Businesses should already know the power of email marketing and I’m going to assume that you already send out your newsletter. However, are you sure you're getting the desired results from your email marketing efforts?
Newsletters are the first step in building your email marketing strategy - a plan that starts with a well-designed, perfectly personalized and optimized newsletter. It grows to include transactional emails, autoresponders, education, surveys, and feedback from your customers. So, what exactly can email marketing do for your eCommerce?
Utilizing Newsletters to Sell
What exactly is the purpose of sending newsletters? One of the many reasons businesses use email marketing is to drive sales. There is no doubt that email marketing is one of the most effective channels of online promotion. The average ROI in email marketing is impressive and very easy to calculate. If you're using great email automation systems, they help you calculate your open rate, engagement, and more.
However, merely sending an email to your prospects and current customers isn't enough. If you want your emails to get results, you need to invest time in designing tailored newsletters and implementing a modern communication strategy.
What is the difference between ‘just sending newsletters’ and a modern strategy of email marketing communication? This is the list of just some of the differences for you:
- Using database segmentation and personalization
Avoid sending one universal newsletter to all your subscribers. Take a close look at your inventory and at your mailing list and try to analyze what groups of customers you have and what they want to buy and not what you want to sell them. Even the simplest distinction - like male and female - is a good start! Although most of your customers may fit into one group, it's good to find differences to differentiate and customize the email based on their personality and buying habits.
Let’s say you have an online shop with cameras and photo accessories. Your customers are photographers and photo lovers. You can send them a universal newsletter with all the same promotions, can’t you? Yes, but if you want to double your sales, try to create more personalized offers. Some of them are professional photographers and buy more often so you can create a special packet for them. Others will buy only one camera and forget about your shop - don’t let them! - so offer them some kind of accessories using the info about the camera they have bought. The more effort you put in, the higher the opportunity of turning them into returning customers.
- Tracking results and remarketing
Observe how your subscribers interact with your newsletter - if they open it, which link do they click? Do they take advantage of the offer in it? Tracking the results is important because it these details can help you build your future emails. Check to see where your receivers spend most of their time on your email. Send the same offer to people who clicked, but didn’t buy. Give them an extra incentive that might convince them to close the sale.
Image Source: FreshMail's report
- Using autoresponders and dynamic content
You will need to write a few lines of code to use dynamic content in your newsletter, but it’s definitely worthwhile since it allows you to create many versions of the same newsletter. Supposedly you are selling shoes. Create a few buttons leading to different landing pages with different shoe sizes. Each button is linked differently so you could use something like FreshMail’s click autoresponder to send a more personalized message for each group that clicks on different shoe numbers. By using dynamic content, you have to create only one newsletter and the content will be fitted to each group.
Image Source: Clarks' Newsletters
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Teaching Each Other
Before every purchase, especially those that are more costly, we always search for information online. Consumers want to compare products, learn about their features, listen to other's opinion, and find price comparisons.
Your newsletters can be used as a way to educate your prospects and current customers. Using blog content, videos, and images, you can create a newsletter that demonstrates your products and how to use them. In addition, it helps to drive traffic to your website and showcase your expertise and knowledge to your consumers. This is especially important when introducing new products and establishing trends. Be the one to inform subscribers about new products on the market and you will build your status as an expert.
Image Source: Folica's Newsletter
The other important advantage to be gained by educating your subscribers is enhancing their loyalty. You can do it by putting some extra effort into after-sales care. Provide your customers with special instructions or other extra content. This is how you remind them of your service and make them come back to you when they need it. For example, Folica created an email newsletter that introduced their new copper brush. It informs prospects and current customers of their new products. In addition, it teaches them what the benefits of their new brush is. You can even show a new way to style your hair in every newsletter and your subscribers will wait for your tips. Show the products you will need to do it and could prompt them to purchase it.
Feedback Makes it Easier
Listen to your customers. Sell what people want to buy, not what you want to sell them. For example, you run an online bookstore and a new vampire saga (another one?) is coming out soon. People are looking forward to buying it, so don’t try to sell cookbooks now. That’s why you have to track trends and ask your customers for feedback. Even when their opinion about your business is negative, it can still be of great value to you.
Use autoresponders to ask your customers for a review. You can also send them additional instructions or promise something extra for the positive references written on your Facebook. For example, if a consumer purchases an eBook, encourage them to write a positive review about the book. These are great ways to encourage other consumers to make a purchase because consumers often look for reviews before actually buying the product.
Image Source: The White Company Newsletter
You can also use the good feedback you get to recommend your products with words of your own customers. Quote their opinions about products in your newsletter or add it to your website. Nothing works like positive testimonials!
Image Source: The Body Shop
Email marketing has more to offer than you probably know. The only limit is your time and imagination. Start by building your database and carefully planning your campaigns.
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Personalizing auto-responders is very important. They are such a convenient tool but can be so unflatteringly impersonal if not used correctly. Fine tuning the aims of consumers really is the goal, this is great advice to help do that.