interactive + print design

what is email marketing?

Email marketing is often a highly effective method of driving sales because it’s relatively inexpensive in comparison to direct mail and offers instant feedback through its tracking of email opens and clicks.

Goals of email marketing may include:

• Increasing the value of current customers by regularly keeping your name in front of them.
• Generating new sales leads through list opt-ins and qualifying those leads by analyzing their response to your emails (did they open the email and click through to the products page on your Web site?).
• Increasing traffic to your Web site by teasing content on your site such as product highlights, articles and other useful information for your subscribers.
• Positioning yourself as an expert in your field by providing useful content for your subscribers in the form of email newsletters and educational articles.
• Communicate time-sensitive offerings to your customers, such as sales, specials or coupons.
  

HTML Emails

Usually, though not always, emails are in HTML format, meaning they contain images and text that is displayed similarly to a Web page. Additionally, they may also contain interactive elements, such as Web links, animated graphics and surveys. They can even contain videos, though it is preferable to link to videos on a Web page rather than actually embed them in an email.

Tracking

One of the more intriguing aspects of email marketing is the instant feedback it offers with respect to deliverability and response. After you send an email, you’ll know:

• Which email addresses resulted in an undeliverable (bounced) email
• Which subscribers opened your email, when they opened it and how many times
• Which subscribers clicked a link in your email and which one they clicked

This tracking data can be a very useful method of testing concepts, gauging interest and qualifying sales leads.

Segmentation

Generally, segmentation of your email list will result in improved open rates, click rates and conversions because it allows you to target your subscribers with more specific, relevant information.

Email lists can be segmented any number of ways – based on product preference, purchase history or geographic location. If you do not have enough data to segment your list based on subscriber attributes, you can still segment based on behavior. Subscribers who consistently open and click on your emails are clearly more engaged in your brand and have a heightened interest in your products so you might make your call to action in their emails more aggressive. On the other hand, you might try reducing the frequency by which you email your less engaged subscribers so they do not lose interest in your emails.

List Growth

A key factor in email marketing is building your list. While you may already have email addresses for customers and prospects, you must have their permission before you begin email marketing to them in order to be complaint with government anti-SPAM regulations.

The simplest way to obtain permission for email marketing is to provide a convenient place for your customers and prospects to opt in to emails, such as an opt-in form on your Web site, a sign-up sheet in your office, or by asking them during transactions and phone conversations. For more on this topic, see Email Marketing List Management.