There are plenty of lead generation techniques, and email marketing remains one of the most direct and effective ways to generate and capture new leads. One of the reasons email marketing works so well is it’s a well-recognised format – many users are simply used to and comfortable with emails. Here are four email marketing best practices to integrate into your next campaign.
Divvy up your subscribers
The tricky bit lies in producing marketing content that is appropriate and relevant to subscribers at different stages of the buying cycle. Another significant consideration for marketers is how much is too much. When does the email become unwanted, invasive, or brushed off as spam? It’s a fine line to tread, but there are ways to make your marketing approach more nuanced and efficient.
So how do you make your email marketing universally applicable to consumers at vastly different stages of the buying cycle? Well, you don’t. What you can do on most, if not all email-marketing platforms, is organise your email subscribers into groups. For example, emails that you’ve just captured from a particular campaign can be put into a brand new list – an introductory list to get them acquainted with your brand. These subscribers will be sent preliminary, welcome emails that are low in intensity as well as commitment. You want to tread carefully here because you don’t want to drive new subscribers away by bombarding them with marketing collateral. A gentler approach is called for – perhaps a free eBook to say thank you for signing up, or a “10% off your next purchase” voucher. Nurture these leads so they can slowly be moved into the groups more familiar and loyal to your brand. Similarly, you may have another list for people who have signed up for email subscriptions at your company’s physical place of business or even on your website. This represents a slightly more invested group of people. Again, you should adjust your marketing material accordingly – perhaps with news or industry updates or your company’s latest offers.
Get the reader’s attention
The first thing readers will notice is the subject line of your email. How do you get them to open it? Having identified which particular group you’re targeting, it’s time to brainstorm subject lines that will convert. Use actionable words, “Download our latest eBook”, “Take 10% off your next purchase,” to draw the reader in.
Keep it snappy
Tighten up your copy – word economy is the way to your reader’s heart, especially with email marketing. Keep it brief and to the point – what are you trying to achieve with the email? If you want to give the readers the option to find out more, use a call to action instead and lead them to a dedicated landing page with all the details.
Social sharing
You’re running a great email marketing campaign – but how can you generate more leads while you’re at it? One of the simplest ways to do this is just to integrate social sharing into your content. Provide options for readers to share your offer on social channels so their friends and colleagues can see too. This is a cost efficient way to grow your leads organically, the digital age’s version of ‘word of mouth’, albeit far more pervasive.
