In this post CAN-SPAM environment many feel that email marketing is dead. And while we all get more emails than we would like to the fact is that consumers are signing up to receive more marketing emails than ever before. Groupon alone sends daily emails to 33 million opt-ins.
If you are hesitant about sending email newsletters consider the following.
- 94% of daily email users subscribed to marketing messages – ExactTarget “Subscribers, Fans, and Followers: The Social Profile“
- 57% of internet users worldwide said they are more apt to buy a product in a store after getting a marketing email. – e-Dialog, “Global Perspectives: a Study of Consumer Attitudes to Digital Marketing” (2010)
- Email is the preferred method of commercial communication by 74% of all online adults. – Merkle “View From the Digital Inbox 2011” (2011)
Email Marketing Best Practices
We all receive those emails everyday that we delete immediately. Here are a number of tips to increase your open rates and make your emails more powerful.
- Frequency – Make sure that you don’t send emails more frequently than you can create meaningful content. 2-4 times per month if you have frequent product updates or sales, 1-2 times a month for just keeping in touch.
- Content – Keep emails brief. We live in a time poor society where brevity is key. Use links to your website to provide more detailed information.
- Calls-to-action – Every email should inspire action. Sign-up now! Read More! Get Started! Learn More! Save Now! A strong call to action can help you turn opens into business.
- Test Test Test – Try different subject lines, different send times, and different calls to action to determine what works best for your audience.
