Techniques for lifting email conversions by 460%

Successful email marketers are keenly aware that email frequency lifts conversions. Simple math proves this. Two or more touchpoints will always provide a greater overall conversion than one. But many email marketers are unclear about how many times it’s appropriate to reach a customer within a given campaign period. They’re concerned with whether or not multiple emails will increase conversions or negatively impact customer relationships. Successful email marketers don’t want to risk pestering their customer base to the point where they’re less receptive to future communications.

This blog aims to address this concern. We’ll examine the impact of email frequency and how proper execution can lift conversions by 460%. We’ll explore best practices on how campaigns should be structured when reaching customers multiple times. Lastly, we’ll review how to establish benchmarks that can ensure your email campaigns are striking the right frequency balance.

The cumulative impact of email frequency

One of the more exciting aspects of email analysis is tabulating cumulative conversion rates and campaign lift. Successful email marketers should apply this practice within their reporting as a way to holistically evaluate campaign performance. Many times email marketers are fixated on measuring individual emails without regard to the entire campaign. In rolling up performance, email marketers can more effectively evaluate the impact of frequency and determine the exact point where the campaign is providing the optimal return.

The example above is taken from one of our recently deployed automotive email campaigns. It demonstrates the cumulative impact of 4 emails relative to the first email in the series. The chart proves that email performance can, in fact, progressively improve with increased frequency. Email 3, for instance, provided a substantial lift over the first two emails in the series. It wasn’t until the fourth email in the series that the campaign experienced a noteworthy drop-off. Being able to evaluate email performance in this manner is critical for establishing the optimal return and the right email frequency balance. In the next section, we’ll explore the best practices for making this happen.

Leverage time-sensitive offers with progressive urgency

Direct marketers have long known that time-sensitive offers dramatically increase conversions over communications without an incentive. Email marketers should treat their communications no differently. While there are usually fluctuations in response across every email touchpoint, we typically see spikes in conversions as the campaign nears its offer expiration. Several factors influence this.

• First, email calls-to-action must become progressively more urgent across each touchpoint. This includes convincing customers time is running out.
• Second, subject lines need to be adapted for each touchpoint to reflect time sensitivity. One of the biggest obstacles in email communications is getting customers to open. Varying the subject line across each email is one way to break through.
• Third, email content needs to be more concisely conveyed as the campaign progresses. Consider streamlining essential copy via bullet points. Customers who are the most likely to respond probably viewed a previous email before they made a decision to act. The key to a successful email marketing offer is “urgent simplicity.”

Ensure immediate relevancy with personalization

With the advent of more customized inboxes, it’s not surprising that customers demand more relevant email communications from marketers. According to MarketingSherpa, 69% of people state they would exchange their personal information for better, more personalized service.¹

We recently put this observation to practice by testing whether or not an automotive email highlighting customer vehicle information, including make, model, VIN and year, would make a difference against an email without this information. The personalized email drove almost a 40% higher click-through than the general email.

When considering the impact of frequency, it’s crucial that marketers acknowledge the importance of relevant email communications. As stated earlier, email marketers don’t want to risk pestering their customers. Delivering relevant communications is the best way to mitigate this. That’s why successful email marketing campaigns should leverage available data to ensure they’re delivering value to their customers.

Check out Is email marketing worth doing if you aren’t doing email right? to learn more on successful email marketing campaigns.

Monitor ongoing email performance to establish benchmarks