It may seem like an email campaign is insignificant, but it can become your biggest marketing tool. Of course, there is a right way to receive a return on your investment. Learning tools and strategies to improveand grow your audience should be a long-term goal. Whether you are a big business or a small one, marketing matters.
Ask yourself about the last time you launched an email campaign. Do you remember if the process felt planned — or rushed? Were you confident in your email list? The questions could go on if you wanted tocritique your last campaign.
Today we’re sharing a reminder of why email campaigns area must-have for your brand’s success. We’ll also share a few ways to ensure you hit “send” — and await results.
Beginning with theBasics
Before we get started, let’s clear up a common mistake when tracking email campaigns. When someone clicks a link in an email, it doesn’t automatically fall into the email traffic category. You have to takeone very important step: make sure your email software cooperates with GoogleAnalytics or include UTM tags on your links.
If you skip this step, all of the clicks from your email campaign will fall under the direct traffic category. You will have no way of looking through analytics to see which traffic came from your campaign.
Embracing the Value of Email Traffic
We talk about traffic quite often in the digital marketing world. Email traffic is a bit different, though. You most likely know your audience, and you have been able to keep it engaged.
When a campaign performs well, it is a great reminder of how you are doing with your customers. A visit that follows your email campaign means customers are enjoying what they are viewing and are ready to discovermore on your website. Your messaging hit the mark!
If you aren’t quite sure how to see your campaign’s performance, start with these metrics: open rate and click-through rate.
● The open rate gives you abetter sense of your subject line's success. It measures how many people opened your email.
● The click-through rate goes further and provides a better picture of how your audience responds to the content. Are they clicking the links or taking another action step to support your brand?
Keeping YourAudience — and Growing It
The good news is you have an audience. Without it, there wouldn’t be a reason to launch an email campaign. With this knowledge, however, there is always the risk to become complacent. Stay true to your brand bylistening and adapting based on metrics.
Here are 5 additional tips:
● Just Keep Building
Did you know that an email list will naturally decay? Overtime, you may lose people on your list for a variety of reasons. One common cause is people change jobs, which means their email addresses change, too.
The not-so-fun reason is someone may no longer want to receive your emails. If you’re in marketing, planning should be a priority. Stay ahead of a decaying email list by pursuing new leads and refreshing your list often.
● Know the Success of Newsletter Sign-Ups
We see newsletter sign-ups on many websites, but here’s a secret: A sign-up form is not the most successful tactic for generating leads.Instead, most people are getting deals and discounts from the brand.
Advance your marketing strategy by moving to ads. You can still include a promotion, but your brand is now being seen by more people.
● Segment — and Send
Marketers must always have a plan. One of the most successful approaches to email campaigns is to create segments — and send emails to meet the needs of each audience.
Are you sending an email to a business owner, a marketer, or someone representing another group? Take the time to learn your audience and send messages with intentionality.
● Turn On The Tracking
Are you sure you know the success of your email campaigns?If you aren’t using the right UTM tags in your email links, visitors will not be categorized as email traffic.
Remember, if your email software already integrates Google Analytics, you’re in good shape. The other option is to use Google’s URL Campaign Builder. Fill in the blanks and copy the link you receive.
● Add Links — andDouble-Check
We saved the best one for last. While adding links seems like a no-brainer, many people forget to include links in their email campaigns. Don’t miss this opportunity.
Another no-no is adding links that don’t work. Broken links frustrate customers, and they are less likely to search around your website for the correct content. Always check links before sending an email campaign.
Now, it’s time to revisit your email list. When you’re ready to explore ways to watch it grow, start with Orbitly for free.