In the times we live in, digital tools have taken over our daily lives. Gone are the days when we were obliged to do business in person or to receive physical correspondence at our homes’ front door. In the latter case, the change has been resounding because we still receive correspondence, but via email.
For a company, having an efficient email contact system is almost like knocking on the door of a potential customer’s house and leaving a message. Its potential is infinite and that is why taking advantage of it should be a primary issue in the marketing plan of any business.
When it comes to creating an email marketing campaign that is truly effective, there is nothing better than reviewing examples of good newsletters because they are focused on getting the most out of this tool and that is something that can be useful for inspiration. Big brands invest a lot of effort in this type of actions because they are clear that only in this way they will be able to stay in the minds and hearts of users and become a place where they always come back to buy.
Focus on users
The focal point of any marketing-related action is the users or potential customers. It is thanks to them that brands have the opportunity to remain operational and it is not possible to repress or underestimate the value of this. Understanding the needs, desires and beliefs of the people on the other side of the screen will give you a stronger and closer idea of what they want to read and the ideal way to get them to take the actions you are looking for.
Within the group of contents that tend to be better received by subscribers we can find the “tips” category. These can be applied to any niche, making the appropriate adaptations depending on the case. Guides and contents that give away tips on how to carry out a certain action are also well received.
Appropriate design
As they say, everything goes through the eyes and in email marketing the situation is no different. Ensuring that the design is in line with the brand concept and that it fits visually to what users can consume more easily is key.
A good design will include some attention-grabbing element, such as an image or logo, but make sure that it does not overload with heavy graphic elements or steal attention away from the main message being conveyed. Canva is a great example of what an ideal newsletter design should look like, as although they work with graphic elements, their emails are displayed in a clean and elegant environment.
Include persuasive texts
Nothing can be said against the power of words to get a person to take a certain action, which is why the use of persuasive text in emails is so critical. It could even be said that sending a campaign without text is a waste of time and resources, even if you use an image to summarize what you want to say.
Storytelling is one of the techniques that works best in this regard and this can be seen by the number of brands that use it today to connect more easily with their audience.
Vary the types of content you send
Although the ultimate goal of an email marketing campaign is to sell, the reality is that if it is only used for this purpose, people will end up getting annoyed and unsubscribing. To avoid that negative episode, the safest strategy to use is to vary the types of content used in a way that ensures that users are interested in each new piece of content they receive.
The three basic pillars of content are: entertainment, education and sales. Although the main objective in the first two cases is not to sell, it does help a lot in this purpose because they are messages that create links and produce a desire in users that they then see compensated with the purchase of the product or service. In this case, the emails sent by Amazon Music fully comply with this recommendation.
Define a call to action
Effective email marketing campaigns are classified as such because they achieve a certain objective. This objective usually consists of clicking on a button to be taken to another page where a specific function will be performed. For example, this could be watching a video, reading a blog article or entering bank details to purchase a certain product or service.
The call to action is almost always placed with a button in a colour that contrasts with the rest of the message so that it can be easily located. Each email sent should have a single, pre-defined call to action because if more than one is placed, it is possible that the person receiving the message will be confused about what to do next.
Include incentives
Incentives offer a wealth of possibilities, both for brands and for users who feel good about being part of their community. Most commonly, a brand will decide to give a gift to people who subscribe to its list as a way of motivating them. However, initiatives should not stop there and from time to time new ways should appear to include incentives that lead people to buy.
For example, important book companies have sent out flyers informing that for a certain amount of time all shipments will be free. Also the Lumen5 tool, which is ideal for creating videos, has proposed the idea that its users take advantage of it and share a video created with it.
The number of elements that are included in an email marketing campaign must respond, almost necessarily, to the needs and interests that brands have and that, in turn, come out of the detailed study of their ideal customer. Advancing in increasingly human contacts and with a particular objective is what is working best at the moment and brands must learn to enhance this digital marketing action because it is the one that offers the best return in these times.
