Typically, you’re only competing against yourself. But not when it comes to email marketing. Then it’s crucial to meet specific Email Marketing Benchmarks. It’s the only way you’ll know if the tactics you’re currently using are reaching your customers effectively. If they’re not, then it might be time to mix things up and find new ways to reach potential clients.
MailChimp has analyzed its 15 million users and found click rates and conversion rates for a variety of industry types and sizes. Typically, B2B companies have a slightly higher click rate and conversion rate than B2Cs. If you’re seeing substantially lower numbers compared to your competitors, it’s time to change tactics. Here are some ideas for how to better approach email marketing and hit those benchmarks.
Avoid the spam filter
This one’s obvious but critical. Spam filters are better than ever at spotting ads. However, there are a number of things that tip off the spam filter that your message is advertising. Avoid salesy language and personalize the message. Don’t include too many images. In other words, make your promotion mimic a normal email as much as possible to skip the spam filter.
Track your customer reach
It’s important to keep track of hard and soft bounces. Hard bounces are when an email address simply doesn’t exist anymore. This is obviously not a good use of your marketing resources. Soft bounces are when an email box exists but cannot receive your message — for example, if the message box is full or the user is on vacation. Limiting both of these is crucial to maintain strong click and conversion rates.
Make the subject line direct
In 2017, people are used to scams. They’re expecting that you’re hounding them with something they’re not interested in. They’re exhausted with the constant stream of clickbait nonsense cluttering up their Facebook feed and manipulating them with silly promises. So don’t sell what’s inside — simply tell them what’s inside. If you’ve got a great sale coming up or an exciting new product, get right to it in the subject line. You don’t have any room to “tease” customers when it comes to email marketing.
Know where your customers are
Everyone knows that being mobile-friendly is crucial in digital marketing now. Apple iPhone was the number one way users opened email in 2016 with Gmail in a distant second. Apple iPad and Google Android followed third and fourth, respectively. Ensure your email marketing message looks sharp no matter what device it’s viewed on.
Constantly tweaking your email marketing strategy to better reach customers is critical to maintaining a strong online presence. Monitoring stats on the success of your campaigns is the first step.
Copyright 2017 Viral Solutions
Queen of the Machine for Viral Solutions LLC
“If a brand genuinely wants to make a social contribution, it should start with who they are, not what they do. For only when a brand has defined itself and its core values can it identify causes or social responsibility initiatives that are in alignment with its authentic brand story.” ~ Simon Mainwaring
