There continues to be a lot of uncertainty about what business will look like short-term and long-term. An initial reaction by many marketers during this volatile and uncertain period has been to limit marketing efforts for channels such as email marketing.
But from our campaigns and testing, we’re seeing that email marketing campaigns, done correctly, are still proving highly effective. In fact, we’re seeing current email programs outperform those from several months ago when the economy was strong and life was operating business as usual.
So, what are some things that can be done right now to make your email marketing campaigns more effective? Here are five tips:
Test everything, especially deployment day and time. Because the lives of many email recipients have been completely turned upside down and the “new normal” may consist of working from home and during odd hours, the best send days and times may be completely different now from what was optimal in the past. It is best to test to ensure that audiences are reached when they will be most engaged.
Review content for all automated campaigns. It is always wise to periodically review and update content in automated campaigns. Due to the current global crisis, it is even more important to review and update all automated content, ensuring it is sensitive and relevant to what’s happening right now. This is vital to ensure that rapidly changing events are accurately being represented in all content, as well as to avoid being tone deaf to specific evolving circumstances.
Keep audiences engaged. For those audiences where transactional marketing still doesn’t feel right, instead offer highly relevant weekly content marketing emails. Provide them with valuable webinars, podcasts, whitepapers, industry/association specific breaking news, study guides, reemployment training and placement assistance, etc. The key is to keep the audience engaged with your organization, while being as helpful as possible. When the appropriate time comes to convert these individuals and “sell” to them again, they will be ready to purchase from a trusted source.
Provide flexible terms. For anything that is transactional, consider testing more flexible payment terms. Allow for installment payments, extend your grace period, etc. for purchases with a financial commitment.
Be empathetic. Probably the most important adjustment to make to any email marketing campaign is to ensure that an empathetic tone is conveyed in all content. Your audience is going through an awful lot right now, both personally and professionally. It is important to ensure that your message conveys helpfulness, support, and emotional intelligence.
To learn more about how to adjust your email marketing strategy, or for insights as to what’s working in association marketing right now, please contact John Sample, MGI Senior Relationship Director at jsample@marketinggeneral.com or at 703-706-0346.