Email marketing can be a little tricky and even fuzzy at times. Sure, we may have some basic statistics like click through rates, however, at the end of the day are we ever sure of what our consumers are thinking? Just because they did not book a room at that moment, does that mean they will not come back later on? Are we even on their mind? Are they telling their friends about us?
Sounds familiar? Recently one of our clients came in asking those same, thought filled questions and I immediately began to think of a dear friend of mine. For the purposes of this article let’s refer to her as Sue. Sue would anxiously call me after every one of her various dates and try to analyse every move, every word, and every detail… minute by minute. After about the twentieth time of hearing the same story with different characters, I sent her the five most basic, cliché dating tips I could think of, hoping in the end it would save me another headache and a few mobile minutes.
Now you may be wondering what Sue’s troubled love life has to do with digital marketing, but at Umi Digital, we have found that Sue’s feelings are actually incredibly parallel with how many marketers feel as they put on their “final touches” to an email deployment. In the email world, similar to the dating world, there will be times you believe you have put your best cards forward, however, you are still left waiting for that “second phone call”. Now we aren’t love experts, although some of us here tend to think we are, but we have nonetheless found that some of our best email marketing tips have been deep-rooted in the love advise that I handed over to Sue. So whether it be for your email strategy or love life, take out your pens and paper, and take notes on our top five tips on how to land that second date!
Lesson One: You never get a second chance to make a first impression
Studies have shown that within two minutes of meeting someone, we have already formed an opinion on whether we will like or dislike them; others have contested it takes only 30 seconds! Whatever the case may be, your first impression sets the tone, and recovering from a bad one is quite a difficult task. Similar to the dating world, you want to make sure your emails are primped and ready to make the best possible impression. Just like you would check your teeth before leaving the house, check your email for grammatical issues, consistency, technological issues, and so forth. Remember grammar is key; it is the difference between “knowing your shit” and “knowing you’re shit”.
Lesson two: Be yourself!
We are all aware that no matter how much make up you may put on or how much hair spray you may spray, at the end of the day if it is going to be a serious relationship, that person is going to see past any facade and discover the person underneath the powder. If you really want to “score” in the email-marketing world, you need to be honest with the work you and your company can provide; you can’t sell yourself on services you are unable to offer. Sending out empty promises will not only hurt you, but will also waste money that could have been better invested in other areas. Your email needs to be like your dating profile; it should show your personality, values, and qualities! Be creative, use images, captions, and different styles to transcend who you are and what makes your company stands out from the rest! Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to get all dolled up for a date, but making sure you act as yourself is key!
Lesson three: Don’t give it all up on the first date
…Any guesses on what correlation we are making here? It is subject lines! A subject line is the first thing they see from you. You want it to be catchy, intriguing, yet it can’t be too long or give away everything you are trying to sell. Try thinking of your subject line as a quick advert. It doesn’t have to sell the product, but it has to have them wanting more!
Lesson four: If you love them, let them know
Your subject line may be where you play hard to get, but once they have opened your email you need to get down to business! Their inbox has plenty of other “fish in the sea”, however, they chose to open you! This is not the place to play games; you need to tell them what you want them to hear. It is essential you make yourself available and let them know you want to get serious. With different calls-to-actions and linking, there are plenty of ways to get creative and ensure your message has been sent across.
Lesson five: Boys/girls will come and go, but your friends will last forever
At the end of the day it is easy to get caught up in trying to engage potential customers, however, that does not mean your current email family does not matter. You need to tailor information that is relevant to them as well. Neglecting long-term, loyal customers for the possibility of that “second-date” is one of the worst mistakes marketers can make. When in doubt, remember “one may be silver, but the other is gold, you need to make new friends, but keep the old ones.”
Now like we said, we are no love masters, but we do specialise in digital marketing. So if you find yourself still waiting by the phone, call us today and set up an appointment to develop a strategic, revenue generating email with our Umi Digital team.