What makes a high-performing email marketing campaign?

Become ready to take your email marketing game to the next level. Picture Shutterstock

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As businesses strive for better engagement with customers and prospects, email marketing remains one of the most popular and effective methods to connect with them. In fact, experts valued the global email marketing industry to reach USD$17.9 billion by 2027, with a whooping annual growth rate of 13.3% during the forecasted period. This statistic shows the growing demand for email marketing and its potential to take your business to new heights.

This article will guide you through the components of email marketing and discuss how to craft a high-performing campaign.

Understanding email marketing

Did you know that the first marketing email was sent in 1978? Since then, email marketing has evolved significantly and become integral to a successful marketing strategy. With 319.6 billion emails sent and received daily in 2021 and is anticipated to increase to 376.4 billion by 2025, it's easy to see why email marketing is a powerful tool: the vast opportunity to reach prospects, nurture leads, and convert them into paying patrons.

You're probably thinking, 'what is a marketing campaign, how does it work, and what makes it one of the most sought-after marketing platforms?' Simply put, it's direct digital communication between businesses and their target audience. It typically consists of newsletters, updates, announcements, and promotions. Email marketing allows companies to engage in personalised conversations and build customer relationships while driving sales.

Of course, you can't just compile a list of emails, blast them with messages, and expect to see results. This technique could be more practical but has a higher chance of being labelled spam. Instead, rely on thoughtful, organised structure and comprehensive tactics to achieve the desired outcomes.

What makes a successful email marketing campaign?

According to a 2022 report, email marketing return on investment can go up to USD$36 for every dollar spent. However, your email campaign's success depends on many factors, which include the target audience, quality content, and more. As a marketer, you must identify the best methods for your business and its goals.

To create a high-performing email campaign, here are definitive steps to follow:

1. Know your target audience

Every email marketing campaign relies heavily on understanding your target audience. The more you know about who you're trying to reach, the easier it is to craft emails with messages that click. All you need is to study data such as:

Demographic information: Know your audience's gender, age, occupation, and other essential variables.
Interests: Determine and understand what they like, don't like, and what motivates them.
Pain points: Figure out what problems your target market may face and how your products or services can help solve them.
Behaviour: Gather data on how they interact with your emails to draw insights.
Purchasing patterns: Analyse the buying process and identify what triggers a conversion.

Collecting the correct data about your target audience is the foundation of successful email campaigns. It'll give you proper direction and help you optimise your emails for better outcomes.

2. Segment your list

You'll inevitably build up a massive email list of subscribers. While sending the same marketing messages to all of them is tempting, this strategy may not be effective. This is where segmentation can help.

Segmenting your email list into smaller, specific groups allows you to tailor your messages and content to their interests and preferences. For instance, you can segment your list into web developers, graphic designers, and marketers if you're running a digital business. You can then share content or send emails tailored to each group's needs. This approach boosts your brand engagement and elevates your email campaigns to a new level.

3. Choose the appropriate email type

Like any other marketing strategy, email marketing also has several types. Each has its purpose and relevance to achieving a specific business objective. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Welcome or onboarding email: This element is sent to new customers who have just signed up for your business's service or products. As the name suggests, it includes a welcome message and information about the company and its offerings. Welcome emails can encourage customers to get acquainted with the platform.
Newsletter: It's a recurring email sent to subscribers to keep them updated on the latest news, announcements, and tips about your company. Sending regular newsletters effectively keeps your brand on top of mind and boosts customer loyalty. It also allows you to show off the features and benefits of your products or services, which can generate more interest.
Sales or promotional email: This advertisement will entice your audience to buy products or services from your company. Promotional emails focus on offering discounts, special or exclusive deals, and other incentives while reminding them of the value they get from your business.
Re-engagement email: Sometimes, customers may need more motivation to stay interested and connected with your brand. A study shows that businesses lose 10% to 25% of their customer base yearly. While this is attributed to many causes, well-crafted re-engagement emails can win back those clients and help recover lost sales. Re-engagement emails are an excellent way to remind customers of their previous activities and encourage them to purchase again or reactivate their accounts. This approach is especially beneficial for brands with cart abandonments, signup page drop-offs, or email list declines who will likely need to remember their activities or why their customers feel disengaged from them.

You can use these popular email types for your email marketing strategy. Understanding how it works creates more customised emails for better performance. Find the right balance between providing value to customers and pushing them to take action. There's nothing better than a well-executed plan that can boost engagement and ROI.

4. Build an eye-catching subject line

A good subject line can make or break your email campaign. It's the first thing people see in their inboxes, so it should grab their attention and entice them to open it. Here are some tips for writing a compelling subject line:

Keep it short and clear: Longer subject lines get read less than when they're cut off in the inbox. Aim for 50 or fewer characters, as this is the ideal length and has a higher open rate. Remember to make your message clear and direct as well. Use words that accurately describe the email, so customers know what to expect.
Create a sense of urgency: Give customers a reason to open your emails by adding a sense of urgency to your subject lines. Use words like 'Now,' 'Today,' and 'Hurry' to attract attention.
Be unique and interesting: Use powerful words, emotion-evoking phrases, or funny puns to make your subject lines stand out. But of course, it should still tie in with your brand, product, or service, as it will help readers remember you.
Personalise it: Personalisation can effectively show customers you value their time and address them directly. Use customer names or other dynamic data to create more personalised emails tailored and related to each customer.

A persuasive and creative subject line can significantly impact your email campaigns. It's best to test different variations of your subject lines and tweak them as needed for better results.

5. Craft an engaging content

Your content will determine if customers stay on your email or not. It should provide value to readers, such as industry insights or helpful tips about a specific topic. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) to guide customers on what action they should take. Look at some tips for crafting content that can get them to stay and convert:

Focus on benefits: Focus on the benefits of your product or service and what customers can get from it. List down all the features, advantages, and results they can gain if they avail themselves of your offer.
Keep it simple and concise: Don't overcomplicate things by adding too many words or jargon in your emails. Stick with simple words that are easy to understand and grab customers' attention immediately.
Include visuals: Visuals can make your emails more attractive and engaging for readers. Mix it up with images, videos, GIFs, or other visual elements that can help create a more interesting and eye-catching layout for your emails.
Stay consistent: Make sure that all the content in your email is relevant to each other. Keeping your message consistent can help customers understand what you're trying to say quickly and make it easier for them to take action.

Engaging content can keep customers interested in your emails and boost engagement. Try to make it more unique and tailored to each customer for better connections and higher conversion rates.

6. Determine the right email frequency

According to research, sending too many emails is the number one factor for customers unsubscribing from emails. Bombarding your target audience with too many emails can be overwhelming and could diminish your content quality.

Think about how often you should send emails and set up a regular schedule for them. It can be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly - whatever works best for your company and customers. One to two emails per week are the ideal frequency for some companies. You can also look at open and click-through rates metrics to determine if one frequency works better than others.

Conclusion

A high-converting email campaign is the result of careful planning and comprehensive strategies. Use the tips above to create compelling emails that grab customers' attention, get them interested, and take action. Start testing different elements and see which works best for your brand. Let your emails be the vehicle for delivering your messages, products, or services and reaching more potential customers.