MARKETING BUZZ
BY: SHERYL MADDOX, PSYCHEMEDICS
Planting the Seeds for Email Marketing Success
A
re you looking for new ways to atract and engage customers? Seventy-two percent of consumers
report that email is their preferred way to communicate with businesses.1
Whether
you have avoided it up to this point or not, email marketing has become a mainstay in the marketing toolbox. Unlike one-to-one email messages,
email marketing entails sending a message to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people at the same time. A great email helps you engage your customer and deliver a specific message, which can make the difference between a click-through to your website; and losing a customer’s interest and being sent to the dreaded spam folder. Most inboxes are inundated with emails.
Te key to a successful email campaign is to deliver the right content at the right time to the right audience. Make it personal, and be sure that the intended reader is interested in the message you are delivering. If done right, email marketing helps you to beter understand customer profiles, giving you the ability to use that information to continue creating relevant messages.
The Basics—Building a Foundation for Growth BUILDING YOUR LIST—Tere are many ways to build up your audience— it’s just a mater of determining the best
methods for your business. You can use social media or a blog to ask for email subscribers, or install a lead capture soſtware on your website that will convert visitors into subscribers. Te most important thing is that you are finding subscribers who are interested in your business, and will therefore opt-in to receive your emails. Having an audience that chooses to opt-in means fewer deleted
unsubscribes and spam complaints! IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DATA—
Data helps companies: understand customers; deliver effective messages and campaigns; and enable beter personalization. Collect and analyze as much information as you can, and use it to
build customer profiles. SUBJECT LINES—Te subject line
is the single most important determinant of whether an email will get opened. Engagement starts with creating a compelling subject line that draws in the reader. Tis is also where you build trust—don’t trick the reader with a catchy subject line that doesn’t
match the content of the email. DESIGN—Make the email look
appealing. Consider using pre-built templates that will reduce design time. Conduct tests to make sure the email will look good on various devices (mobile, tablets, desktop, etc.). Build a strong foundation across multiple digital marketing platforms and link to social media sites and
your website in each email you send. LEARN FROM YOUR
MISTAKES—Mistakes are inevitable, and email marketing is a constant learning process. Help minimize mistakes with thorough proof-reading and testing. Test all links, making sure that images are loading correctly—and by all means, make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes.
56 datia focus Tere are many different types of emails
you can send, including re-engagement emails, abandoned cart emails, and event emails. If you are trying to establish yourself as an industry expert, consider sending a frequent email newsleter with educational information, tips, how-tos, and industry news. Have a goal in mind and tailor your email’s information and call-to- action to that idea or plan. You are likely already using a number of
other tools to market your business. Email marketing works best when integrated with these other communication tools. Using sites like Facebook, Twiter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to reach new customers can extend those relationships by encouraging them to join your email list. You can also use email to drive traffic to different social media platforms and generate engagement on these sites. Email marketing seems to be here to stay.
Taking advantage of this additional tool in the marketing toolbox can help you atract new leads, engage current customers, and build a solid foundation for growth and success. ❚
Reference 1 MarketingSherpa 2015 Survey
Sheryl Maddox runs the Marketing Program for Psy- chemedics Corporation, the world’s leading and largest hair drug-testing company. After earning her degree in
Communications and PR, Sheryl has spent the last 15 years focused on brand building, content marketing and digital marketing for companies in a variety of industries. Since transitioning to the drug testing industry over eight years ago, she has been heavily involved in the industry, serving on and chair- ing multiple committees for DATIA and IFDAT, and writing articles for several publications.
summer 2017
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