Personalized emails have proven to be the most effective way to engage customers, and 59% of marketers cite this as their number one source of ROI. In addition to being highly responsive and cost-effective, email outreach also offers high levels of customization and engagement, and can increase revenue by up to 760 percent. But how do you create a personalized email campaign? Here are some tips to make your emails stand out. Keep reading to learn more.
Segment your contacts based on their behavior and preferences. For example, send a welcome series to new subscribers. You can also segment subscribers based on location, interest, open rate, and inactivity. Depending on your audience, you can test different content, color, and style of call-to-actions. And don’t forget about the importance of subject lines! By using enticing subject lines, you can lure your contacts into opening your emails.
Test your emails to see what works and what doesn’t. Make sure to test your emails with A/B testing to determine the best time to send them. Use industry benchmarks to help you find out the right timing for your emails. For example, research from CoSchedule suggests that sending emails during the first two hours of the week and the morning and evening hours work best for most customers. However, your audience’s lifestyle and preferences will play a major role in the content of your emails.
Your subject lines should entice the reader to click on your links. Think about the buyer’s journey when crafting the email subject lines. If your email recipients are still in the awareness stage, then you should not advertise products in their emails. Rather, give them useful content that will help them in their journey. Then you can follow-up with an offer to purchase a product. Ultimately, email marketing is all about engaging your audience and making them buy your product or service.
Besides personalization, your emails should also be aesthetically pleasing. Make sure your emails look good on all devices and include a prominent CTA button. If you’re a novice in email marketing, try to integrate Google Analytics to track how people interact with your email. Also, make sure you have an opt-out link in the footer of each email. If they’re too difficult to click, they’re likely to be deleted or not opened.
Remember that personalization and timing are essential for successful email campaigns. While the subject lines of your emails are critical, they are not enough. You should tailor your messages to meet the needs of your audience. If you’re aiming for a seasonal campaign, consider sending emails that target a specific part of the buying cycle. For example, a top-of-mind nurturing email campaign can last several months and even a year. To maximize the effectiveness of your emails, plan out your email sequence and your follow-ups.
Segmenting your lists is another way to personalize your campaigns. According to Lyris’ Annual Email Optimizer Report, businesses that use segmentation saw 24% higher sales than those who did not. Segmenting your email lists based on demographics will create a seamless experience for your subscribers. The most relevant segments include those who’ve made a purchase or subscribed to your newsletter. In addition, a targeted list can be more personal and relevant to your customer.
Keeping an eye on inactive subscribers is critical for the health of your email list. Over time, your list will get stale. Some of them may have changed email accounts or simply aren’t interested in your brand anymore. To avoid this, periodically delete any emails that aren’t opened by the recipient. Inactive subscribers are those who haven’t engaged with your emails within the past six months. If you have a long-term strategy and a well-targeted email list, inactive subscribers can become customers.
Timing is also a key element in email campaign success. While aiming to increase open and click-through rates, email marketers need to send emails at the right times to engage their audience. This is because loyal users might want to receive the emails at a time when they’re more likely to engage with the content. Use tools to help you figure out the best timing for your email marketing campaign. If you have a website that features a lot of products, consider launching a newsletter at the same time.