8 key points of an effective email marketing strategy

It is no news that email marketing is already a fundamental pillar for all those companies that are digitised. In fact, we can say that it has become a fundamental tool when it comes to communicating and interacting with the users that form part of our database. It is one of the most efficient ways to generate a direct response in the receiver (clicks, purchases, visits to the physical shop, etc.) and customer loyalty thanks to a direct and personalised form of communication.

We are often asked what is the secret to effective email marketing, but the reality is that there is no secret formula, we simply need to have our strategy updated and pay attention to the 8 points that we will see below and that will help you to get the most out of your strategy.

1- Implement a good recruitment process or leave it in the hands of experts.

Have you just set up your company, are you in a recruitment process and are you looking to expand your database? In both cases you will need to devote efforts to an effective recruitment process. Look for attractive ways to get users to leave their email address. For example: you can offer an incentive for users to sign up. This way, they will feel like they are getting something in return for leaving their email address. Or, make it clear to them the benefits they will get when they sign up: a loyalty points programme, the latest news and trends, a discount or offer, etc. 

It is also important to bear in mind what the registration process should look like. The progressive registration is one of the best options when we want to have as much user information as possible and generate as little friction as possible in the registration process.

In case you want to start sending, but your database is not too large, you can consider the option of working with one of the following company specialising in database recruitment.

2- Design a good Welcome Email

Implement a welcome email to your email strategy to receive users in an original way. Think that this is the first contact you will have with them and you want them to have an good first impression. There are different types of emails and depending on the objective you are pursuing, you will be more interested in implementing one type or another. In fact, there are many companies that have simply implemented a subscription confirmation email. If you want to opt for something more elaborate, you can design an attractive email offering a discount for the newcomer, as is the case with Ban.dowelcome you and explain your loyalty scheme, such as Funfitor display information more related to the company and its operations, such as Munchery. 

3- Segment your database to send targeted emails to each group of users.

If you segment the users that are part of your database, you will achieve that your email campaigns are much more effective and tailored to them.. You will know much better the users who will receive your campaigns and you will know what kind of emails are more suitable for each group and how to personalise them. This translates into sending them content that is of interest to them and, consequently, getting more clicks and conversions, i.e. better results. Don't know what type of data to use for segmentation? At this article we give you some ideas.

4- Designing responsive emails is a MUST

In a context in which the mobile phone accompanies us everywhere, it is logical that most of the emails we receive are opened with our smartphone. That is why it is so important that our emails are responsive. We must not forget that they must be adapted to each type of device and that each of the components that make up the email must look and function correctly. 

5- Automate your email marketing to save on time and costs

Implement automation to your email marketing strategy, this way you will get much more personalised, profitable and effective emails. The welcome emailsof birthday or abandoned trolley recoveryHow does the process work? We will have to configure the email in question so that it is sent automatically when a certain pattern is met. Once we have it configured, we will see that, as more users comply with the trigger that we define, the emails will be sent automatically without us having to do it manually. As we said: we save time and costs.

6- Make your emails more human with personalisation 

Have you ever thought about personalising your emails? It is a great initiative to make them much more personal and closer to the user. We all like to feel special and if we see an email with our name on it, we will have the feeling that it is addressed exclusively to us and we will pay more attention to it. But, what elements can we personalise in an email? The most common is the subjectbut you can also customise the preheader or the copy. 

7- Loyalty is always a plus

The loyalty emails also add many points to any email marketing strategy. Their main objective is to care for and pamper the user so that they continue to trust the brand and do not consider going to the competition. For example: you could implementing a loyalty points system. As the user makes purchases, he/she will accumulate points that can later be redeemed and get a discount. With the help of email marketing, you can send emails that remind the subscriber how many points they have accumulated, how many points they still need to get a specific offer or change to a different section of the website, etc. You could also implement a birthday email to congratulate the user and offer them a gift or discount to celebrate their day.

8- Test and find out what your subscribers prefer

The A/B test allows us to send two variants of the same email to our subscribers. So half of our users will receive email "A" and the other half will receive email "B". It is very interesting to see how each group reacts to each of the emails in order to know what works best and use it for future shipments. Testing is not only a great ally to get to know our database better, but it also allows us to improve the results of our email marketing. If you don't know where to start, here are some tips 13 A/B test ideas that you will find very useful. 

And so far these 8 points that you should keep in mind to have an updated and effective email marketing strategy. Remember that every business is different and what may work for some, may not be effective for others. So analyse your company, set priorities and take action.