It’s a “subject-line-eat-subject-line” world out there. However, in the midst of a global pandemic, opportunity could be in your favor when it comes to email marketing. That’s because you have a large audience sitting down in front of their computers, snacking away on whatever is left in the cupboard (just me?!), contemplating their next purchases. 

 

Studies show that the email marketing return could be fruitful. According to Hubspot, email generates $38 for every $1 spent. That’s a whopping 3800% return on investment. Numbers like this can hardly be ignored, especially when you consider daily email users top out at 3.9 billion. The only hurdle? You have to write an email compelling enough to get through to them. Use these 5 email marketing tips to help your emails get opened instead of sent to the trash folder. 

 

1. Send to the Right Audience

If you write the world’s most compelling email message selling peanut butter, but your audience is allergic, the message will undoubtedly fail. This seems like an obvious example, but more unnoticeable examples happen all the time. If you aren’t speaking your audience’s language, your message is bound to be ignored.

 

Start by doing an analysis of your email addresses. How did you gather them? Are there different audiences within your email list that should receive separate messages? Do you know anything about your email list base? If you can’t answer these questions, it may be time to do a quick survey to find out why your audience is here in the first place. Only then can you truly write to what the end user wants.

 

2. Write a Compelling Subject Line

An engaging subject line is the difference between passing “open” and going directly to “trash,” or piquing your audiences’ curiosity enough to read what you have to say. 

 

A/B testing is a great way to determine what type of subject lines resonate with your audience. The concept is simple—try two formats with a small sampling of your audience and see which garners better click rates. Maybe your audience prefers a straightforward subject line, or maybe they like when your business has some fun. You’ll never know until you try—through testing! (P.S. This all happens seamlessly without any extra work if you use an email marketing program.)

 

3. Personalize Your Message

No, you don’t have to include a personal detail about each recipient. However, you should know the audience well enough to make the message feel personal. Consider using email marketing software to automatically add their name to the subject line. Or, maybe you directly target those who haven’t purchased in awhile, letting them know just how much you miss them. There are ample opportunities for small, personal touches, and you have a greater chance of avoiding the trash folder by leveraging personalization. 

 

4. Offer a Deal

“What’s in it for me?” This is a relatable reaction that your audience will internally ask themselves. A deal could mean the obvious percentage off their next purchase. It could also mean a free consultation, which costs your business nothing but time. Consider the return on investment of each deal. Remember—it doesn’t need to be a huge percentage off the price, it just needs to be something valuable enough to draw in your end user.

 

5. Develop a Clear Call to Action

If you deliver the message of a lifetime but your audience doesn’t know what to do next, you’ve missed your opportunity to connect. Whether it’s something as simple as clicking to learn more, or more directly asking your audience to reach into their wallets, this isn’t the time to be vague. Be direct. Be bold. Get out there and tell your recipients what to do next.

 

 

Now that counties are opening up we all know it's imperative to get re-engaged with your customer base, safely. One of the most tried and true methods is direct mail. It has always been an important part of any marketing strategy, but even more relevant in this current era of digital overload and social distancing.

Not sure where to start? We have a few tips!

- Direct mail is particularly effective now while people are “working at home” or just returning to the office. They read more and are hungry for outside contact. Direct mail is a perfect way to reach them.

- Align with sales prospects. Because postage is the costly part of a direct mail campaign, businesses should work with their sales team to identify the best candidates to receive a direct mail piece.

- Create a clear call to action. Do you want them to call you for an appointment? Visit the website? Go to a contact form?

- Customize your audience! If you have multiple customer channels, write to each particular segment. What you say to someone in healthcare is different than what you would say to someone in education. Divide your customer list and write the BEST message to the correct audience.

- Personalize your message! Phoenix Media can use variable tags and other information like the client’s name, company name and even sign each letter with your company’s appropriate account executive.

 - Create a follow-up plan. If your sales team has input into who is getting your direct mail piece, make sure they are ready for follow up. Follow up and a call to action for your client is the best way to turn a direct mail campaign into a success!

- Have fun. Be creative. Be bold.  Toothless, boring campaigns won’t get the results you want. Ask yourself the question: “Would I open and read this mailer?”

Here at Phoenix Media, we can print your promotional piece, address each item, sort and remove duplicates from your list and even update mailing addresses if your potential client has moved. For businesses wanting to reach a new potential customer, we can print and mail to every home in a zip code or even a mail route within a zip code. In other words, we can get you re-engaged with your customers on a very tangible level, fast!

If you can imagine it, we can create it and get it into your customers hands.
 
Give us a call to get started.

The last few months have changed life as we know it: the COVID-19 outbreak has had significant impacts on our personal lives as well as how we conduct business. Some organizations have had to drastically change not just their 2020 strategies but their day-to-day operations.
While every business encounters its own unique situations, navigating this crisis and carrying your business through it will take continued marketing. Focus your marketing in these five areas as we push through the pandemic.

1. Tailor your messaging.
The easiest way to drive a wedge between your business and your customers is to be tone deaf about the world at large. Sure, certain crises aren’t of the magnitude that they will ever pertain to your business. However, the coronavirus has impacted everyone around the world, and carrying on with business as usual or not acknowledging our new reality strips the humanity out of your persona.
Take time to modify your messaging on all of your platforms, but start with an alert on your website. Use your best real estate—an alert banner at the top of your site or the main image on your homepage—to note how your business is helping customers in the wake of COVID-19. Then revise your social media content to make sure it’s providing answers for customers wishing to do business with you. Speaking of which...

2. Enhance your social media presence. 
With so many people working remotely, screentime is rising. If you hadn’t invested in a content calendar for your social media, now is the time to develop one with careful attention to important messages for your customers. What you communicate on social media is perceived as the most real time information, so if you have information or rules for customers visiting your business, make sure it’s on social media.
For example, many businesses in the food sector during this dilemma have been diligent about posting takeout specials but, more importantly, how customers can help keep their employees safe. Upholding and ensuring essential public health practices is good for your brand and engenders trust and affinity for your business down the road.

3. Keep your business profiles up to date.
In times like these, it’s imperative to keep information about your business current. If your business hours or ways your staff can be reached have changed, make sure all of your profiles make it easy for customers to understand new ways of interacting with your business.
While what you communicate on social media is perceived as the most real-time information, it’s vital to update your Google My Business (GMB) profile too. On top of revised information or rules for customers visiting your business, your GMB profile can also help boost sales with its ecommerce functionality.
Following these tips are a great start to make the most of a difficult situation. Conducting business and marketing appropriately—not making light of the pandemic—is a tall task, but smart, focused tactics can help see your organization through.