The following article and research shows that nearly 20% of e-mail marketers are still NOT measuring the effectiveness of their campaigns. This means that of the businesses that are actually using e-mail marketing (which is not 100% by any means), one-fifth do not gather the useable data that such campaigns supply.
E-Mail Marketers Sending in the Dark by eMarketer
The interesting thing is that data gathered from e-mail marketing campaigns aren’t just curiosities – they point to the information, products or services that your existing customers and hot prospects view as most important. Here are some simple measurement tips that you can use today to improve your marketing business-wide – and create greater profits from your existing contacts:
1. Test subject lines. Here at HALO, we recommend Interspire’s E-Mail Marketer because of the ability to split test multiple subject lines. This means that you can create an e-mail campaign with the same content but with differing subject lines. The first thing I see when I receive an e-mail marketing piece is the subject line. I decide based on the subject line whether or not to open the e-mail and dig further. Some subject lines motivate opening and clicking much more than others. Test to learn what words and types of subject lines convert recipients into engaged customers or prospects… then use those words, phrases and subject line “types” with greater regularity (but never quit the process of testing and continuous improvement).
2. Test content types. Again, you can split test campaigns to your list using the aforementioned e-mail marketing product. Test and learn what content leads to higher click-through and sales rates – and use those most often.
3. Test layouts. Same testing but on layout this time… maybe a newsletter format engages customers better than a postcard (photo + short message) format. Or vice versa. Which message delivery format via e-mail connects and converts most often?
4. Make analogies between e-mail subject lines, content and layout successes and your needs for communication success in other media. If a certain product or service is most interesting in e-mail marketing tests – then it is likely to resonate in other on and off-line media as well. Maybe those same products are likely subjects for window displays or a billboard photograph. Maybe the subject line that worked best in the e-mail marketing campaign will also attract on-line searches if an article with a similar headline were posted on your web site – or used in a Google Adwords campaign. Maybe in-store signage or a newspaper headline using similar words would also pull better.
Bottom line? E-mail marketing is not simply an effective sales and marketing tool for small business, but it is a terrific measurement tool that can teach you a LOT about your customers and lead to more effective marketing via other media as well.
I will recommend using http://EmailCharger.com for all email marketing needs. Its the best desktop email marketing software I have used so far.