BY Kathy Crosett
Are your clients using email marketing effectively? The benefits of email marketing are many. And it’s an especially cost-effective way to generate revenue from existing customers. But too many businesses are not using email as well as they could be.
The state of email
Typical open rates hover between 31% and 40%, reports Verified.com. But real engagement is measured through specific actions taken by the targeted audience.
Click-Throughs
(CTRs) range from 1.3% to 5%. What does CTR measure and why should your accounts care? This data point shows the percentage of recipients who clicked one link out of all emails delivered.
Click-to-Open Rate
Another data point, the click-to-open rate (CTOR) matters, too. The CTOR rate measures the percentage of recipients who clicked one link out of all opened emails.
Industry-specific data points
To obtain the best benefits of email marketing, your accounts should know the general engagement rates for their industry. Some of the highest engagement rates belong to the media and publishing industry. Overall, their CTR of 4.02% and CTOR of 10.7% can be linked to “content-forward strategies.”
However, e‑commerce operators average a CTR of just 1.34% and a CTOR of 4.62%. Analysts believe the “high send volume impacts fatigue” for this industry.
When you’re designing email campaigns for your accounts, let them know the averages for their industry. And explain how your goal will be to deliver better-than-average results for them.
How to manage the email list
Consumer privacy concerns remain a big topic. To work around that, your accounts should consider the sources they are using to build and maintain their mailing list.
- Zero-party data is considered the gold standard. This data represents consumers who give up their names and other personal information when marketers ask for it. They are giving marketers permission to stay in touch.
- First-party data is information your accounts collect about their customers. The information is gleaned from online orders, behavior tracking on a website, or social media activity.
Litmus explains that zero-party data gives marketers the best opportunity to personalize email promotions. Obtaining birthday information, for example, can deliver a huge boost when emailing. AudienceSCAN data shows that around 28% of U.S. adults will engage with an email that offers them a special promotion for their birthday.
Why email format matters
The messages must be optimized for opens on mobile devices. Around 55% of all messages are read on devices like mobile phones. And if they aren’t optimized, your client risks losing 42% of the target audience – the people who will delete these messages if they don’t look great on their device.
What does the email contain?
To reach specific audiences, such as Gen Zers, email messages should contain “interactive elements.” This generation, reports AudienceSCAN, is 7% more likely than other U.S. adults to take action after seeing an ad in an email.
Are your accounts using the right types of emails?
Encourage your accounts to set up triggered email messages to optimize the benefits of email marketing. Analysts report that these types of emails generate “37% of sales,” but only account for 2% of total volume. Triggered email messages that include a welcome message can yield an average conversion rate of 10.7%.
Around 58% of surveyed marketers use newsletters to retain clients and keep prospects interested. These newsletters may contain a mix of company updates and industry news.
The benefits of an emailed newsletter can’t be underestimated. About 45% of B2B buyers want to use vendors that have expertise in their line of work, according to B2B BuyerSCAN. A regular newsletter can tout success stories and build a marketer’s reputation over time.
When to schedule email drops
The data shows that email campaigns sent on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays generate the highest engagement. Your B2C clients should also develop a frequency plan to get the best benefits of email marketing.
When marketers send out more than two or three messages a week, they risk an increase in unsubscribe rates. AudienceSCAN data reveals that about 35% of U.S. adults ignore messages when they get email after email from the same company. Once a customer loses interest or unsubscribes, it can be challenging and expensive to win them back.
B2B target audiences should only receive one or two email messages a week. Our proprietary B2B BuyerSCAN data shows the unique qualities of key business decision-makers regarding email.
Around 53% of these prospects check their business email messages before they start the workday. To capture their attention, your accounts should schedule email drops very early in the day.
Your accounts should strive to obtain zero-party data from this audience. In this way, they can begin to build a relationship. But marketers must offer something of value. Nearly 48% of early morning B2B email readers will give up their contact information if they can receive free access to primary research that is relevant to their business.
Litmus reports that the ROI from email marketing ranges from 10:1 to 36:1. Your accounts can generate those kinds of returns, too. Show them how to build campaigns that generate the best benefits of email marketing.
Image by Mizuno K on Pexels.
