Despite the hype about the power of social media, email still remains a powerful tool for marketers, boasting an ROI of 3800% and the highest conversion rate among social, direct mail and other channels, says Mr Jeff Kupietzky, CEO at PowerInbox, an email marketing firm. But this also means that it is easy for your mail to be lost in consumers' overflowing inboxes, given that more than 205 billion emails are being sent and received every day. Here are some of his tips to make your email attention-grabbing.
1) Use Dynamic content
Using dynamic techniques, such as a flashing “lightning” or strobe effect, animation and fade techniques that launch automatically on the open can wow recipients and grab their attention, making for a memorable campaign that drives action. Emails with dynamic content have proven to drive higher open rates and engagement, reduce unsubscribes and increase click-thru and sales, so the more distinctive your email is, the more the customer is likely to recall you and your brand.
2) Customers expect hyper-targeted personalization.
Personalised emails drive higher transaction rates. Dynamic email allows marketers to deliver authentically hyper-targeted personalised content based on each recipient’s known user profile, click behaviour and third-party data. For example, a company can deliver a revolving carousel of featured products within an email customised for subscriber segments.
We may add -- as an email recipient, it’s always easy to tell when someone has been lazy and sent an email to his mailing list en masse. Even basic use of email tools, or just spending a bit more time on that Dear xxx (name) to address each recipient by his name will make your email stand out just that bit more--and improve your credibility.
4) Expand screen real estate.
A whopping two-thirds of emails are now read on either a smartphone or tablet. That means screen space is at a premium. You already have a lot to accomplish in every email you send--grab attention, personalize and geo-target content—that doing it in such a small space might seem almost impossible. Here’s where dynamic elements can help. Add a pop-up image similar to a browser pop-up, except email pop-ups are immune to blockers. Use a tabbed element that multiplies screen space by overlaying content just like it would on a browser. You’ll not only have more room, but you’ll also create an interactive customer experience.
5) Drive conversions.
Ultimately, this is the end goal, right? Engagement is great. Click-thru is nice. Conversion is better. Accelerate conversion rates with dynamic elements like a countdown timer that creates a sense of urgency and plays on consumers’ fear of missing out.
3) Geo-location caters to mobile users. Geo-targeted dynamic email content enables this same power of localisation within the most powerful customer facing channel. This can especially be applied to segments in geographically larger markets, for instance. An insurer's distribution arm could include product offers citing user preferences in line with the targeted region, or recent trends and local news that may create a prompt for specific insurance products.
Mr Kupietzky’s original post can be found at his LinkedIn page.