Email campaigns – how to inbox clever

Email marketing is cost-effective, of the moment, and offers an easily measured return on investment. So how is it possible that so much 'junk email' passes through our in-boxes each day?

The answer is that a surprising number of marketers still view email as a solution in its own right, as opposed to recognising it as just another medium. The mere fact that one is sending emails doesn't mean that one is doing it right. In a world in which we're bombarded daily by messages from all-corners, via email, telephone, SMS, Facebook et al, your solitary email has to fight hard to have any chance of standing out from the crowd.

The three words one should remember when planning an email campaign are: segmentation, personalisation and testing.

Segmentation

The who of email marketing. Who are you sending your message to? Please never answer, “my entire database”. Think about it for a second. Of the few thousand contacts on your prospect list, are they all really interested in the same things? Do they share the same level of seniority, the same professional characteristics, or buying patterns? I doubt it.

You must segment your list into smaller groups of like-minded individuals. Once you have a more specific (though shorter) list of contacts, then you can tailor your message to the needs of your audience. The more relevant the message, the higher the proportion of recipients likely to respond.

A good example, and one covered in more detail in previous issues of Monthly Briefing, is the differing priorities of the various professions involved in the specification process. Architects are specifiers, but often so are engineers... and contractors, and facilities managers, etc. Even amongst each group, individual priorities will change depending on where they are in the specification process. Is the architect weighing up whether to use steel or wooden frame for the whole building, or is he or she ready to specify which doorknobs to fit?

Basic data segmentation can be by:

• Company type
• Job title (business owners often behave differently to employees, for example)
• Previous purchase or buying history
• Age
• Gender

There are obviously far more, and more detailed, variables. The more specific your segmentation – the more effective your messaging.

The bottom line on segmentation is that it's more work; a lot more work if you're to do it consistently and properly. But it's worth it when you factor in the better conversion levels you'll achieve because your response rates are so much higher.

Personalisation

Personalisation (like segmentation) isn't new, so you would have thought we'd have all caught on by now. Have you ever received an email addressed to you as a 'Dear valued customer'? Seriously, if you want me to feel valued, then remembering my name would be a good start.

Imagine you're in a room full of people, all spilt into smaller groups, all talking to one another. There's a general hum of chatter. Suddenly you hear your name mentioned by another group. What is your immediate reaction? Chances are you'll immediately focus on that group to find out what's being said. We love to hear our name being used by others, and we love being addressed by name. Email makes it so easy to do this. A good subject title uses the recipient's name. “Andy, are you missing out on the benefits of email marketing?” is more likely to get my attention than the same subject line without my name. Equally, asking me a relevant question is more likely to engage me than a simple statement: “Learn the benefits of email marketing.”

Effective personalisation does more than simply name-drop however, it tailors your already well-targeted message. Try to incorporate relevant information you have about the recipient into your message.

“Dear Andy, I note that you recently downloaded our brochure on heat pump technology from ribaproductselector.com. Would you and your colleagues at Andy Architects like to book a CPD seminar with one of our heat pump specialists?”

Personalisation – like segmentation – means more work. Like segmentation however, there is a considerable pay-off. Unbelievably, the reality is that not many marketers actually use these methods – still – despite it being so logical to do so. Just a little extra work can therefore make a huge difference to how you're perceived in relation to your competitors.

Testing

If it was as simple as following a few rules we'd all be marketing experts, and millionaires. In practice though, how do you know which messages get a better open or click-through rate, and which result in more sales? How can you best dissuade people from unsubscribing? The answer lies in testing. Every email campaign should bring you a measurable step closer to achieving a better return.

Split tests involve assigning one subject line to one email and a different subject line to another, but sharing the same content in both. Then you simply measure which pulled the better response. Was it, “Andy, reduce building air leakage by 20 per cent” or, “Andy, do you know the biggest causes of building air leakage?” From your response rates you can learn what motivates your recipients.

Every time you send an email campaign, test one thing. It could be the subject line, content, website landing page, images, anything. Some tests will show a big difference, others no difference at all. The point is, you'll always learn something. Use that knowledge to communicate more effectively.

Conclusion

Email marketing isn't a silver bullet, but it is a cheap and potentially effective delivery mechanism. As such, as with all effective marketing channels, relevance and proper measurement remain the key to its success.

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