What’s in a name? I’ve broken down the word “email” as an acronym to hopefully provide a little inspiration.
I chose the words below to highlight what I think are some important components of a good email marketing strategy.
Now, you might have gone with different words for some or all of the letters and that’s fine! In fact, I’d love for you to add your suggestions in the comments!
EMAIL: the components of a good email marketing strategy
E – Engaging
By engaging I mean relevant and timely content. That means you need to do a little research and tie your campaigns into what’s happening around your subscribers and what they are interested in. Set up a content calendar and use it as a guide to tie in to what is going to engage your subscribers.
M – Mobile
Many analysts are calling this the year of mobile marketing and there’s good reason for it. Smartphone growth over the next five years will double in some markets. This not only requires you to actually design a mobile-friendly newsletter, but also to consider some different approaches to engage mobile subscribers. Think about the fact that these subscribers have technology which travels with them. A mobile subscriber base opens up all sorts of new opportunities for you as a marketer. I think such things as day of week and time of day may matter more with mobile. For example, if you are hitting people during the commute, you might have better luck because they are looking for a distraction while on the train. If you are sending on Saturday you might want to change the message drastically because people are more relaxed and focused on leisure and family.
A – Action
Do your emails have strong calls-to-action? Do you know exactly what it is you want people to do when they read each newsletter? Of course you want them to convert, but how? Are you trying to get them to your website or your store or what? If you aren’t clear on the objective, I assure you that your subscribers won’t be either.
I – Inspiration
Are you working in a cave where you just do the same thing and never take a look at other people’s work for inspiration? Don’t just pump out the same old tired template time and again. Check out one of the “lookbooks” for some ideas.
L – Landing Page
Landing page optimization is one of the most important components of a successful email marketing campaign. Landing pages should be uncluttered and have a strong call-to-action. Don’t make people think about what you want them to do when they get there! Don’t force them to go hunting for the related item you were promoting in your newsletter either! Keep the focus of the page tight and create as many landing pages as you need for each objective to keep it that way.
