We all know email marketing can be an effective way to attract new customers and retain existing ones. But, as our email boxes get more and more filled with offers from everyone and their mother, email marketing is becoming less reliable for reaching the target. As a result, traditional email marketing strategies just don’t work as well as they used to.
Challenger Brands need to look at email marketing in a different way. In order to generate the greatest possible results, consider implementing the following strategies in your next email marketing campaign.
1. Develop Subject lines that induce action
The subject line of your email is the most important element of your strategy. It’s the first thing your reader will see. As a result, in less than two seconds they will either read or delete your email simply based on your subject line. Be sure to understand what your target wants and needs.
Be sure to focus on something that engages and piques their interest. If you are unsure, we have found that a good strategy is to ask a question and hint that the answer can be found in the body of the email. One last tip, be sure that your subject line is short, sweet and speaks directly to the recipient.
2. Make your message to the target as narrow as possible
Most email campaigns that we see use a general message that is designed to speak to a large, general audience. We have found that if you try to speak to everyone, wherein you end up speaking to no one. Challenger Brands, on the other hand, need to be super targeted. They need to develop strategies that are extremely personalized and speak directly to the needs of a niche group of potential customers.
3. Make it easy for the reader to engage
Within the body of your email, be sure to include multiple options that allow the reader to click on a link so they can easily get to your site now. Don’t just place a link or icon at the end of the text.
Your strategy must be to make it extremely easy for them to take action – place an order, get more information, engage with you, etc. – as soon as they are ready. Don’t assume your reader will look for a link at the end of your text, because they usually won’t. Making it easy for them to respond is critical and will increase your overall response.
4. Only use opt-in lists
One of the more common mistakes made by email marketers is not using opt-in lists. Technically, an opt-in list is composed of customers and prospects who have chosen (or opted-in) to receive emails related to the goods or services offered by your organization. We believe one of the best lists is the one you build on your own.
You can do this by making sure you have customer emails and by making it easy for visitors on your website to opt-in. In addition, be sure that every trade show prospect you meet, prospects you come across during the course of your normal activities or anyone else you believe to be appropriate, is given an opportunity to easily opt-in to your list.
Challenger Brands must always remember that they do not have the same financial firepower as do their competitors. So if they implement the email marketing strategies outlined above, they will discover how email marketing can become a powerful component of their overall marketing strategy.
