You’ve outlined a game plan, picked an email-marketing provider and even typed up some traffic-generating content but you failed to pull the trigger on the campaign. Why? Because you read some article about the migration to social communication and how it’s more effective than email? Well let me be the one to tell you that is an absolute fallacy and there is no quicker, more cost-conscious and measurable platform than email marketing. None. Don’t get me wrong, I love social media and the revolutionary candidness it is creating in people but no one likes to login to their Facebook or Twitter and see a bunch of ads or posts about a new polyester sweater that comes in a fruity sherbet color and runs two sizes too small. Social media is just that, social. The companies who are successfully using social media to market their business are the ones who are interacting and engaging their audience with real-life questions, answers and at times, unrelated content. So save your sales pitch for that email marketing campaign you’re about to send off as soon as you finish reading.

As pointed out in the infographic by b2bmarketing.net, there are numerous irrefutable metrics further solidifying my point that email marketing is:

• More visible
• More measurable
• More effective

And it’s a great tool for:

• Generating leads
• Building your brand’s identity
• Driving sales

Now if those aren’t some insanely valuable statistics then I don’t know what is. So log back into your email-marketing provider (hopefully eConnect Email), choose a catchy and thought-provoking subject line and hit the SEND button. You’re welcome.

Source: CRMSoftware.TV

Is your email marketing campaign not producing the results you’d like? You’re not the only one. Many users of e-mail marketing services are running into several hurdles that these three critical steps are sure to overcome.

1.    Saying Hello

After obtaining a customer’s email most marketers don’t send an introductory “Hello” email but rather wait for the next newsletter to roll out. This is a big mistake as the first 48 hours are crucial in client retention, as you will never have a second chance to make a first impression. Brian suggests that marketers touch base with their newly acquired follower just as a courtesy. Reach out and introduce your company, suggest a service, give them a preview of what’s to come in next month’s newsletter, etc. This will guarantee some type of engagement and make your new follower feel welcome.

2.    Keep The Conversation Alive

So they signed up for your newsletter, you’ve touched based with them and you’ve received a reply. Now what? Keep the conversation going. If you know what your product does and how it creates value for the end-user then formulate a 2 or 3 step process that will guide your follower toward a purchase.

3.    Follow Up on Abandoned Carts

The last and probably most important part of the process is the follow up. You have managed to guide your follower through the majority of the purchase process but right before they commit they abandon ship. It’s like running the yardage but not scoring a touchdown. If you notice this happen, try your best to follow up with them within 24 hours. Thank them for filling out the form/stopping by/adding items to their shopping cart/etc. and ask if they have any questions. Let them know that you are there to help by giving them a way to communicate with you should it be your blog or a direct line. Most of the time, you will find that the only thing stopping them from completing a purchase was a question they had. The follow up is key in converting those people that just need a light push in the right direction.

Mobile marketing has received a lot of press lately, so much so that some short-sighted marketers have loftily proclaimed email marketing to be dead. But before you send flowers, stop and check the pulse of your email marketing campaign. It may be much more alive than you think.

Is Texting the New Email?

I’ll admit it. I don’t have a smartphone. I was the last of my friends to get a cell phone of any kind. And at the end of the day, I still prefer sitting down at my computer to texting. I realize I’m not the typical consumer (there are now more people using smart phones than basic cell phones and texting is the most popular use of phones of any kind), but think about it for a minute. If you don’t have a smart phone and you receive a text with a link or URL in it, how likely are you to go find a computer and type that URL in so you can shop? Not very. That means that for the 41% of people who still use basic cell phones, your marketing message was wasted.

Which One Is Better?

Although it’s a natural question, it’s really not the right one to be asking. Don’t think of email and texting as being in competition with one another. Think of them as being partners on the same team, with different jobs.

• Email Marketing: Your Online Powerhouse

Email marketing lets people click on a link immediately, visit your full website, and take action. There are no usability problems and no worries about whether the subscriber has a phone with web browsing capabilities. People can visit social media pages, interact with your call to action, browse your website, and make a purchase using a coupon much more easily via email.

• Mobile Marketing: Your On-the-Go Solution

Mobile marketing, on the other hand, is perfect for quick, on-the-go messages. People tend to check their phones more when they’re out and about, and texting is the communication medium of choice for those situations. Use SMS messaging for appointment reminders, quick alerts, interactive messages, and instant access.

Which Basket Gets Your Eggs?

Dividing your marketing efforts between texting and email marketing is a smart move, but how do you know which basket gets the most eggs? You’ll need to observe your audience, learn how they typically interact with your content, and invest the most resources in the medium that promises the greatest return.

Both texting and email bring benefit to the marketing table: determining which one is best for you is simply a matter of determining objectives, knowing what each tool can do, and using the right one for the job.

The number one tool you have at your disposal when it comes to building your email list is your subscription form. It needs to be where people will see it and can respond without having to hunt around your site. And if you really want to capture the most possible leads, you’ll need to think outside the box, placing multiple forms in key positions throughout your site where you can nab those potential subscribers when they’re most engaged with your content and ready to hear more.

Front and Center

If you want to grow your mailing list, you have to ask your website visitors to subscribe. Feature your subscription form above the fold and near your headline with a bold call to action. Include two or three bullet points to let visitors know how they’ll benefit from joining your email list. This location confronts readers with a subscription request at the moment their curiosity has already been aroused and they’re interested in what you have to say.

Subscription Landing Page

If you haven’t convinced the reader by now, he may need a little more persuasion than you can provide in a couple of bullet points. The subscription landing page is dedicated to detailing benefits and explaining what the subscriber will receive when he hands over his email address. You may also offer an incentive or freebie in exchange for signing up.

Top of the Sidebar

This is a classic location that you see just about everywhere. That’s because it works. People have become conditioned to look in this location for a subscription form, so use that to your advantage and give them what they expect. Don’t try to be different just for the sake of being different.

Resource Pages

Any resource page (About Me, Start Here, Category pages) a reader clicks to from your home page is a great location for a subscription form. Why? By clicking, the user has already expressed an interest in finding out more about you. You can take that interest a step further by asking for a subscription.

Subscription forms play an integral role in your email list-building strategy, so don’t just slap one up on your website and expect it to work for everyone. Cater to the differences in your audience by placing forms at the top of your homepage, on a targeted subscription landing page, at the top of the sidebar, on resource pages, and anywhere else visitors are already more engaged with your content.

Is your writing full of jargon and technical-ese? Most writers, myself included, have been guilty of boring readers to death with a hard-to-follow style, just for the sake of sounding intelligent. Unfortunately, in the lightening-paced realm of the blogosphere, readers have become less and less forgiving of such a mistake. But the good news is that you can grab reader attention and communicate your message in a memorable way by paying attention to the new rules of writing for an online audience.

Rule #1: Be a real person.

Share experiences, talk in first person, and let readers see not only your strengths but also your mistakes—especially if you learned something from them that’s worth sharing. Think through every post and determine your message and main points before you just dash off something for the sake of having new content.

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The success of your email marketing campaign depends on putting the right information in front of your subscribers using the right format in order to solicit engagement. And while mainstream testing plays an essential role in determining what form that information should take, there’s another option you should consider, one that could take your marketing effectiveness to a new level: heat map analysis.

What is Heat Map Analysis?

Heat map analysis uses eye-tracking software to determine what areas of the page viewers tend to look at most. Heat map studies enable you to more accurately determine where the most important elements of your email creative should be placed in order to attract user engagement. If your call to action is hanging out in a low-visibility corner, for instance, a heat map can not only point out the problem, but also show you where to place that call to action for better results.

Continue…

Today’s consumers have moved beyond being impressed with social media marketing efforts. Nowadays, it’s not impressive; it’s expected. But that’s old news for most marketers. If you don’t have a solid social media strategy in place, you’re a step behind. For those of you that do, the next step is integrating the various aspects of your marketing approach so that they work together.

Far from being competitors in the marketplace, email marketing and social media should be viewed as allies in your broader marketing approach. To accomplish that goal, start by integrating some of these popular email apps:

Social Sharing

This is a broad category that includes sharing buttons for a variety of popular networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email, and more. Create a copy of your email to share with your social media contacts with the click of a button.

Facebook Share/Like

Even if you don’t include a variety of social sharing buttons, you’ll want to at least make it possible for your subscribers to share your email content on their Facebook pages. Include a share/like button and recruit your loyal followers to help spread your message among their friends.

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We know that your popular but there’s a limit to how often your email subscribers want to see a message from you in their inbox.

Have you ever thought about sending a follow-up email just a day after the initial email? Think again. There are two words you should consider deeply when you’re thinking about how often to send emails.

Inbox Exhaustion

Inbox exhaustion may sound like a serious problem, but you can totally avoid it. Inbox exhaustion occurs when you send way too many emails to your subscribers, wearying them with emails and making them unsubscribe, or even complain that you’re sending spam.

Now there isn’t a convenient guide telling you just how often you can email your subscribers. It’s just common sense. Even so, a lot of marketers ignore their common sense, especially near the holidays. Really, who wants to get an email from your company, or any company, every day for days on end? It’s annoying. And it’s inbox exhaustion – when the subscriber is worn out and frustrated by frequency.

How can I tell when often becomes too often?

Keep an eye on your stats. When you send out more frequent emails do your opens and clicks stats remain steady? Or do you see them drop? If they’re dropping, change your habits accordingly. Or, here’s an even better idea: ask your subscribers how often they want to hear from you. If you can, give them the options of yearly, quarterly, monthly, or bi-weekly emails. We live in an on-demand society. People will appreciate your emails more if they feel like you’re giving them just what they want.

When you’re trying to avoid inbox exhaustion, here’s the golden rule: use common sense. If you don’t like to get multiple e-mails from the same company, day after day, then don’t send them. Avoid filling someone’s inbox with multiple marketing messages within a day. Be patient rather than overbearing. If you have a good offer and clear message, those who want to will take action.

Recently we talked about why co-registration is a bad idea when it comes to building your subscriber list. Along with purchased and rented lists, co-registration falls into the category of questionable or downright unethical list building tactics. This month, let’s take a look at some creative and legitimate ways you can beef up your subscriber numbers and make sure your email reaches as many inboxes as possible.

Obvious ideas such as asking for registration during a purchase and including a registration page on your website still rank among the most effective tactics for increasing your email list subscriber numbers. But beyond that, in order to reach the less reachable segments of your audience, try implementing one or more of these ideas:

Pair sign-up requests with fabulous online content.

A webinar, YouTube video, or embedded video demo on your site can all provide enough incentive for someone to sign up for your newsletter. Just be sure to follow-up with equally engaging and informative email content.

Experiment with off-line events.

If you own a brick-and-mortar store, put a fishbowl at the checkout counter where people can enter to win a drawing. Make sure it’s clear that they’ll be signing up for your email list by doing so, however.

Refer a friend.

Include a “forward to a friend” button in your emails and on your blog or website content pages. Make it easy for people who already love what you have to offer to share the love with their contact lists.

Implement social media sign-ups.

Place a sign-up option on your Facebook registration page and blog registration page, and consider adding social media sharing options within your email campaigns and blog content.

The bottom line is if you’re following the cardinal rules of list building (provide great content, be memorable, and get permission) you can let your creativity drive your list building efforts. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try something new. You can use testing and analytics to determine which efforts are the most effective, and then keep tweaking your approach for maximum results.

At eConnect Email – a full service email marketing agency, we’re all about helping you get your email content in front of as many eyes as possible. We’ll help you build your subscriber list, manage your contacts, and optimize content in order to ensure the success of each email campaign you design.

Do you have some creative ideas on how to build your subscriber list?  If so, we’d love to hear them, please share them below.

Despite the proven benefits of welcome emails in building your brand and connecting with your subscribers, plenty of businesses still don’t take advantage of them. If you’re among those who have yet to implement a welcome email as your first point of contact with a new subscriber, take a look at these reasons you should add one to your email lineup.

It boosts open rates.

Most people will be more likely to open a welcome email than a standard marketing email. And if you can demonstrate superb value with that initial contact, you may see a difference in your open rates for future emails as well.

It increases deliverability.

Asking subscribers to add your email address to their address book right from the get-go can ensure better deliverability rates down the road.

It gives you a chance to show appreciation.

Whether the subscriber is a new customer, a business contact, or just someone interested in your company, they deserve a sincere thank you for signing up. And while just saying the words can go a long way toward building a relationship, you can also sweeten the deal by offering a discount or other gesture of appreciation.

It’s automatic.

When you use automatic triggers or email auto-responders to generate your welcome emails, you don’t have to worry about adding any extra steps to your email campaign. Just set up your trigger/ auto-responder to send an email upon completion of a purchase or registration.

It reinforces the opt-in.

That first email can act as a reminder to the subscriber that they’ve opted in to receive communication from you. This is a smart move when it comes to decreasing the number of subscribers who hit the spam button or opt-out when they receive your messages.

It gives you a chance to up-sell and cross-sell.

If your welcome email is responding to a purchase, you can suggest other items of interest or highlight special deals the subscriber might be interested in. You can also remind customers of items they may have added to the shopping cart without completing the purchase.

These are just a few of the benefits a welcome email can bring to your online business. Can you think of any others, please share them with below? As you start work on the design of your welcome email, you’ll find all the tools you need in your eConnect Email account. Set up automatic triggers, monitor open rates, and use our custom design templates and tools to make sure your subscribers receive compelling messages from the very first day they register.