Sent first time in 1971, E- mail has
revolutionized the way of communication across the world. Currently, approx.
145 bn E-mails sent per day worldwide & still close to 70 percent people
start their work by checking E-mail every day. E-mail has been undoubtedly
choice of communication for digital marketers as it delivers desired results
with high Return On Investment (ROI). In current scenario, even though
marketers are focusing more on engaging platforms like social media, cloud
based applications. I think E-mail marketing still is a force which can deliver
the desired results. Based on my experience of E-mail campaigns & knowledge
gain through reading, I have listed down some good practices to be followed for
E- mail marketing. Some of the Do's & Don’ts of E-Mail Marketing:
1. Objective: Marketers need to define the
objective clearly, to achieve the desired results of any digital campaign.
Clear objective guides the marketer to keep on track and do necessary changes
required throughout the campaign. There can be different objectives like
awareness, registration, Lead or conversion etc.
2. Database: Collect the database of
customers from various touch points like on web registration, web inquiries,
affiliated websites, CRM, feedback, store visits, exhibitions, events, trade
sites referrals etc. Seek permission for future communication via Clear Opt-In
declaration. Don’t buy the database from someone else, it may work sometime but
may not deliver results over longer run.
3. Segmenting the Database: It helps in
designing the message strategy relevant to particular segment. With highly
fragmented markets & changing consumer behavior, undifferentiated message
strategy does not work with majority of product or services.
4. Subject Line: Follow
"KISS" Principle for subject line; it should be between 4-15
characters. Short subject line E-mails get considerably high open rate compare
to E-mails with long subject lines. To break through, 120 email/day in short
time span calls for high level of expertise in digital space & core
marketing.
5. Size, Content, Placement & Landing Page:
Size of the mail may act as deterrent for receiver to open it. Ideally E-mail
size should be 40-50kb, at Max. should not exceed 200kb. Content should be relevant to
the offering and in line with the objective of the campaign. Try to avoid heavy
flash files & images in the mailer which may turn out the receiver.
Placement of the content should be based on the E-mail browsing behavior of the
receiver. Marketers need to do some experiment to get the optimum clicks for
links in E-mailer. Landing page should have relevant content with the intention
of conversion. The attempt should be made to have minimum bounce rate on
landing page and it takes huge efforts to get customer on landing page.
6. Scheduling properly: As some studies
suggest, E-mail communication have highest opening rate in first hour of
receipt and subsides over as time moves on. It leaves out marketers with very
short window to make a mark. Best schedule can be Tuesday or Thursday, 11.00am
to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 3.30pm for sending E-mails.
Frequency matters: In case of regular
newsletters or even promotional e-mailers, marketers should maintain the enough
time lag between the two e-mailers. Once in 15 days, can be reasonable
frequency for E-mailers. Bombarding customers with E-mailers frequently may
repel them from receiving further communication.
7. Clear Opt Out: Every E-mailer should
carry clear opt-out link for receiver not to receive further
communication.
8. Optimize your E- mailer for Mobile:
Writing on the wall is clear & loud, that MOBILE is the FUTURE. 1.08 bn
smart phones worldwide 36 Mn in India smart phone users in India 86 Mn people
access internet on mobile in India. Digital marketers can't afford to miss this
segment. Recent trend shows that E-mail open rate on mobile has shown
substantial growth up to 30 percent. Your E-mail communication must be
optimized with the mobile for better results.
9. Test Split test or AB testing: It is
advised to do split testing / AB testing on the database of the particular
segment to get better result from E-mail campaigns.
10. Analyze & Learn: Analyze the
campaign results using the standard reports & customized reports provided
by E-mailing service providers. One may use Google analytics for the same.
Analyze campaign for few certain parameters like Open rate, CTOR, CTR, Bounce
rate (Hard bounce & Soft Bounce), Spam meter, unsubscribe numbers, Time
spent, Landing page visits, conversions etc. It gives immense learning for
future campaigns regarding subject line, message strategy and online customer
behavior. Analyzing campaigns also help marketers in optimizing the database.
If we consider the resources requirement & ROI for E-mail communication,
E-mail still stands out as great strategic tool out of digital marketing tool
mix.
Yogesh Baviskar, Faculty Marketing &
Digital Marketing
