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Beyond Blasts
12 Best Practices for Using Email More Effectively
Email is one of the MOST effective and LEAST effective communication tools we have.
Targeted, relevant emails get faster results and a higher ROI than almost any other form of communication. It can open the door immediately to online, phone, or face-to-face conversation. It is the best door-opener and lead generator for your sales team, and it can drive online sales from your website.
But irrelevant email blasts are a nuisance that deteriorates your brand’s image, and makes it less likely that customers and prospects will respond to your offers. You’ll become the victim of “auto-delete,” when your valued customers and prospects automatically delete your email without opening it or giving it a second thought.
Here are some guidelines to ensure your email is not just read, but appreciated. These strategies can help you build stronger and more profitable relationships with customers and prospects.
- Focus on your customers. Targeting your current customer is the most effective use of email. Your current customers are your best customers. They know you, and that recognition will automatically elicit a higher response as a trusted sender. Nurturing them with valuable communications, e-newsletters, special offers, up-sell and cross-sell promotions is one of the easiest and most economical ways to increase your sales and profits.
- Append email data to your customer file. Here is a very simple way to increase the value of your customer file: Acxiom can append email addresses to your file to help you fill in missing email addresses. We can also provide mailing addresses for records that only have an email address. These data enhancement techniques are a great way to get additional mileage out of your existing file.
- Segmentation is key. The key to creating relevant communications is to develop a market segmentation strategy using the information stored in your CRM database so you can make your email communications more relevant. Acxiom can help with customer profiling and data enhancement so you can add segmentation based on demographics, lifestyle, and special interests.
- Personalize your communications. Personalization is where email really shines when compared to traditional media. Address your recipient by name, make customized offers, sign the email from a personal sales representative. This is where your creativity can shine, too, by using customer information to make increasingly targeted offers.
- Use targeted email prospecting. When using email to prospect for new customers, look for lists that enable you to apply the same kind of segmentation and personalization techniques you are using for your customer emails to increase your response and ensure higher profitability.
- Integrate email into a comprehensive marketing plan. Email is most effective when integrated with your other media communications. Send email as a follow-up to a catalog or brochure mailing. Use a personalized email approach to follow up with trade show leads. Use email to invite customers and prospects to join an online customer community.
- Create a communications calendar. Creating and sticking with a communications calendar is critical. Think of the timing from the customer’s point of view. You may be rushing to send out a campaign to meet an internal deadline, but if multiple campaigns back up and drop at once, or erratically, they will be less effective. Condition your audience to receive (and read!) consistent and well-timed communications from you.
- Keep the message simple. With email, less is almost always more. People are crazy busy and don’t always have time to read. You need to capture their interest quickly and make it clear what the action is. A simple text message can often outperform an HTML one. Besides, HTML emails are more likely to be trapped in spam filters.
- Vary your communications. Everyone appreciates variety. Set a consistent look, feel, and tone, but vary the content of your communications. Consider e-newsletters, product announcements, press releases, industry news alerts, and surveys. These are all great vehicles to reinforce your brand, create loyalty, and sell your products and services.
- Use email to test. Email is a terrific test vehicle. It’s easy to split your list and test products, email approaches, and list segments. Test new creative approaches, then extend the results of your tests into your other media channels.
- Track results. A good email system can provide a wealth of metrics that will give you more in-depth information much faster than other media campaigns. This is especially valuable when testing new products and campaigns.
- Follow DM Guidelines and CAN-SPAM Regulations. Always follow the Federal CAN-SPAM regulations and the best practices guidelines from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Acxiom’s experts can help ensure you are in compliance.
Acxiom can help you implement an effective direct marketing plan. To speak with an Acxiom specialist, call toll-free 866-977-6018 (8:00 – 6:00 ET Monday through Friday) or email us at IBLExpress@Acxiom.com.
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