Some of the most effective and memorable emails are those that begin with, “This is a message from…” followed by an individual’s name. The realization that it was a personal email can significantly boost engagement, as people feel more connected to the sender.

But how do you gauge this kind of impact? How do you measure the effectiveness of an email marketing campaign?

To find out, Sender Score, an email evaluation service, surveyed more than 2,200 U.S. adults and asked them to rate the extent to which they found various elements of a company’s emails—such as personalization, frequency, and timeliness—to be effective in persuading them to engage. 

Respondents to the survey were able to select multiple options as their answers.

Below are the seven elements that respondents found to be most effective in increasing engagement. 

1. The use of personal, branded salutations: 51 percent found this to be highly effective.
2. Use of the recipient’s first name: 47 percent
3. Personalized images and graphics: 44 percent
4. Using a call-to-action button for direct responses (such as “shop now” or “download now”): 43 percent
5. The use of a recognizable, branded sender name: 42 percent
6. Offering useful content and product information: 38 percent
7. Frequency (the number of emails sent per month): 37 percent

On the other end of the spectrum, responders also identified email elements that they found least or not at all effective. Here are the three most identified:

13 percent found the use of an attachment to be least effective. (Respondents were reminded that many email providers block attachments, so if a company sends one, there’s a good chance it won’t be seen.)

11 percent found the use of high-pressure tactics such as “unsubscribe now” to be least effective. (These tactics are widely considered to be unethical under CAN-SPAM laws.)

15 percent found ads and offers for other products or services to not be at all effective.

The takeaway? It’s important that your emails have a personal touch, include useful content, and are received in a timely manner. 

In the first post of this series on email marketing, I shared that your email’s content has a direct impact on conversions. Even with a great offer and compelling subject line, you won’t get very far if your copy isn’t well written. Here’s 10 tips to consider when creating a marketing email.

1. They are personalized. Personalization can increase click through rates by up to 96%. When you send your emails from a company-branded domain name or use the recipient’s name within the copy, you’re going to see better results.
2. They are mobile friendly. Since 85% of us check emails on a smartphone or tablet, it’s important that our email is formatted for easy reading on these devices. This includes short paragraphs, read more links, and sub-headers for skimming through.
3. They include an enticing offer. Subscribers want to know WIIFM: what’s in it for me. So make it about them! Create a juicy offer they can’t refuse. And bonus: reward repeat customers by offering referral rewards or other bonuses.
4. They have unique and interesting subject lines. One of the most critical components of a successful email campaign is the subject line. The inbox is a busy place and you want your email to stand out from the noise. A well-crafted subject line can help get your email opened.
5. They include promotional codes or exclusive offers. If you’re offering an incentive, provide information on how to redeem it (offer codes, discount links). 
6. They are timely. Watch your analytics to see what days and times you get higher open rates and schedule your future emails accordingly. Try A/B testing if you don’t already know your best days/times to send.
7. They have an inviting design. I’ve touched on this in previous blog posts (like here and here) and we all know that the more visually appealing your email is, the more clicks you will get – especially when it comes to click throughs for mobile users. 
8. They include images and videos. Including images and videos are proven ways to get more clicks because they appeal to the sense of sight, not just words. Research shows that including a video in an email campaign can increase CTRs by up to 60%!
9. They have a compelling call-to-action. A call-to-action is what you want your reader to do when they’ve finished reading the content within your email – whether it’s to visit a website, download an app or make a purchase. If you can communicate that to them right away, you’ll get better results. 
10. They are targeted to the right audience. Segmenting your audience and creating content just for them can increase your conversion rate by 760%. Segmentation is basically grouping your list based on specific criteria. You can segment your email list based on demographics, location, level of email engagement, previous purchases, and more.  

Takeaway: When designing your marketing emails, follow best practices for design and copy you’ve learned in this article. Be consistent with your style and ensure every email sent by your company looks professional.

There is no single answer to this question that works for every business. Objectives should be crafted according to the nature of your products and services, the ideal customer profile that you are targeting, and your business goals. Consider these examples of email marketing objectives and how to achieve them:

Increase traffic – Build brand awareness via email promotion of your website. Conduct surveys and research on what is most of interest to your customers and craft email content around this, with links to your landing page.

Increase conversion rates – Make a direct offer in the subject line and use follow up emails to provide additional information or convince customers that you are offering a product or service that is right for them.

Generate repeat business – Offer existing clients incentives to buy more of your products in order to increase the volume of sales and revenue.

Increase average order value – Offer existing clients incentives to place larger orders, or offer new customers an incentive to purchase higher-priced/bigger packages of items instead of lower-priced/entry level ones. (Think Kindle Fire vs. Amazon.com)

Improve customer service – Survey your customers about their ordering experience and offer feedback or special offers to improve your services.

Increase customer loyalty – Invest in surveys, contests, and social media interactions to understand what customers like about you and how you can improve your business.

Increase brand awareness – Use email marketing to promote your products and services via fun games, contests, and entertaining stories (i.e. Warby Parker’s blog posts).

Offer exclusive offers and discounts – Use email marketing to offer customers special exclusive offers and promotions. You can also promote the sale of products that are about to expire, or send messages directly after your holiday promotions to entice those last minute buyers (i.e. Amazon and Apple).

Promote your company culture – Share news and events with employees, clients, and customers. They will see that your company is an exciting place to work, and they are likely to want to be a part of this.

Email marketing can be a powerful tool. You may have several business objectives for launching an email marketing campaign. To be effective with email marketing, it’s important to think about why you are sending each specific email  and what is the objective you are trying to achieve. The type of email you are sending will depend on what your objective is for that occasion or audience.

If you’re struggling with reaching prospects and clients through email, feel free to reach out and we can work together to establish your email marketing objectives. Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call today: melaniediehl.as.me