By: EVO Payments

Keep Subscribing Simple
First and foremost, you need to build your email marketing campaign by building your network. So how do you do that? The fewer pages it takes a prospective customer to get to the sign-up page, the better. The website isn’t the only place you should see this prompt either. If you are using customizable receipts, add a URL to the direct sign-up page. Social media channels are another valuable resource for you to engage customers and have them join your email marketing campaigns.

Also, keep it simple and allow them to type in their email address and basic information instead of asking them a long list of questions, which will cause potential customers to bolt.  Have you created a compelling offer to entice readers to be a part of your company’s journey by signing up for product updates, the latest news, coupons, and more? By engaging the customer, and giving them control of the content they want to see, you win.

The second part of the subscribing process is to create a double opt-in. When a customer signs up for your email list, newsletter, etc., they are then sent an email to confirm they are interested. By doing this, it ensures that the potential customer is indeed interested in your business and wants to learn more.

Designing Your Email Marketing Campaign
Much like the initial sign-up process, when you are designing your email marketing campaigns, the more simplistic the better. The two items that customers look at immediately are the sender and the subject line. When you send out your emails, the more personal the better. For example, Dianne@WatchDesign.com, or Peter@PetersBakery.com is more effective than Info@WatchDesign.com or NoReply@PetersBakery.com. 

Next on the list is the subject line. If it’s not compelling, recipients won’t want to open the email.  According to optinmonster, “47% of email recipients decided to open your email based on subject line. “69% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.

Not opening the email defeats the purpose of everything you are trying to accomplish with email marketing. The more personal you can make it, the better, and don’t be afraid to appeal to emotion whether that is by creating a sense of urgency, appealing to curiosity, or a sense of humor. Alchemy Worx looked at data from 21 billion marketing emails sent by 2,500 brands and the key buzz words in subject lines that created the most open rates and engagement. Some of the top words on the list were “”upgrade,” “just,” “content,” “go,” and “wonderful.”

The content and aesthetic design of the campaign are crucial. Each email should include CTAs or call to actions. Whether this is to learn more about a product, to call for more information, or to purchase, the goal is to increase business and profits. Keep the call to action above the fold in case readers do not scroll down on the page.  Including images makes it easier to read and keeps your readers engaged and wanting to know more. 

Lastly, be genuine. Share personal stories, keep customers updated on the latest products and trends, and reward their loyalty. Customers want to do business and share their hard earned money with people they can relate to and people they can trust. 

Segmented Customer Lists
Email list segmentation splits your subscriber list based on specific conditions, whether that is age, demographics, location, purchase history, loyalty, etc. By segmenting these groups, you can send specific and relevant forms of communication targeted groups. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into generic emails. For some subscribers, this may mean a welcome letter and introduction to what the company is about.  In some instances, it could be a special offer for loyal customers or a sneak peek into a new product. 

Ready, Set, Send
The email list is built, the content is created, and you are ready to send out their email campaigns. Before you send to the masses, make sure you send it to yourself. As the business owner, you also need to be the last minute gatekeeper. Confirm that not only is it grammatically correct and aesthetically pleasing, but that the messaging is concise and the call to action accomplishes the end goal that you want from the customer. Consider starting a drip campaign, which involves a consistent flow of marketing info over periods of time in order to gain more prospects or leads.

The perfect day and time to send emails depends on your audience. Weekdays tend to work better than weekends with multiple surveys showing Tuesday having the highest open rate. But, according to an Omnisend Report, “Thursday is the best day to send promotional emails, with Tuesday in second place.” As for the ideal time? Typically, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. are optimal. HubSpot data shows the peak time is 11:00 a.m. Keeping within these general parameters allows you to test out what works best for your customers.

Email marketing is one of the simplest and most effective marketing strategies you can master. According to DMA, “When it comes to purchases made as a result of receiving a marketing message, email has the highest conversion rate (66%) when compared to social, direct mail and more.”  Make sure you make subscribing simple, design an easy-to-read email campaign, segment customer lists, and review emails one final time before sending. By adding email marketing, you have another tool to get an inside track on the competition and gain more business.