- To get the most out of email,
you'll want to build a plan that is tailored
to your target audience.
But before we get into the emails you're sending,
let's talk about how to go about gaining new members
to your list.
Now, beyond capturing emails through transactions
or sign-ups, common techniques are to run campaigns
specifically targeted at capturing emails.
You can build lead generation landing pages
or leverage your website to post an enticing message
that prompts the user to share their email.
Once you understand how you'll capture the audience,
think about the actual email strategy itself.
I want you to start by identifying your goals.
Maybe you want to generate more sales
or reactivate former customers.
Make a list of your key goals
and then make note of what customer segments
are most likely to convert towards those goals.
Now, I often start by working
the most valuable problem first,
remarketing to abandoned customers.
You've done all the work to get someone
to share their information,
and then if they didn't become a customer,
well, you should work to develop campaigns
that aim to close the deal.
These nurture or drip campaigns can be very effective
at recapturing revenue.
When evaluating what messages to send and why,
put yourself in the shoes of your customer.
What does the customer need from you
in order to take action?
What will motivate them to follow through
with the objective?
You may find that many customers need a handful
of emails before they'll take an action.
And in that case, you might design a campaign
that has three or four steps before your big ask.
Now, when in doubt, refer to the marketing funnel model
and design your email to take them
through each phase of that funnel.
Once you know what your customer needs,
build your content to support that answer.
It might be an image, a video, testimonials
or even detailed instructions
on how to complete a step in the conversion process.
As with most things, short and sweet is key.
The content needs to be compelling, the subject engaging
and the call to action apparent.
The design shouldn't hamper the experience.
Now, always test your design on mobile.
Good content will be lost if the email doesn't load properly
on your mobile device, and make sure to outline
any special considerations for mobile users.
You might need to use smaller images, bigger buttons
and, of course, you'll want a mobile optimized landing page.
Lastly, consider your timing.
How often do you need to send your message?
Is it best distributed during the day or at night?
Is it seasonal?
Now, there's no magical answer,
but you'll have to use your data
to help guide you in this decision.
Email marketing plans evolve and scale
as your audience grows.
So it's normal to continuously try new ideas
and new content types.