Email marketing is a new trend that continues to grow in popularity with businesses. Thanks to this evolution, you can plan in advance when to send your email, to which database. The Optimum Circle agency has decided to come back to this tool and reveal everything there is to know!
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How is email marketing defined?
Email marketing is a direct web marketing process. This involves sending email to various contacts in the same database at the same time, but in a targeted manner for each. For a long time, email marketing was equated with direct mail, that is, prospecting by post or telephone. Today it is no longer considered such, as it is based on contact consent and personalization.
The objectives of email marketing
Email marketing fulfills 3 main objectives: awareness, image and action. The communications you send to your customers’ mailboxes allow you to be present in their daily lives. He intervenes at each stage of the customer relationship: from the IT and prospecting stage, to the moment of the conversation but also for the loyalty of the future.
It is the most generalized marketing medium, it allows you to establish a lasting relationship with your customers and prospects, as well as to reach a diverse audience.
To have an effective emailing strategy, it is essential for you that you have software to send emails. This allows you to make sure that your emails are delivered correctly, to save time. And even to follow the statistics of your emails, the most efficient ones, and to know your audience.
The different types of email marketing
- one-off emails: they are anchored in time, they follow the rhythm of your business. You can use newsletters that promote the use of your company’s products. They remain present in the minds of your employees and inspire them. There are also email campaigns. They are, on the other hand, more based on the marketing and sales aspect, for example, and may correspond to a promotion.
- automated emails: they save time and money. These emails are also personalized according to the information. Best of all, you don’t need someone to press the “send” button. We have 2 types of automated emails. First, the transaction email which is sent following a transaction. For example, reservation confirmation or welcome emails upon registration. Then the marketing automation email which is sent based on the relationship you have with your recipients. In particular, we find the email sent after sending a white paper or following a first visit to your site without purchase.
Email marketing is very beneficial ...
It is a tool that is easy to use. With all the diversity it offers, you will be able to carry out your best email campaigns. It is fast, flexible and above all precise. That is, you can easily target the Internet users who best meet your business expectations.
Email marketing is very responsive, as soon as it is sent, the first feedback will be visible. It offers rich possibilities for analysis, especially on people who have received and opened the email.
And finally, it is an inexpensive tool, it costs a few cents to send compared to sending a traditional mailing.
... but also has some drawbacks
This email requires a substantial database. It is a very affordable tool but when it comes to buying a database it can come at some cost. This tool does not offer the possibility of modifying its message in terms of spelling or syntax. We must therefore take the time to reread it in order to avoid this error.
In addition, if misused, email marketing can end up in the spam emails of your recipients and can damage your company’s image.
It is also important that your email stands out from other businesses. Many businesses use it today, so it’s important that your email is personal, business-like and innovative!
Essential practices for a successful email marketing campaign
Email marketing plays an important role in inbound marketing strategy. Thanks to the evolution of its services, you can predict the scenarios in advance according to which your emails will be automatically sent to your target.
Here are some tips for a successful email campaign:
- Start with a welcome email for new subscribers first. This is an email that should be sent automatically as soon as someone signs up on your site or for a newsletter.
- You should also personalize emails and send them to your contacts based on several factors that differ depending on your contacts. For example, the time of day when the person reads the email, in the morning or in the evening. You can detect these differences using statistics from your emailing tool.
- You can introduce yourself. The Internet users you are targeting need to know who you are and why you are sharing information with them. You need to explain how you can help them and why your solution is special.
- You need to deliver a clear message using plain language. Your target does not always have time to read you, so the message should be precise. It is also important to only give one idea at a time. If you put in too much information, you can lose internet users who will unsubscribe.
- Finally, you must create emails adapted to the smartphone. Today 1 in 2 emails are opened from a smartphone. You cannot therefore neglect the aesthetic aspect of an email adapted to the smartphone! A little advice, pretend you’re writing emails only for mobile users. These are people who look at their email exclusively on their smartphones.
Email marketing: A tool for the future
Current trends
These new trends aim to inspire readers, the aim is to constantly provide content with original and engaging offers. These trends need to be adapted to new target groups, including the emerging new generation, the one we call Generation Z. People of this generation have been using their smartphones since childhood. So it is important for you to stand out with a personal message and invite readers to interact.
With your email marketing, your business should show an image where it is accessible. Indeed, your clientele is heterogeneous. You must therefore personalize it so that each of your customers feels concerned by your offers, your advertisements or your newsletters. For example, you can take into account the fact that some of your customers are visually impaired or color blind.
The automation of an email is revolutionary! It is important to send regular newsletters to your customers so that they remain loyal and continue to hear about what is going on in your business. Good automation adjusts to the behavior of each user.
Develop a sense of belonging
You can personalize your email with interactive content. Inserting games into the emails you send to your customers keeps their attention. And we come back to the idea of ”gratification” (or gamification). Please note, for this to work, the user must feel that they are successful in the game. You can earn them discount coupons for sales of your company’s products. Or put small gains into play. You can also decide not to put anything on the line. But if the user feels that he can succeed, his reward will be the success of mastering a task.
You must ensure protected content for the user through your email. First, newsletters can only be sent with the consent of users. It is therefore important to develop a strategy where both parties benefit from it. It is a good idea for you to create content that will not be activated until the user has signed up. You can give the user a taste of your articles by letting them preview it on your site.
Future trends
A tool that continues to evolve
Today, a large part of the French use a smartphone, and this will only evolve in the future. You must therefore prepare your newsletters so that they are adapted to each format in which Internet users will be able to read them. You can also offer a text version of your newsletters, all email clients are not equal when it comes to images.
Wearable technologies are a game-changer
Wearable technologies or connected technologies are becoming more and more important. These are clothes or accessories that have electronic elements in their composition. We can cite connected watches, jewelry or even glasses. The content must therefore be short, brief but effective. These technologies are not suitable for displaying images, so focus on content. So this is the return of the plain text.
Use of geolocation
Many efforts have been made to segment contact lists with many innovative tools. With geolocation, you can see where your customers are opening your emails. Knowing the geographic location of your customers allows you to better target your emails.
Email marketing is a direct marketing strategy that has become essential. It is a very advantageous tool, despite some slight drawbacks. Indeed, it is inexpensive and easy to implement. In addition, email marketing is also a very current and future tool. Otherwise, you can hire a web agency to help you. There is therefore no reason to miss out on a web marketing strategy that is as effective as it is trendy.
Three ideas to remember
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is email used for marketing purposes. It is used to send personalized emails to previously targeted recipients. This is what we can call a targeted email campaign.
Why use it?
It is a tool that will allow you to retain your customers. By sending them your newsletters, it will keep them informed about the activities and what is happening in your business. In addition, with this tool you save time, especially the fact that you no longer need a person to press the “send” button.
How is email marketing a tool of the future?
Email marketing is a tool that is constantly evolving, both in terms of accessibility for people and innovation. This tool also adapts to new technologies, just adapt the content of your email to wearable technologies and you’re done!