as “[COMPANY NAME] May Newsletter” could potentially garner more opens than “Spring into May with [PRODUCT NAME].”

This brings me to my next and final point, subject lines that read as newspaper ads or something you might hear the radio voice guy say during commercials are a no-go.  Across the board, the experts seem to agree that these types of subject lines will not garner high open rates.  The experts seem to agree that the subject line needs to remain simple and tell the reader what the email is about.  If you relate this back to Constant Contact’s take on their survey, if more time is spent on the content of the email, the subject line will write itself.  The goal should not be just to get people to open emails, but also to read them.

5 Ways To Get People to Sign-up for Your List

So you have set-up an account with an email marketer or service provider, you have an awesome looking newsletter ready to go out and a monthly plan but you only have a few subscribers in your email list to send to.  How do you get more subscribers for your list?  The simplest way in theory is to let people know that they can sign up for the list and offer them some incentive to do so.  The incentive does not have to be something tangible, it can be in the form of the information that they will gain from your newsletters, or special offers and discounts that they will be made aware of through your mailings.  Sounds great, but how do you do that?  Well, here is how…

QR Codes – QR codes are a great way to direct traffic to landing pages on websites.  They can also be used to direct traffic to a sign-up landing page.  Most email service providers offer a way to generate a web based sign-up landing page.  You can use the URL from this page to generate a QR code and place it on your printed and web based marketing materials.  For instance, if you have a brick and mortar business where customers come into, you can set up a display in the lobby, waiting area, point-of-purchase area, etc, that asks customers to sign-up for your mailing list to receive special offers, tips, etc.  Along with this text, you can place a QR code, that when scanned, takes the person to the web based sign-up form.  With over 80% of people in the US owning smart phones, this is an easy way to direct traffic to your sign-up form.  QR code reader apps are normally free and a lot of people already have them installed on their phones.  There are also free websites that you can find online that will generate a QR code from any URL that you provide.  You can also add a QR code to flyers and business cards.

Blog Signup Form – Do you have a blog?  Well, if you do and it is built using the WordPress or Blogger platform, you can easily add a sign-up form in the sidebar.  You will just need to add a simple plug-in that corresponds with the email service provider that you are using.  For WordPress, you can then activate the plug-in and add it as a widget to the sidebar.

Facebook – Make sure you are making the most of your Facebook business page by adding a sign-up form for your mailing list.  With the new Timeline feature, you can rearrange the tabs/apps at the top of your page so that your sign-up form displays prominently.  Most of the big name email service provider’s also have Facebook apps available to integrate your sign-up form into your business page.  Check with your provider to see which app is recommended for use.  Install the app and send out a few posts to let your fans know that they can sign-up from your page.

Twitter – Remember that URL I talked about when making a QR code?  Well, you can use that same URL for your web based sign-up form and tweet it out to your followers.  It may be a little long, so you can use a URL shortener service like bitly.com, to shorten AND track the link.  This way you can make the most of your 140 characters.  You can also take this same shortened link and add it to your profile.  That way it is always displayed, even if you have not tweeted it recently.

Email Signatures – Most businesses append a signature to their emails when sending out correspondence.  You can update your signature to add the link for the URL of your web based sign-up form.  You can also use the shortened link that you have already created.  Many people have a line of text asking for a “like” or “follow” on Facebook and Twitter.  You can take it a step farther by asking them to also “Sign-up”.

These five suggestions are not the only ways you can get people to sign-up, but they can definitely serve as a way to get started and perhaps kick start other ideas to get the subscribers that you desire.

Are You Making the Most of Your Email Marketing Account?

Do you have an email marketing account that you have setup, but are not using?  Maybe you have sent out a couple of emails, but became too busy or discouraged by the amount of time and effort needed to effectively manage the account.  It might be time to let a professional step in.

A company like eTouch Marketing can help you implement your best ideas in a way that will generate results.  Perhaps you had envisioned branding your emails to match your business’ other marketing materials, but just could not find the right template to do so.  eTouch Marketing can take your business’ current branding and customize a template to match your other existing materials.

It is not just about the look and feel of your emails, but also the time that is needed to analyze the data that comes back from each email campaign through your email marketing provider.  This data needs to be analyzed to determine if what is currently being done is successful.  Email marketing professionals monitor this data and help their clients come up with an effective email marketing plan.

Make the most of your email marketing account by hiring a professional to help you bring your ideas to fruition and achieve the results that you want.

Postcards And How They Can Help Grow Your Business

In this age of digital technology and with many businesses choosing to go the emarketing route, postcards are still seen as a proven effective and relevant marketing tool.  If done right, they can help increase a business’ visibility, revenue and reach.  They are not only successful in reaching those that shy away from computers and social networks, but those that engage in those activities as well.  Part of the key to this success is the quality of the postcard, repetition and whether or not the postcard is kept or tossed away.

Quality – You get what you pay for.  If you go with the cheapest source for your postcard printing, you could end up with a product that is flimsy or has a poor print quality.  That is not really the best first and possibly last impression you want to make on potential customers.  Before deciding on a vendor, ask them to send you print samples.  Many printing outlets will send paper and/or print samples to you for free upon request.  Make sure that what you are paying for is really what you want customers to see.

Repetition – You have to do more than one mailing to really see and determine results.  One mailing would be the equivalent of what is called “shotgun marketing.”  You shoot a shotgun in the air and let the pellets fall whereever they land.  You really can not measure the effectiveness of one mailing, but you can measure the effectiveness of a campaign – several mailings with a specified intent.  Companies like eTouch Marketing provide a series of cards that you can send to a client.  One series, “The Best of Atlanta” (BOA) series, targets the Atlanta area by providing relevant information to the recipients.  In January a client can send out a “Best Cheap Dates” BOA card and send out a “Best Romantic Dining” BOA card in February.  The client is successful in getting their message, logo, information, etc in front of consumers repeatedly, but in a way that is useful and not obnoxious.

Toss or Keep? – Most consumers will see postcards as junk mail and junk mail typically gets tossed, but what if it’s useful?  If the card provides information that is eye-catching and relevant, the consumer is more likely to hold on to it.  eTouch Marketing has a sports series of cards that provide sports schedules for area teams right on the front.  A card like this might not just be kept, but may end up on the refrigerator as well.

If your business is not already employing the use of direct mail pieces in the form of postcards, you could be missing out on potential clients and business revenue.

What Characteristics Make a Great Marketer?

I think to answer this question, we need to refine it a little more.  In this age of technology, the scope of marketing is ever changing.  With the evolution of the internet, new forms of marketing have emerged under the umbrella of emarketing.  We can now utilize email, social media, websites and mobile media in our marketing toolboxes.  So, I think the question should be changed to: “What characteristics make a great modern marketer?”

I have come up with five characteristics that I believe make for a great modern marketer for not just today’s world, but tomorrow’s and the day after and…well, you get the picture.

• Able to Understand the Cause and Effect of Marketing – To be a great marketer, you need to be able to understand the cause and effect of your marketing strategies and campaigns.  Understanding that every strategy will impact the business in some way will help a marketer determine whether that strategy is the best solution for that particular business.  For instance, many small businesses have found themselves in hot water utilizing deal sites like Groupon^® and Living Social^®.  Although it is a great way to get exposure and bring in new customers, a business must keep in mind that if the deal becomes popular, they may not have enough inventory or time to actually fulfill the pre-purchased deals.  A photographer that does not place a quantity limit on the amount of total deals offered, could end up with not enough time to schedule shoots, do post editing, print and deliver orders.  Angry customers that take to online rating sites like Kudzu^® could negatively effect future business.
• · Tech Savvy – Since we are talking about a modern marketer for today, it is imperative that they be tech savvy.  They need to not only be able to operate their own computer, but they should also have some basic knowledge on internet based activities like email and social media.
• A Thirst for Knowledge – Marketing is constantly evolving as technology evolves and in order to keep up and stay up to date on the latest marketing trends and strategies, a marketer must have a thirst for knowledge.  The saying “knowledge is power” is true.  What you do not know can literally kill your career.  Participating in seminars, workshops and online continuing education are all ways to keep up to date.
• Analytical – Having an analytical mind is a great asset to any marketer.  A lot of marketing deals with measures of quantitative data.  A great marketer will be able to analyze data to determine whether a particular marketing strategy is effective.  This saves businesses from wasting money by continuing to use strategies that are ineffective.  Being able to analyze data and what other competitors may be doing that prove to be effective will also help the marketer tailor a new strategy that can prove to be effective for the client.
• Creative – In the past, creative was not a word that was synonymous with marketing.  In some advertising agencies “creative’s” and “suits” (marketers) would be at war with each other.  The part of the brain that makes great marketers great is the left side and the part that makes many designers great is the right side.  Usually the non-dominant side of the brain is a little lacking.  I believe that it is possible to tap into the non-dominant side and utilize what you can.  For instance, me being a designer, I can honestly say that I am very right brain dominant in almost every way, but I am also very analytical.  This helps me design not just from a creative standpoint, but a marketing one as well.  A marketer that can tap into their creative side, will be able to craft campaigns that are fresh and out of the box.  Creative strategic marketing will make a marketer a force to be reckoned with.

These five characteristics are by no means the only characteristics that a marketer needs to have, but I feel that they are definitely five of the most important ones.