DIGITAL MEDIA GHOST
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About
Search

Why Most Email Marketing Campaigns Are Duds - And What You Can Do About It

1/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Terry Cane, Guest Contributor

We’ve all done it.

We order a product or service online, and when we’re prompted to sign up for the seller’s mailing list, we hit ‘accept.’ We figure maybe we’ll get something worthwhile out of doing so. Some good deals, insider info, or cool knowledge.

Most of the time, the only thing we end up getting is a series of email blasts which ultimately end up relegated to the spam folder.







Why exactly does this happen? The people who sign up for such mailing lists should be the most interested and engaged of any customers. Yet time and again, they’re left frustrated and bored.

Time and again, they either unsubscribe or hit ‘ignore.’ 

The problem, I think, is twofold. First, the modern web is positively choked with marketing messages. Everywhere consumers turn, they’re bombarded with brands that are desperately trying to grab their attention through multiple channels. 

It gets exhausting, and eventually, they tune out all but the most interesting, attention-grabbing messages. Everything else becomes little more than white noise. Assuming you’ve spent even a small amount of time on the web, I’ll wager you fall into this camp, as well.

When’s the last time you actually clicked on a banner ad? Found something genuinely interesting in a marketing email? Engaged with branded content on social? 

You get the idea. We’re inundated with ads. The Internet has become the digital equivalent of a busy farmer’s market where every single stall is manned by a screaming boor. 

That’s not the only issue, of course. Far worse is the fact that the vast majority of email marketing is downright awful. It’s irrelevant and impersonal at best, obnoxious and over designed at worst. 

Picture

Brands, even those that should know their customers intimately, send out cookie-cutter messaging en-masse. Some send emails far too often, flooding inboxes with advertisement after advertisement. Others reach out so infrequently that most people forget they exist.

Here’s what you can do to avoid falling into either camp. To actually create email copy your customers care about. 
  • Know your audience. Invest in Customer Experience Management software. While CRM software is meant to help you learn about people as they move from prospective to converted lead, CEM software helps you consolidate and analyze data about customers after they’ve moved through your sales funnel. Combine this with the audience profiles you’ve already compiled, and start tailoring your messages to their unique interests.
  • Don’t be generic. Don’t just send out a single mailer to everyone. Segment your mailing lists based on purchasing behavior, location, and demographics. A customer who purchased a barbeque probably wouldn’t be interested in a sale on floor wax - but they might want to purchase patio furniture. Similarly, you probably don’t want to email someone in North America at 2 AM PST, but someone in Singapore might not mind so much.
  • Establish a good cadence. Do a bit of testing to figure out how many emails to send your audience, or better yet, allow them to choose for themselves. Too much, and people are going to unsubscribe. Too little, and you’re not going to get any engagement. There’s a sweet spot. It just takes a bit of time to find. 
  • Focus on the customer. Give your emails actual personality, and write them like you’re telling a story rather than shoving a sales brochure at someone. With each word you type, think about what the recipient might want - what would catch your attention if you were in their shoes? 
  • Keep it short and sweet. A marketing email shouldn’t be a self-contained novel. A few paragraphs, some images, and a call to action or two are more than enough. As long as it’s well written and gets the message across, it doesn’t need to be long. While we’re on the topic, avoid overly salesy or familiar copy. It comes across as pithy and insincere. 
  • Test before you send. Few things can kill a campaign faster than a poorly-formatted email. Always send messages to a dummy account to test how they look before sending them to your larger mailing list. Better safe than sorry.

Email marketing can be difficult to get right. To cut through the noise of the modern web requires dedication, understanding, and personalization. But it can be done.

The first step is understanding what your audience wants. From there, everything else should fall readily into place. 

Picture

​Author bio:

Terry Cane is the COO atSEOHost.net, a reliable and supportive SEO hosting partner.


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Become a Ghostwriter!
    Picture
    Contribute to DMG
    Picture
    BECOME A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
    Picture
    PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS BY GUEST POSTING
    Picture
    ARE YOU A GHOSTWRITER? WE WANT TO KNOW!
    Picture
    DO YOU HAVE A GHOSTWRITING BUSINESS?

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Agency Spotlight
    Business
    Digital Marketing
    Ghost In A Flash
    Ghostwriting
    Media Relations
    Privacy Concerns
    Social Sabotage
    Technology
    Writer Spotlight
    Writing

    Advertising Disclaimer

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Find your domain and create your site at Weebly.com!
Digital Media Strategy
Content Marketing
Law Firm Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Marketing
eBooks
Writing
Becoming a Ghostwriter
Blogging
Content Marketing
Ghostwriting Services
Guest Post Guidelines
Media Relations
Online Crisis Management
Personal Brand
Public Relations
Reputation Management
About
Our Team
Our Results
Testimonials
Contact Us
Locations:
New Orleans, LA
Nashville, TN

DMG University
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookie Policy
Digital Media Ghost  @2020
  • Publication
  • #GhostsWriteIt Spotlight
    • Writer Spotlight Submission
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
      • Content Marketing
      • Law Firm Marketing
      • Social Media Management
    • Ghostwriting
    • Public Relations
      • Social Sabotage & Online Privacy
        • Social Media Policy Template
  • About