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When we shared email marketing’s amazing ROI, we discussed its measurability. One of email’s greatest perks is the ease with which marketers can test, measure and optimize each message. Compared to other forms of digital marketing, email offers remarkably detailed insights, starting with A/B testing and ending with each subscriber click.
Email service providers offer a wealth of analytics capabilities, which is great for companies like ours who prioritize data-driven strategies to shape every aspect of marketing. In fact, analytics options are often so extensive that they can become overwhelming, especially to smaller companies without large marketing departments. When the data available seems endless, where should measurement begin?
Here are the five metrics that matter most:
1) Delivered Rate
Deliverability is one of the greatest determining factors of your email list’s health. Because it reflects the actual number of emails that were delivered to subscribers, it can alert you to incorrect or bad addresses. They should be removed or edited to strengthen your potential.
2) Open rate
Open rate is simply the percentage of people who received your email and clicked to open it. Improving this number is critical, because it’s impossible to get leads closer to your website or product if they don’t open your message.
3) Click-through rate
This measurement reflects the total number of click-throughs to pages on your website from an email. Sometimes, it’s presented as the total number of individuals who clicked through to a landing page from your email. You must understand which measurement you’re using to improve your numbers, but either way, it’s important; getting readers to the site is what impacts the bottom line.
4) Conversions via website analytics
To many marketers, conversion rates matter most. You can determine how conversion is defined, whether it’s a revenue-increasing action on your site or something else. B2C marketers can aim for purchase here, but for B2B companies, it’s often more complicated. Instead, they might track product video views or visits to the case studies page.
5) List health
As we said last week, a perfectly designed email won’t do much good unless your list is healthy and growing. For advice on collecting new subscribers, read this. Interestingly, a huge list might mean less engagement, if it includes people who aren’t truly interested in your brand. For that reason, high-quality sign ups should be your priority rather than numbers.
What metrics have made an impact on your email marketing?
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Email marketing is a valuable lead nurturing tool, yet mastering it is quite a challenge. Emails require the perfect subject line, valuable content, good design, A/B testing and a segmented list. Each of those elements takes time to refine, and together, they’re powerful. However, the reality is that no matter how well your emails are crafted, they won’t get you anywhere without a healthy, growing subscription list. The challenge for marketers is balancing expansion of the subscription list with perfecting all the other elements of email marketing strategy. Both are essential, and if one is neglected, the other becomes less valuable.
As every marketer knows, email lists don’t grow by themselves. Today, we’re sharing three simple ways to keep your company’s database active and expanding:
Optimize your subscription form
Though it might seem obvious to some, one of the best ways to recruit email subscribers is to develop a beautiful, compelling subscription form. It should be easy for site visitors to see and access. Incentives are helpful, so it might offer free material or a simple expression of brand promise, depending on your company. Most importantly, it should be easy to fill out. Even if you want more information than name and email, make sure the forms are large, modern and quick to complete.
Subscription-Only Content
As mentioned above, incentives are highly valuable when it comes to growing your subscription list. Consider developing a piece of content that’s relevant to your industry and your prospects would consider highly valuable. Research your customers’ deepest needs and how you can solve their problems to determine the focus. The content will provide those answers, and all they have to do to get them is give you their email address. More often than not, this strategy works.
Always Ask
Never shy away from a call to action. You already follow this rule as a marketer, but what you might not have considered is that it absolutely applies to email subscription forms. If you don’t invite prospects to join your community, many won’t. Your list won’t evolve unless you recruit new subscribers. It’s as simple as that, so ask away!
How do you keep your subscription list healthy and growing?
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Data is a popular marketing topic, for good reason. Data-driven strategies are a direct corollary to business growth, and that won’t change anytime soon. In fact, it will only become more essential that companies adopt data optimization at their core. Data should shape every aspect of marketing strategy and decision making, including email.
It’s easy for companies to send regular emails to leads, but subscription lists typically hold vast amounts of untapped data. Examining that data and applying the results to your email marketing strategy will increase engagement and your return on email investment.
Many marketers use some form of data to shape email strategy, but it’s critical to ask this question: has your information become stagnant? Data is a living, changing element. It must be constantly studied and used to tweak your approach accordingly.
Here are three ways to apply data to email:
Add Layers of Information
Access to a lead’s email address gives a company the opportunity to add layers of data about that person. Though this kind of progressive profiling is often neglected, it is crucial to optimizing email’s power. Track responses to email messages to determine habits and preferences, and use this information to develop content that resonates. By paying attention to these layers of data, you will form more complete profiles of your prospects and become more equipped to guide them to conversion.
Advanced Segmentation
To make the most of segmentation, study the cross-channel behavior of leads who have subscribed to email. With a good email service provider, you’ll be able to track preferences along with who looks at your website, blog, social channel or products. Next, create segments based on preference to give leads what they really want in their inbox. Connecting with segments of your list based on demographics, location and needs keeps your message as relevant as possible to any particular group.
Behavior-Based Campaigns
Finally, develop a series of behavior-based emails to connect with customers in a personal way. In the B2C world, this often means emailing leads when they’ve left an item in their online shopping cart. B2B marketers can connect with buyers who have spent time with their product videos, testimonials and more, depending on the company. In any situation, marketers can find a way to provide the next piece of the puzzle and guide prospects to the next level: conversion.
How does your company apply data to email marketing?
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There’s no denying this recent development in marketing: mobile is essential. People are consuming more and more content on-the-go, and these numbers will continue to rise. In fact, mobile is predicted to surpass desktop internet usage as early as this year, because Americans are spending 8%, or two hours, of every day on their mobile devices. One out of every four internet searches takes place on mobile, and the mobile market is predicted to generate 35% more spending in 2015 than it did in 2012.
Email marketing is no different. Believe it or not, 49% of emails are now opened on mobile devices. Companies are faced with the added challenge of making sure their emails are appealing in every possible format. Customers will not recommend companies with poor mobile experiences to their colleagues, so optimizing emails for mobile should be top priority.
Here are three ways to ensure you never lose a lead on a mobile device:
1. Get responsive
First of all, make sure your company uses responsive email design for every message it sends. Your email marketing software probably provides this, but if necessary, consult your design team. It’s important to make sure your email is easy to read and looks attractive wherever it’s opened – desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
2. Collect templates
Be prepared for every customer touchpoint with responsive email templates. Design a group of on-brand templates from your provider, or if you need more options, try Themeforest or other online collections. Either way, have them ready to go when it’s time to connect with leads.
3. Keep it simple
One way to avoid problems with mobile users is to keep your email designs simple. Single-column messages tend to be much more successful than their complicated counterparts. When prospects open your email, everything should be easy to read and pleasing to the eye. Simplify, use a large font and optimize images for high open and click-through rates. Eventually, that’s what leads to conversion.
How has your company optimized email marketing for mobile?
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In the past few years, social media and mobile devices have taken our world by storm. As a result, many marketers have been asking if email is dead. The answer, especially in B2B, is that email marketing is alive and well.
Last week, we mentioned that there are nearly twice as many email users as Facebook and Twitter users combined. That alone should be enough to prove email’s prominence over social media, but today, we’re sharing additional reasons that email is more valuable than social posting. Email marketing deserves just as much, if not more, dedicated work and strategy as ever before.
1) Emails don’t disappear
The thing about social content is that if a customer doesn’t respond, a post eventually disappears. Its time in the feed expires, and the customer probably doesn’t see it again. Email is different because it requires action, and it never disappears. Instead, it stays put until it’s opened, read, archived or deleted.
2) Social sharing enhances email
Adding social sharing buttons to your emails increases your potential to interact with your customer’s network. When a prospect loves your content, they are likely to share it on social, gaining wider distribution of more complex content.
3) Emails appeal to the right people
When it comes to B2B marketing, it’s important to consider the person or group of people likely involved in a purchase decision. The intimacy of email is appealing to to the heavy thinker, the one who might be considering their company’s product options. Email also invites distribution within a company; a prospect can easily forward your email to others involved in the buying process.
4) Email & B2B are a perfect match
Email’s suitability for B2B goes beyond ease of distribution. While social channels are valuable for B2B companies, the reality is that email is more suited to the technical nature of many B2B communications. Social media tends to feel limiting in situations that require complex business-to-business content.
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According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing’s ROI is a whopping 4300%. If you ask us, that’s just another reason we can confidently say no, email marketing is not dead. According to Marketing Sherpa’s 2013 Email Marketing Benchmark Survey, 60% of marketers say email marketing is producing an ROI at budget time. Even many those who don’t report an ROI expressed an expectation that one will develop.
The strong ROI of email marketing is largely due to the ease of testing and optimization that it offers. These high returns have not suffered as a result of social media’s rise, and we don’t expect them to change anytime soon.
Here are four reasons email marketing is worth your company’s time and investment:
1) Makes the most of your database
Email is one of the best ways to maximize the potential of your existing database, and it’s highly effective in terms of lead nurturing. You’ve probably been collecting data from prospects for years, but without a smart email marketing strategy, it’s hard to make that information lead to sales.
2) Comparatively low-cost
In comparison to other media, email marketing is relatively low-cost. This gives companies a notable bang for their buck and makes email an essential part of online marketing strategy.
3) Distinctly measurable
Email marketing is easy to test, measure and optimize, especially when compared to other forms of digital marketing. Social media, for example, takes a lot of time and can present challenges in results-based measurement. Email offers a straightforward means of A/B testing to increase open rates, discover customer preferences and lead to more conversions.
4) Gives customers control
Believe it or not, customers enjoy email. They experience an exciting element of control because they’re able to choose their own path in a setting that feels distinctly private. On social media, a post offers one outcome, but over email, a customer is usually given a variety of links and options to choose from.
How has the ROI of email marketing been demonstrated at your company?
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Content marketing is frequently in the spotlight for its ability to demonstrate thought leadership and stimulate lead generation by providing value. In fact, 58% of B2B marketers reported plans to increase their content marketing budgets in 2014, and this number is likely to keep climbing. We believe firmly in the power of content, and that one essential part of every company’s strategy should be email marketing.
If content is king, email is its queen.
Every effort to demonstrate thought leadership through content production can be enhanced and supported through email. Your content strategy should inform your email marketing, because together, they’re a formidable pair. The potential of your content is optimized and stretched when it lands in your customer’s inbox.
Here are three ways to optimize your content marketing using email:
1) Rely on segmentation
With email marketing, it’s important to personalize messages according to a customer’s timing, preferences and context, and segmentation helps you do that. By using carefully chosen criteria, you can put your content in front of prospects at a time when it’s highly relevant.
2) Create exclusivity
Email can be used to create an element of exclusivity related to your content marketing. Consider making new material only available to email subscribers at first, or provide another email-related value add. This makes prospects more excited to receive your emails and consume your content.
3) Make repeated offers in new ways
When it comes to content marketing, there are countless ways to promote and re-promote your material. Email should be a key player in this strategy, repurposing content for the inbox or simply reviving a piece for another round of consumption.
When used effectively, email is the perfect supplement to content marketing.
How does your company use email to complement content production?
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Although email marketing isn’t as shiny and new as social media and mobile, it’s not going anywhere. Email has nearly three times as many user accounts as Facebook and Twitter combined, at 2.9 billion. In fact, constant social buzz has only increased the power of email. Brand chatter is now ubiquitous, making the email inbox a prized personal space that’s more intimate than a social post. When used effectively, email marketing has the power to convert. This month, we’re focusing the blog on making email marketing work in the current landscape.
Emails have the ability to transcend boundaries and get into a customer’s personal space – their inbox. Unlike social media posts, emails don’t disappear. They wait for the recipient’s attention. The trick is getting them opened and including the right message. Simply put, emails should feel intimate without trying too hard.
Here are four ways to connect with customers over email:
1) Create a value exchange
Email is more give and take than you think. Create a value exchange with your customers: if they’ll open your email, you’ll continuously provide helpful content they won’t find anywhere else. Once they understand you’re trustworthy and not wasting their time, prospects will look forward to your guidance whenever you provide it.
2) Simultaneously sell and train
Because email is a more business-centric medium than Facebook or Twitter, where a lot of people simply want to chat with their friends, companies have an opportunity to present serious content with selling power. People expect to be sold to through email, so readers are in a buying frame of mind. As you present your product to leads, you can simultaneously train them on your company values. They’ll grow more committed to your company and eventually, purchase your product.
3) Use the power of B2B
B2B professionals take email seriously. While social is a good place to share content, deeper conversations between professionals typically happen in the inbox. Capitalize on this and use your emails to start conversations that matter.
4) Get personal
Don’t be afraid to personalize your emails with first names and other data you’ve collected. Without going overboard, use the customer’s name 2-3 times, and customize the subject line according to location or company. Most importantly, find ways to deliver according to a customer’s unique timing, need and knowledge. People will appreciate the connection and feel valued by your company.
How do you connect with prospects over email?
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I hope you enjoyed one or more of the posts in our recent series, “10 Simple Truths About Strong Brands.”
The topic of branding has been overshadowed, as of late, by significant shifts in the technology landscape; “Big Data,” programatic buying and marketing automation largely own the headlines today. It’s easy to see why, as they are true agents of change worthy of the discussion they are getting. In the ninth post in this series, “Strong Brands Stay In Motion,” the point was made that brands must stay relevant. In light of technology’s impact, a fair question to ask is if branding itself is still relevant.
My answer is an unequivocal “yes.”
Brands are a constant. Technology may change what is around them, but the things they provide –– to the organizations that own them and the customers who covet them –– will never lose their importance. Yes, mining data may inform strategy, programatic buying may add efficiency to media spends, and marketing automation may enhance the ability to acquire customers.
But ultimately, brand affinity is not a function of technology, it is a measure of strength.
How it correlates with business growth may be one day more quantifiable (Movéo is working on this very goal), but how to make brands truly “glow,” my term for the rare quality found in best brands, will remain beyond rote prescription.
Brands, though influenced by a user experience that can be improved through technology, live in a far more subtle realm than experience –– that of perception. The minute you think you’ve got them indexed and calibrated, is when you find out that there is much more to them than that.
So by all means use the numbers. Just make sure you’re not completely coloring your brand by them.
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This month on the blog, we explained 10 truths about powerful brands and helped you understand how to get your brand the strength it deserves. Strong brands enjoy forgiveness for missteps, longevity and influence, but that kind of success doesn’t come overnight. It takes dedication and a strategy to build the brand from the inside out.
Here are some other branding posts from around the web, along with our white paper that discusses what a strong brand is and why you need one.
- The Dos and Don’ts of Strong Brand Positioning, by Sean Duffy: Here you’ll find an interesting post about the five most common brand positioning mistakes and how to avoid them.
- 7 Characteristics of Strong Brands, by Reward 3: This post offers a short, inspiring summary of what makes brands powerful.
- Consumers Seem to Be Falling Out of Love With Brands, by Adweek: Though it’s aimed primarily at B2C, this information serves as a reminder that B2B companies need to work to keep prospects engaged, too.
To dig deeper into what makes a brand strong, download our new white paper, 10 Simple Truths About Strong Brands today.
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