Looking to increase your email marketing ROI and take your emails from "ehh" to "AHH"? Whether you're a beginner or seasoned retailer, below are a few key ingredients to optimize your email marketing programs.
Personalize
By personalize I don't mean adding your subscriber's first name in your email. We all know email can do that. Instead, personalize the content you present to your subscribers based on their chosen interests, purchase history, location and behavior. By doing this your message will automatically be more relevant and engaging to your subscribers. Read our recent blog post for more ideas.
Socialize
Including social media links in email has become a standard. However, do you know how your subscribers are using each social channel? The new research report SUBSCRIBERS, FANS & FOLLOWERS reveals insights into just that. Through knowing your subscribers' behavior using email, Facebook and Twitter, you can determine what type of message to send to each and improve how you interact with your customers.
Monitor Your Text-To-Image Ratio
Retail email as a whole tends to be the most image-heavy email we receive. While imagery can be a powerful tool for retailers, it doesn't serve its purpose when your subscribers cannot view it as intended. Knowing that images are disabled by default more than 50% of the time, pay close attention to how your email renders with images off. Include preheader teaser text and your main call-to-action within the preview pane including ALT text to entice your subscribers to enable images and click-through.
Image with and without styled ALT text
Be Inspired
Familiarize yourself with the email programs of other marketers who share your same audience. What are they doing well? What ideas have they tried that you could incorporate into your program? We all have room for improvement when it comes to communicating with our customers. If you are unsure of the best strategy, conduct a competitive analysis and seek guidance and training to educate you and your team about email best practices.
Test & Analyze
You might be overwhelmed when you hear the word "test", but it isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Testing one version of your email creative against another with limited variables can reveal important data from which you can then analyze and make decisions. These tests can be as simple as including an image with a model vs. product only image or using a button vs. text link call-to-action. Another crucial test is to learn where your subscribers are viewing your email. Litmus offers a solution that is both affordable and effective. Learning which email clients your subscribers are using can determine if you need to add a mobile-friendly version or code your email differently. Testing will give you answers about YOUR specific subscribers and remove the guesswork from your email campaigns.
Why Not Ask?
When in doubt, ask. If you're still unsure of how to design your retail campaigns, ask your subscribers or ask an expert. Sending a survey with an incentive to your subscribers asking what information they want to receive from you is mutually beneficial. You learn more and they receive a deal. Consulting with an email expert to critique, recommend improvements or redesign your program is another way to increase your ROI. They are equipped with experience and resources to help create the best email marketing program for your specific business.
Check out our other Design Tip of the Week posts for more ideas to improve your email design and performance.
Anna Meier
Design Consultant
ExactTarget Campaign Solutions Team
Personalize
By personalize I don't mean adding your subscriber's first name in your email. We all know email can do that. Instead, personalize the content you present to your subscribers based on their chosen interests, purchase history, location and behavior. By doing this your message will automatically be more relevant and engaging to your subscribers. Read our recent blog post for more ideas.
Socialize
Including social media links in email has become a standard. However, do you know how your subscribers are using each social channel? The new research report SUBSCRIBERS, FANS & FOLLOWERS reveals insights into just that. Through knowing your subscribers' behavior using email, Facebook and Twitter, you can determine what type of message to send to each and improve how you interact with your customers.
Monitor Your Text-To-Image Ratio
Retail email as a whole tends to be the most image-heavy email we receive. While imagery can be a powerful tool for retailers, it doesn't serve its purpose when your subscribers cannot view it as intended. Knowing that images are disabled by default more than 50% of the time, pay close attention to how your email renders with images off. Include preheader teaser text and your main call-to-action within the preview pane including ALT text to entice your subscribers to enable images and click-through.
Be Inspired
Familiarize yourself with the email programs of other marketers who share your same audience. What are they doing well? What ideas have they tried that you could incorporate into your program? We all have room for improvement when it comes to communicating with our customers. If you are unsure of the best strategy, conduct a competitive analysis and seek guidance and training to educate you and your team about email best practices.
Test & Analyze
You might be overwhelmed when you hear the word "test", but it isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Testing one version of your email creative against another with limited variables can reveal important data from which you can then analyze and make decisions. These tests can be as simple as including an image with a model vs. product only image or using a button vs. text link call-to-action. Another crucial test is to learn where your subscribers are viewing your email. Litmus offers a solution that is both affordable and effective. Learning which email clients your subscribers are using can determine if you need to add a mobile-friendly version or code your email differently. Testing will give you answers about YOUR specific subscribers and remove the guesswork from your email campaigns.
Why Not Ask?
When in doubt, ask. If you're still unsure of how to design your retail campaigns, ask your subscribers or ask an expert. Sending a survey with an incentive to your subscribers asking what information they want to receive from you is mutually beneficial. You learn more and they receive a deal. Consulting with an email expert to critique, recommend improvements or redesign your program is another way to increase your ROI. They are equipped with experience and resources to help create the best email marketing program for your specific business.
Check out our other Design Tip of the Week posts for more ideas to improve your email design and performance.
Anna Meier
Design Consultant
ExactTarget Campaign Solutions Team
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