Marketers throughout the UK are focusing their attention on the power of email marketing as they review their direct marketing budgets following Royal Mail’s shock price hikes. While many businesses were left reeling from the news of the increased cost of First Class stamps, we noticed an increase in the number of enquiries from charitable organisations keen to embrace the benefits of targeted email marketing campaigns.
Marketers throughout the UK are focusing their attention on the power of email marketing as they review their direct marketing budgets following Royal Mail’s shock price hikes. While charities and businesses alike were left reeling from the news of the increased cost of First Class stamps, we noticed an increase in the number of enquiries from charitable organisations keen to embrace the benefits of targeted email marketing campaigns.
Email marketing remains highly cost-effective and consistently proves its worth as a primary means of engaging directly with stakeholders. Additionally, with explosive sales of smartphones and iPads recorded over the past year, email is being accessed more regularly than ever before, providing a golden opportunity to target core audiences with highly tailored messages.
Here are our top tips for creating a compelling email marketing campaign:
- Be timely
Capture a donor’s or supporter’s attention at the precise moment when they’re most engaged with the charity – immediately after the moment of donation, purchase or interaction with your website. This is when a personalised email with relevant, compelling content and a clear call to action can make all the difference and ultimately help inspire loyalty among your supporters.
- Be clear and consistent
Clarity and consistency of message is vital to achieving a strong level of engagement. Ensure that all content is aligned with your key messages, and wherever possible, direct readers to your latest news and campaigns. Use branding and logos consistently, and enhance the user experience by following a simple format, using clear hyperlinks and displaying obvious icons for social media channels. Thank all new recipients for joining, let them know how frequently they’ll hear from you and be sure to highlight the benefits of receiving your newsletter.
- Create engaging content
A dynamic blend of concise, accessible copy and eye-catching design (clearly branded of course!) will be sure to capture your readers’ attention. Above and beyond this, compelling content is the single most important factor in email marketing. With just a few seconds’ time to captivate your audience, content must be relevant, interesting and personalised. Create a regular content structure, if possible, allowing readers to rapidly find their favourite item, whether it’s news, campaigns or case studies. Familiarity helps to build trust and engagement. Also consider incorporating pertinent news of wider political or economic interest.
- Adopt a tailored approach
Personalised emails help to engage recipients instantly. Knowing what makes your audience tick will help you to align the tone, language and length of the copy with their interests. Simply addressing the recipient by name helps to boost ROI by strengthening your relationship. Marketers who collect additional information about recipients, such as their location, gender or interests, can then include highly targeted and relevant offers to boost campaign ROI and reduce the ‘unsubscribe’ rate.
- Monitor and evaluate
While it’s true that ‘content is king’, evaluation is a fundamental component of every email marketing campaign. As monitoring technologies become increasingly sophisticated, we are analysing the results of email marketing campaigns with minute precision, with every click-through accounted for, tracked and reported. We can then actively use the data to inform and shape future campaigns.
With dozens of email newsletters whistling into your supporters’ inboxes on a daily basis, those that offer a consistent, engaging and inspiring read will inevitably stand a cut above the rest.
