In most endeavors, the difference between success and failure often comes down to the little things. Successful email marketing campaigns are no different. Strong email campaigns rely on trial and error. They count on past performance to point the way for improvements. Successful email marketing campaigns also leverage best practices and insights from campaigns that came before them.
Email marketing effectiveness is getting more and more challenging. Mailboxes are becoming more cluttered and marketers are struggling to ensure email success. So what are the elements of successful email examples?
How can we increase conversions? As marketers, we’re asked this in just about every sales and planning meeting. It’s easy to interpret the question as, “How can we convert more sales?” But converting customers is frequently more than just acquiring them. Increasing conversions often includes getting customers engaged across their entire lifecycle.
With over 145 billion emails sent annually, averaging 9,000 emails a year per user, it is a wonder that open rates aren’t single digit. According to the DMA, the average open rate for email is 21%. So I’ve often wondered, “If someone doesn’t open an email in the first few hours it’s received, will they ever go back and open it?”
Marketing facts and figures help marketers understand where we stand against the averages and norms. They also help us understand consumer trends, business trends and where the industry has been and where it is going.
Personalized email works. We recently ran a test of an email personalized with specific customer information versus a slightly more general email. Personalized information drove a 36% higher click-through rate than the general email.
The numbers tell the story.
The volume of triggered emails increased 73% in
the 4Q12 compared with the year-earlier period.1
Open rates for triggered emails hit 49.8% in Q212;
almost 95% higher than mass emails.2
The average click-through rate for triggered emails
is more than double the rate for mass emails.2
The phone rang. The dog ate the remote control. The kids couldn’t find their soccer ball. These are all everyday distractions. And they can all prevent online customers from completing a transaction.
On the surface, email is one medium that seems tailor-made for marketing. It provides a highly cost-effective way to reach targeted audiences quickly and drive them to action immediately. That’s why email marketing has revolutionized the way businesses interact with customers and prospects.