So Many Emails - How to Optimize?

 

The first thing that most people do before they get out of bed in the morning is reach for their phone and check their email. On average, people are spending about two and a half hours on email and receive over 100 emails per day. So, what does this mean for marketers and how can email marketing be strategically optimized to drive engagement?

This week, we’ve listed a few ways to cut through the noise of email marketing competition.

1)    A/B Testing

a.      A/B testing allows marketers to test certain variables for future email optimization and positive performance. Most popular A/B tests include variable such as subject line, content, and deployment times. For example, three emails with the same visual content could be tested for best subject line performance. Emails A (15% of opt-ins) and B (15% of opt-ins) would be split evenly with different subject lines. Email C (70% of opt-ins) would receive the subject line from the winner of the email A/B test.

2)    Frequency

a.      As noted earlier, people receive over 100 emails per day. This statistic signals to marketers, that too many emails may create email fatigue. Testing frequency and pulling back on emails could actually increase a brands credibility and get the most important messages across to the consumer because they feel a trust with the delivery of the message. Testing frequency could be challenging, and it is advised to first nail down segmentation prior to delivery frequency.

3)    Segmentation

a.      Segmentation allows email marketers to cater to their audience based on specific wants. For example, clients in segment A may only engage/ transact with a brand 2x a year, whereas clients in segment B may engage/ transact 4x a year. The messages and frequency would be different to grab the attention of these two different client segments. The message in segment A could be to drive the client to shop more, and the message in segment B could be more of a referral or loyalty reward.

4)    Personalization

a.      Today, consumers expect relevant content that ties into their specific behaviors and lifestyles. We are no longer in the days of “one email fits all”. Understanding clients’ behaviors by leveraging their data and information helps increase engagement, conversion, and ROI. For example, a subject line with a client’s first name is more likely to be opened than a subject line without their first name. Another trend with email personalization would be implementation of dynamic content. Dynamic content delivers visuals and product that the client has interacted or engaged with. This dynamic content could be product that the client has viewed several times or content that encourages a client to purchase a product that would go well with a past purchase.

How would you optimize these tools to grow your business?