Don’t underestimate the power of email
Think back to the advent of the facsimile, and how thrilled we all were to have such a speedy method of written communication. Shortly afterwards, email became mainstream, and we were even more joyous. But then all sorts of shiny new methods of instant communication popped up – from iChat to Facebook to Snapchat. It looked for a moment as if email was heading the same way as faxes did. And yet, a whopping 77% of purchasers prefer email promotions and offers over any other digital marketing channel.
Prepare it
As with so many things in life, it’s most beneficial to set a clear goal before diving in. Decide exactly the purpose of your email marketing campaign before you start.
- Is it to promote a new product or service?
- Would you like to engage in conversation with your buyers?
- Do you want to inform and educate your clients?
Encourage your current, previous, and prospective customers to give you permission to send them email. As much as you want to cultivate your email list, you don’t want to be regarded as a spammer. Bear in mind, too, that quality trumps quantity.
Elect when and how often you plan to send out emails. You need to find a balance between overdoing it, and not interacting enough. A customary guide is that emails sent on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons yield the best response rate. Test if that does indeed apply to your particular field.
Pen it
Think about the emails you receive. How do you determine which to read and which to skip? Chances are, the subject line has a huge impact on your decision. An enthralling subject line is a huge influence on the success of your email marketing strategy.
The actual message of your email needs to adhere to the best practices for all content marketing:
- Clear
- Concise
- Captivating
- Call to action included.
Personalize it
Despite the B2B environment, remember that you are a human communicating with another human. So don’t overdo the “corporatese” jargon, but rather focus on really connecting with your readers.
For more information and advice from WSI OMS, please contact us today.