Email marketing is not without challenges. When done well; however, it can help boost your bottom line. If you want to unlock the ROI of your email marketing, you need to measure its success to learn what is and is not working.
If your email campaigns are failing—high bounce rates, low open rates, and minimal click-through numbers—you are wasting time, energy, and money. Here are some tips to help you get your email marketing campaigns back on track and increase your ROI.
Subscribe/Unsubscribe
Make subscribing and unsubscribing easy. If a reader forwards your email to a friend, it ought to be obvious to that person how they can add themselves to your list. Plus, remind them that they can opt-out later if they decide to and make it easy for people to unsubscribe if they choose to. When unsubscribing is difficult or cumbersome readers get annoyed…and you do not want your reputation to take a hit or get reported for spam. Not only will this help build trust, but it will also help you build a clean list. If you have a high bounce-back rate, it is time to clean and update your list.
Social Shareability
Besides forwarding your email, make it easy for readers to share on social media by proving SM buttons right in the message. The web seems to revolve around social sites so harness that opportunity to gain access to new markets, prospects, and subscribers.
Give Clear Direction
Email marketing must be explanatory. Want the recipient to “do” something? Tell them. Giving clear direction helps your reader know what to do next. Using action-orientate language such as “get your free e-book here” in your call to action increases click-through rates.
Remember, the goal of email marketing is to get readers to take action, so make links visible and plentiful; a good target is one link per every paragraph or two plus a bold CTA at the bottom. If you are finding that you have good open rates, but dismal click-through rates, then is it time to review the content and language of your emails. Encourage readers to open, read, and take the next step.
Be Responsive
If you email is not mobile compatible, you are losing a huge segment of your audience. Current stats report that more than 50 percent of emails are read on mobile devices. Think about it: many people check their messages on their commute or while vegging in front of the TV. And, if your message is not mobile friendly they will quickly delete it, which means you are jeopardizing half of your audience right off the bat. Be sure that your emails (and your website) are responsive and mobile-friendly.
As marketers, we are writers of emails, but we are also readers of emails and, as such, it is helpful to take a look at our inboxes for guidance, inspiration, and caution. Pay attention to what emails you open, read, and react to versus the ones you delete without a second thought.
Email marketing is directly related to your ROI—the less successful it is, the lower your return will and vice-versa. So clean up your lists, spruce up your language, and boost your numbers.
Get started! Use this helpful guide to measuring the ROI of your email marketing.
