Managers' Corner

In only a few short years, it’s taken over the way we communicate with friends, clients and business associates. It’s made “You’ve got mail!” an internationally known phrase. It’s even (to the dismay of many) revived the chain letter. What is it? E-mail, of course. And besides the achievements listed above, it has become one of the greatest marketing tools of our time.

But many marketers out there aren’t using this tool to its full money-making potential.

Think you may not be approaching e-mail marketing in a way that makes the most sense for your company? Here are nine tips on how you can use it to take your company to the next level.

1. Stay out of the spam folder

The same things that make e-mail valuable to you also make it valuable to spammers. Bad e-mail abounds, and if your message gets lumped in with the trash, it will mean ruined constituent relationships for you. So keep in mind that the quantity of e-mails you send means nothing. The quality of your messages means everything. And that is how you will avoid being reported as spam — by providing people with information they will find useful.

2. Get your recipients to act

To increase engagement, take a look at the four factors that influence an e-mail’s success — past behavior, relevancy, frequency and creative strength (in order of importance).

The number-one rule? People are busy, so don’t waste their time. If you don’t have something of value to say, don’t say anything at all.

3. Build a killer database

To leverage the benefits of e-mail segmentation, you need a good database. And to build a good database, you need to understand what data is going to drive your business and e-mail marketing programs.

You can collect e-mail addresses for your databases without alienating your constituents: online e-mail collection, off-line (physical location e-mail collection) or business-to-business/networking/real-world registration. No matter what method you are using, however, always ask permission to continue building a relationship with them through e-mail.

4. Find the best recipients

When you do have something relevant to say, say it to the right individuals.

Segmentation is your answer. It lets you identify individuals with similarities, allowing you to develop targeted messages. Put all of your constituents through an RFM microscope — i.e. recency, frequency and monetary value — and use these factors to figure out who your best constituents are.

5. Find or create relevant content

Creating the right content all comes down to what works for your business and what will provide value to your constituents.

The good news is there are several easy ways to create relevant content for your messages, and they won’t necessarily require more work. For example, you can use information from your website, utilize third-party content, tap into professional copywriters — and the list goes on.

6. Use analytics that matter

Once upon a time, you couldn’t tell which parts of your marketing effort were working and which parts weren’t. But not today. By paying attention to analytics such as your deliverability rates, open rates, click-through rates and unsubscribe rates, you now have the power to know exactly what’s happening and why it’s happening.

7. Put your messages to the test

Find out which elements of your messages are more likely to work through A/B or multivariate testing.

A/B will require you to pull two random samples. You’ll then send out a message where only one element is different — a subject line, for example — and look at results to see which subject line encouraged the most recipients to open the e-mail. The winner is then mailed to the remainder of the audience.

Multivariate testing involves simultaneously testing several variables at once and measuring the net result.

8. Ask for feedback

It’s impossible to know all you need to know about someone, so always strive for more information. Asking is the best way to receive information directly from your constituents. Requests can be made during registration, at the point of purchase or via a survey.

Most importantly, make positive changes based on the data you collect.

9. Triggers, transactions and integration — what does it all mean?

Triggered e-mails are automatically sent to a subscriber when an event happens — e.g., a purchase, webinar attendance or e-mail opt-in. These events, or “transactions,” indicate that a constituent is engaging with you on some level. Typically, automation and triggering entails “integration,” which is a means to seamlessly move your data from your database marketing system to your e-mail marketing system. This direct connection will enable you to sync your database of record, provide e-mail marketing from within your other systems, automate and even syndicate content.

Keep in mind, however, that while the process itself may simply need to be monitored, you should continue to test your messages, segments and other e-mail elements.

E-mail marketing helps people build relationships with their constituents that make them feel appreciated, unique and valued. It allows you to reach out to your customers in a one-to-one, deeply personalized way that goes beyond communication or even selling.

E-mail is a revolutionary marketing tool — you just have to know how best to use it.