Email is a great marketing resource and you would be making a mistake if you don't use this channel. It is a way to reach you from advertising in a direct way to the contacts we have subscribed to our newsletter. Surely you have friends who complain about all the advertising that arrives by mail, but it is usually because they have previously subscribed.
As you can see, there are many people who do not pay attention to the emails they receive or do not even read them or feel rejected. But there is another type of people who do read their inbox, who are interested in what they receive, and this will be our target audience when it comes to making an impact.
Why is email still a key channel?
Despite the rise of social networks and new platforms, email is still one of the channels with the highest return on investment in digital marketing. Its great advantage is its immediacy and proximity to the customer.The message arrives directly to the user's inbox, with no algorithms to limit its reach.
In addition, allows for precise segmentation and the possibility of measuring in detail opens, clicks and conversions, which makes it an essential tool for any digital strategy.
The origin of SPAM: a brief history
A newsletter is, in general terms, like an elongated flyer with images and buttons. This type of communication started intentionally in the late 70's with a man called Gary Thuerk, Digital Equipment Corporation's marketing manager.
In the old days, marketing was all about getting sales, for example, by making lots of calls, but Gary figured why make almost four hundred calls if he could hit all of them at once. And that's what he did, sending out 393 emails generating a lot of anger and earning $13 million in sales and the title of “father of the SPAM”. As a curious fact, the term SPAM comes from a brand of canned meat, a brand that Monty Python would name repeatedly in a sketch, making it a symbol of the repetitive and annoying.
From massification to hyperpersonalization
Years later, the Internet began to be more present in our daily lives and the creation of new marketing campaigns as we know them today. In the 2000s it was already normalized to receive advertising by mail, hence the need to create strategies and methods of mail authentication to avoid SPAM. This is when the need arose to group contacts into lists according to interests.
Audience segmentation consists of grouping different users with common interests or tastes, so that, little by little, the content sent has become so personalized that nowadays we talk about HIPER customization to reach the smallest matryoshka.
Types of email marketing campaigns
There are many types of campaigns advertising, such as promotional and seasonal advertising, newsletter, for inactive customers (reactivation), abandoned shopping carts... AND for our campaign to be successful, Regardless of their type, we must be clear about the following:
- TargetWhat we want to achieve with the campaign.
- Frequency: how often we should make an impact. We must be present, but we must not reach the point of tiring our contacts, we must avoid the casualties.
- Content and tone: The content sent and the tone chosen for it are very important. Here we must also take into account the following point.
- SegmentationWe will group our contacts according to their interests or characteristics in order to impact them in different ways.
What elements make up an email
These four elements are the ones that will help us to avoid not only the escape of our subscribers, but also to avoid ending up in their SPAM folder. And for this we need to talk about a very important element: the issue of the email.
An email consists of several parts, usually all share the following:
- SubjectThe first thing you see, as if it were the cover of a book. It has to be straightforward and attention-grabbing.
- Headerreinforces the subject matter and prepares the reader for the content.
- BodyHere it must be very clear what the objective is, and make it clear to the recipient as well. If there are doubts, it is not a good email.
- ImagesThe surface with images must not exceed 60% of the content, as email managers may block images or slow down their download.
- CTA buttons(calls to action): guide the user towards conversion.
- Footer: provides confidence and additional information.
- Unsubscribe buttonThe subscription is mandatory, as well as a sign of transparency and respect for the subscriber.
Some tips for writing email marketing subject lines
The subject line is the first impression your subscriber receives. Whether your email is opened or ends up forgotten in the inbox depends to a large extent on it.
To increase your chances of success, keep these best practices in mind:
- Adequate extension: no more than 55 characters, with key information at the beginning.
- Emotional tone: arouse curiosity, provoke empathy or use a touch of humor.
- Clarity and simplicity: direct, concise and benefit-focused language.
- Value for the user: uses “how + solution” formulas to show utility.
- Variety: change the subject line in each mailing to avoid opening drops.
- Avoid spamDo not use capital letters, symbols or exclamations.
- Trusted senderUse a reputable name and address.
- Prudence in shipmentsAvoid aggressive or massive campaigns.
In view of this, the email marketing it's not just a matter of sending left and right. There's a thinking head behind everything, organizing the recipients, specifying the target, the configuration of all parts of the email and the choice of a good subject line to attract the attention of the contacts.
Now you can go with lead feet towards the mission: avoid ending up in SPAM. Courage!
