Article: Optimize email marketing for campaigns
Includes Insights from Ross Kramer
Published on DMNews 9/1/2011
Email marketing enables marketers to deliver custom messages directly to an in-box that many consumers check multiple times a day. Best of all, consumers have opted into most email databases, meaning they've already expressed interest in receiving communications from that brand. However, client-side marketers are always looking to improve their use of email to better target consumers through precision timing, more compelling subject lines and better personalization.
Our three Plug-ins contributors this month offer marketers advice on ways to improve email marketing campaigns through relevant testing processes, as well as how to develop content and design to make messages more appealing. In addition, our columnists offer advice on how to attract consumers through welcome messages, how to create effective shopping cart-abandonment or repurchasing campaigns, and how to improve data accuracy.
Ross Kramer, Cofounder and CEO, Listrak
It's not easy for most of us to think about the holidays mid-summer, but for retailers it is imperative. While you're enjoying the sunshine and long days, you should also be thinking about your holiday marketing strategy. Here are four automated email campaigns and examples of their success that any retailer can implement.
- Welcome series. Back-to-school and holiday shopping brings increased traffic to your site and leads to an increase in subscribers to your marketing list. Take this opportunity to further engage these shoppers with an email welcome series that gives them more information about your brand and
your products.
- Shopping cart-abandonment campaigns. Online shoppers constantly abandon carts — to the tune of 70% of your shoppers — but that doesn't mean the sale is lost. Timely cart abandonment reach-back campaigns that include product reminders, social proof, and even discounts prompt customers to complete the purchase. Vintage Tub & Bath has a three-message cart-abandonment series, integrated with its Bazaarvoice reviews, that achieves an average 22.5% cart recovery rate.
- Restock notifications. When you sell out of a particular item, you and your customers both lose, unless you have a restock notification campaign to alleviate the
problem. Give customers an easy way to sign up on the product or checkout page to receive an email when the item is back in stock. BirkenstockCentral.com sends emails with images of the particular product and a link back to the cart for shoppers to purchase, which averages a 33% click-through rate and 28.5% conversion rate.
- Repurchase campaigns. Keep the sales rolling in after the holidays with automated repurchase campaigns for consumable items. These campaigns can be based on customer purchase history and the shelf life of particular products. Sending an email message or series offers customers a convenient way
to repurchase the product.