Maximize Automation -Email marketing has been around for a very long time. In the early days, marketers used the “batch and blast” method of reaching potential customers. Because the recipients were happy to read their email when it came in small quantities, those early marketers were quite successful.
As email inboxes became flooded, prospective buyers found the power of internet research and social media became part of everyday life – the ‘experts’ began to claim that email marketing was dead. For almost a decade, this prediction continues to be made by those that prefer other marketing channels.
Email marketing remains one of the most cost effective modes of reaching customers in the media mix. It can be surprising – even to those who create content for automated email campaigns. A few have tried to explain why email marketing is so powerful. All of them have an understanding of some of the reasons. No one can claim to fully understand why it remains to be such outstanding media for results.
However, if you want measurable results, automating your email marketing campaigns is much more than throwing together some emails and content pieces and setting up a sequence for the delivery. As the sheer volume of information grows, companies are challenged to design ever-increasing value in their email marketing campaigns.
Here are the three important aspects of the media to watch carefully:
1. Metrics:
When your email marketing is generated within an integrated CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) you can set up dashboards to monitor the KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators).
Base the things you measure based on specific goals your organization wants to accomplish. One goal may need more than one KPI to be measured for you to get a clear indication of what engages your specific audience of current customers and sales lead.
2. Targeted Personas:
Find every method for gathering more and more data about your best clients. Track the buyer path to determine which email marketing content triggered good response and test duplicating results with similar content.
In addition to measuring open rates and click through rates gather information from other sources to inform you about what your customers expect. Gradually improve the data over time. Use your forms on landing pages and blog comments as a primary source for learning more about your ideal customer.
3. Integrate Email Marketing with Other Media:
Connect the dots about what email marketing will be effective by watching your social media response. Test different value-added offers quickly in Twitter. Learn which coupons delight your customers by posting them in Facebook. Try a totally new perspective in LinkedIn to see what other business people think about.
Multipurpose content when you can. Distribute press releases to announce something new in your operation. Share the same information in social media, a blog post or an announcement via email. Try to make each content piece support the work you are doing in other channels.
Think of your email marketing software as a power drill. It is very useful when used correctly. When you send out generic or frequent promotional emails into the program it is like using a stripped out drill bit. It never quite engages with the screw and eventually wears down the opportunity to ever engage. The power drill is a great tool, but you need a sharp, appropriately targeted bit (content of email) to develop the engaging relationships that you want.