By Angel Cicerone, Tenant Mentorship
www.tenantmentorship.com

Email continues to be a top information sharing channel for direct- to-consumer businesses. In addition to being flexible and effective, email marketing is a low- or no-cost marketing option. It can be used for multiple purposes, including awareness, lead generation, customer conversions and even direct selling. Forty-two percent of all emails are opened on mobile apps, and the average return on investment for email marketing is $42 for every dollar spent.

Email is a ubiquitous medium that can be an impressive asset to your marketing strategy, but only if the prospect reads it. Use these easy hacks to improve your email performance:

Segment Your Database

Segment your database by relevant distinctions based on how your customer buys. It could be as simple as segmenting by ZIP code or gender, or you can drill a little deeper and segment by buying preference, such as lunch versus dinner, dresses versus tops or online versus physical store. Once you’ve segmented your database, you can send more relevant, personalized emails that better relate to that particular audience, thereby improving overall performance. Segmentation is considered one of the most effective email strategies, performing 14% better than more generic communications. And best of all, it’s free.

Embed Video

Want to really impress someone? Embed a video into your email so it starts playing upon opening. Whether you use a personalized welcome, a tour of your store, a behind-the-scenes peek or a funny gif, videos inside your emails not only educate and entertain but also surprise. Videos increase clickthrough rates by an amazing 200 to 300%.

Always Have a Strong Call to Action

Every marketing asset should have a call to action so you can measure results. What do you want your readers to do after they’ve opened your email? Visit your website? Make a reservation? Like your social media page? Make an appointment? Click on a link directed to your online shopping cart? State the CTA with appropriate links multiple times throughout the email. And finally, insert a clickable button that will direct the reader to the desired destination. If you use Mailchimp, Constant Contact or other email provider, you can track these links and which ones are performing best.

Resend to Non-Openers

Studies show that there is little chance that a recipient will interact with your email after two days. To increase results, resend the email to non-openers after 48 hours. 

Personalize. Personalize. Personalize.

Personalized emails deliver six-times-higher transactional rates. Take advantage of your email provider’s capabilities to insert personalization, from the subject line through the body of the email, to maximize results.