Atlantic Online Digital Marketing Blog
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
Shelley Bellefontaine • Feb 02, 2020
10 Effective Email Marketing Strategies
Is email marketing still effective? Do people even read emails at all? The answer to that question is a big yes. People do still read and send emails, and email marketing is even more effective than it was before.
Marketers have reported that among all the marketing techniques and strategies done, email marketing has the highest return on investment. Even higher than that of social media.
Now that gives businesses hope that they can still manage their email marketing strategy to generate more leads. But email marketing is not simply sending out spammy, promotional emails to anyone. If that’s your strategy, there is no doubt that your technique will not work out.
Instead, here are effective ways that could help you with your next marketing content.
PERSONALIZED EVERYTHING
Nobody likes to receive a gift that is not of interest to them or doesn’t add value to their lives. Email marketing is similar to that. When people receive emails that are not according to what they often research for or like, it is more likely that they will not open your email.
Therefore, one best way for businesses to make people click on their email is to personalize the content. For businesses to do so, there are software or apps they can use to track what users want and research. This gathered data can be used to create emails that are right for the person.
When people receive emails that are patterned to their likes, they might subscribe to your business and turn into a paying customer.
SEGMENT BY AUDIENCE
Isn’t it annoying to receive an email that you won’t be able to attend or something that you are not interested in? The problem with some email marketers is that they often send each email to everyone on the email list. This strategy is not helpful because people don’t like receiving an email that is not based on their likes or interest.
Sending people with emails that are not relevant to their interests may result in a lower open rate, and they could unsubscribe to your email lists. Therefore, it’s better to send emails according to people’s interests, location, and other factors. It is always a good practice to implement segregation in your marketing strategy.
39% of marketing experts who segregate their emails based on their customers’ interests achieve a higher open rate. The goal of sending emails to people is to make them click the email, engage on it, and turn them into valued customers.
Therefore, it is only proper to send emails based on people’s interests. There is software that can gather a user’s interest and past search behavior that can help your team know what people are interested in.
MAKE ENGAGING CONTENT
Most emails send out by marketing teams are static messages. Some of this email may work out, but most of it won’t. People nowadays like catchy, engaging content. They want to be part of something. Therefore, if you want to grab your customers’ or readers’ attention, an interactive email is the best way to do it.
Samples of interactive content you can use for your email are surveys, videos, digital scratch cards, polls, GIFs, and a lot more. These marketing tactics have an open rate of 300%, which means that there is a higher chance to convert readers to customers.
OPTIMIZE YOUR SUBJECT LINE
The first thing people read about your email is the subject line. If the subject line is too long, too short, or not based on their interest, it is more likely that users are not going to click your email. Therefore, your content will be useless.
It is important to know that when making a subject line for your email, it must grab your readers’ attention.
Here are some tips to make an effective subject line.
It must be written straightforwardly with no gimmicks.
Tap into your readers’ emotions by making an emotional subject line.
It must only contain 6 to 10 words, no more, no less.
Adding numbers or questions will intrigue your readers
Make it personal.
Now it’s time for you and your team to create a subject line that will make your readers click on your email.
TEST YOUR EMAILS
Not all emails are effective. Not all audiences are the same. Therefore, testing if your brand’s email marketing strategy is effective is a must. In split testing your brand’s email content, different emails will be sent out to your audience to determine which emails are opened, engaged in, and hence, effective.
This strategy is helpful for businesses to know which is the most effective way they can generate income and increase their potential customers. Split testing will not only help determine a good email content, but it also settles what subject line works, and what time of the day sending out email is the best.
Split testing your brand’s email marketing tactics work many wonders.
OFFER SOMETHING VALUABLE
Users or customers don’t sign up to receive emails from your brand if it doesn’t add value to them. Therefore, creating a highly valuable content that is enriching to the lives of your readers must be a practice, not only once but often.
When a content brings value to the readers, this will make them trust your brand. If people trust your brand, they could become a potential customer for your business. Not only will they turn into customers but, they will keep coming back for more.
OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE USERS
Gone are the days that people stay on their desktop or computers for hours. Most of the time people engage more in activities on their mobile phones. Since this gadget is convenient and becoming more and more popular, many software, applications, and programs on the desktop have a mobile version. This is to go along with what the users demand.
Like all this software and applications, marketing experts must also pattern their content not only for PCs or desktop users. They must create content that fits a mobile user too. Nowadays, people open their emails on their smartphones more than they do on their desktop. Now, this gives you the idea that optimizing a mobile version of your email content is necessary.
RE-ENGAGE YOUR PREVIOUS SUBSCRIBERS
Getting new subscribers is great. Turning them into valued customers is a bit difficult as compared to turning your inactive subscribers to customers.
There are a lot of subscribers that become inactive after signing up for a campaign or newsletter. Often, marketers define an inactive subscriber to be someone who doesn’t engage in any emails sent to them within three to six months.
Now how can you turn an inactive user to become active and become a loyal customer? It’s easy, all you have to do is present them with engaging content, like polls and surveys. But it’s not only that, promise your inactive users with something like gifts or coupon for them to become active to your content.
When your inactive users become active, they could turn into your customers.
INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL PROOF
People like to gather information or purchase items from a credible source. If your brand has good reviews or has a lot of followers and subscribers, it is time to show them off.
Presenting your numbers to your potential customers will increase the chance that they will engage in your email content. People like products or services that are proven to have good results. This increases their confidence in your product.
CREATE A STANDOUT CALL TO ACTION
It is important to invite your readers to engage in your email’s content. The best way to invite them is to create an eye-catching CTA.
Your CTA must stand out among the rest of your content. Here are some pointers to remember when creating a CTA for your email content.
Use a color that will make your CTA stand out.
Use a lot of whitespaces to separate CTA from other content of your email.
CONCLUSION
Email marketing is one aspect of digital marketing that will prevail even in the coming years. Therefore, it is important to lay these strategies to come up with effective content. Following these will get you ahead of the game and generate more profit for your business.
2023: The Year To Market Your Business Like Never Before
How to Choose a Web Design Agency?
Converting website visitors into paying and repeat customers is the goal of e-commerce, but getting there isn’t always easy. In fact, studies estimate the average e-commerce conversion rate is just 2-3%. Sounds gloomy, I know, given all the effort that we go through to build e-commerce websites, and the promotions to get it seen! But, there are things we can do. Follow this simple checklist to optimize your e-commerce website experience, and turn more of your existing website traffic into sales. 1. Attention-grabbing photos (and video, too) Photography needs to do the job of making the shopper feel like they can (almost) touch your product. And the more photos, the better. Include multiple angles of the product standing alone, with people using it, and a shot of the packaging. A short video is great for showing how a product moves, works or how it should be installed. 2. Powerful product descriptions Your product copy should be short and hard-working. Use a mix of action words and sensory words to paint a clear picture of specific product features and benefits. This is also the place to have a little fun if that fits with your brand voice. And don’t forget to spellcheck your text. 3. A clear call to action (CTA) If you don’t ask a customer to buy from you, chances are they won’t. An effective CTA is short and clear, such as Add to Cart or Checkout, and they work best on coloured buttons. Your Checkout button is like a cash register, so don’t make shoppers look for how to give you their money. 4. Reviews and testimonials Product reviews are powerful persuasion tools. A good review can answer a nagging question in the consumer’s mind and give them the confidence to buy from your business. Testimonials, although more effort to obtain because they require outreach, are worthwhile, detailed accounts of the customer experience with your product or service. If you’re able to get media or industry experts to review your products, these are worth featuring prominently. 5. Free shipping With free shipping the norm these days, it’s easy to assume that it’s the only way to go. And while free shipping can increase conversion rates on e-commerce websites, it can seriously eat into your profit margin. Shipping carriers can increase their prices, too, further cutting your profits. Many merchants choose to increase product prices to maintain the same margin, but there is another approach. Free shipping minimums are a great compromise that incentivizes customers to increase their order value while offsetting your shipping costs. 6. Sales, deals, promo codes, and coupons Satisfy the deal hunter in everyone by offering special promotions and discounts. A designated Sale section on your website navigation clearly tells shoppers where to go for the best savings. Ramp up the sense of urgency by using time-limited coupon codes or bundling high-demand products with sellout potential. 7. A straightforward return policy Offering a reasonable return policy is an important part of your e-commerce business strategy. If your policy is too generous, it may be abused. If it’s not flexible enough, customers may choose to buy elsewhere. Post your policy and clearly outline terms for returns, refunds, and exchanges to give shoppers the confidence to place their trust in your business. Ensure returns are handled professionally, and you’ll continue to build customer loyalty for future purchases. Ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level? AtlanticOnline.ca can help promote your business online. Find out more by calling 1-902-717-8496 for a free consultation with one of our eCommerce Account Consultants .
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Shelley Bellefontaine, Digital Marketing Architect, is CEO/Founder of AtlanticOnline.ca, a full-service marketing firm operating at the intersection of marketing and digital media. We provide a host of digital marketing solutions including website design, eCommerce storefront websites, content marketing, email marketing, SEO/ SEM, social media marketing, lead generation as well as marketing strategy, branding, and a variety of other marketing programs to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits.
To learn how AtlanticOnline.ca can help your business or organziation grow online, contact us for an enlightening discussion.
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2023: The Year To Market Your Business Like Never Before
How to Choose a Web Design Agency?
Converting website visitors into paying and repeat customers is the goal of e-commerce, but getting there isn’t always easy. In fact, studies estimate the average e-commerce conversion rate is just 2-3%. Sounds gloomy, I know, given all the effort that we go through to build e-commerce websites, and the promotions to get it seen! But, there are things we can do. Follow this simple checklist to optimize your e-commerce website experience, and turn more of your existing website traffic into sales. 1. Attention-grabbing photos (and video, too) Photography needs to do the job of making the shopper feel like they can (almost) touch your product. And the more photos, the better. Include multiple angles of the product standing alone, with people using it, and a shot of the packaging. A short video is great for showing how a product moves, works or how it should be installed. 2. Powerful product descriptions Your product copy should be short and hard-working. Use a mix of action words and sensory words to paint a clear picture of specific product features and benefits. This is also the place to have a little fun if that fits with your brand voice. And don’t forget to spellcheck your text. 3. A clear call to action (CTA) If you don’t ask a customer to buy from you, chances are they won’t. An effective CTA is short and clear, such as Add to Cart or Checkout, and they work best on coloured buttons. Your Checkout button is like a cash register, so don’t make shoppers look for how to give you their money. 4. Reviews and testimonials Product reviews are powerful persuasion tools. A good review can answer a nagging question in the consumer’s mind and give them the confidence to buy from your business. Testimonials, although more effort to obtain because they require outreach, are worthwhile, detailed accounts of the customer experience with your product or service. If you’re able to get media or industry experts to review your products, these are worth featuring prominently. 5. Free shipping With free shipping the norm these days, it’s easy to assume that it’s the only way to go. And while free shipping can increase conversion rates on e-commerce websites, it can seriously eat into your profit margin. Shipping carriers can increase their prices, too, further cutting your profits. Many merchants choose to increase product prices to maintain the same margin, but there is another approach. Free shipping minimums are a great compromise that incentivizes customers to increase their order value while offsetting your shipping costs. 6. Sales, deals, promo codes, and coupons Satisfy the deal hunter in everyone by offering special promotions and discounts. A designated Sale section on your website navigation clearly tells shoppers where to go for the best savings. Ramp up the sense of urgency by using time-limited coupon codes or bundling high-demand products with sellout potential. 7. A straightforward return policy Offering a reasonable return policy is an important part of your e-commerce business strategy. If your policy is too generous, it may be abused. If it’s not flexible enough, customers may choose to buy elsewhere. Post your policy and clearly outline terms for returns, refunds, and exchanges to give shoppers the confidence to place their trust in your business. Ensure returns are handled professionally, and you’ll continue to build customer loyalty for future purchases. Ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level? AtlanticOnline.ca can help promote your business online. Find out more by calling 1-902-717-8496 for a free consultation with one of our eCommerce Account Consultants .
There are plenty of exciting ways to grow your business! More people are using email and social media than ever before, and the result is plenty of new opportunities for leaders and marketing teams across all industries. One aspect of marketing you may be neglecting is your mobile strategy. Over 3.5 billion people own mobile devices globally, which means you’re leaving a lot of money on the table if you’re not doing everything possible to reach smartphone users. If you need more context, consider this; the average person spends 3.3 hours on their smartphone every single day. You can maximize sales and conversions by looking for opportunities to put your business front and center while your target audience uses their phones. The thing is, mobile users have slightly different behaviors and interests when compared to their desktop counterparts. Our goal today is to reveal four effective mobile marketing strategies you can use to help your brand thrive following the new year. Emphasis Personalization In 2021 and 2022, we learned that consumers love personalized experiences. Business owners quickly figured out that catering to their audience’s needs is a great way to generate more sales. You can see personalization aspects across all of the major marketing platforms today, including social media, email, and on-site. Nailing personalization will help you get more mobile conversions in 2021. People are interested in engaging with companies that offer products that help with specific pain points or cater to individual goals. The best way to make this strategy work for you is to understand the customer personas that visit your site. Personas are generalized personality type profiles that define your target audience. For instance, a sporting goods store would have personas for football fans and separate profiles for people interested in basketball. Because your products or services offer multiple solutions, you need to consider these factors when offering personalized content or promotions to smartphone visitors. Using a mobile-responsive design ensures that their experience is personalized to their interests and their device. Leverage the Power of Voice Search Another trend expected to impact mobile sales specifically is voice search. Consumers use smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa to search the internet, but mobile phones play an equally important role. Android and Apple-powered smartphones have a voice assistant that smartphone users can use to ask questions, browse the website, and make purchases. We know that more people are using their devices to place orders too. A surprising 22% of people using smart speakers, including their mobile phones, used their devices to buy a product. You can improve your voice search visibility by including new keywords throughout your content. The truth is, people rarely speak the way they type. When you’re creating blog posts, use a conversational tone, and include some of these new words throughout your content. Now, when someone is searching for your chosen keywords, there’s a chance your site could pop up in their results. Due to this exposure, they could go to your website and become a subscriber or customer. Mobile users are likely to follow their voice-activated device’s suggestion, so getting this part of your mobile marketing strategy right is essential. Simplify Processes and Empower Users Next, let’s talk about your website’s design and choices you can make to empower users. The people interacting with your brand want a smooth and seamless experience across all platforms. Smoothing out your edges and using each marketing platform to your advantage will help you dramatically boost your mobile conversion rate. For instance, you may want to consider adding a customer support feature to your largest social media accounts. A whopping 63% of people expect customer support options through social media. If a smartphone user is thinking about becoming a customer, not having an additional support option could be a deal-breaker. Your objective is to make things as simple as possible for visitors discovering your company and those interested in the products or services offered on-site. So, improving your page loading times and reducing clutter on your website will ensure that mobile and desktop users alike can find exactly what they need. It’s also a good idea to simplify the big moments in the buying process. For example, fine-tuning your checkout page ensures that more customers stick around and complete their order. As a result, you’ll see fewer abandoned carts and an improved customer retention rate. This part of the process will evolve in phases. Take your time and slowly improve navigation, design, and function availability across all platforms, and you’ll see more mobile engagement. Shift to Visual Content We’ve also noticed a drastic shift in the way people consume content. Mobile users are a big fan of visual content like images and videos. Both of these types of media see more engagement when compared to simple text posts. There’s an additional engagement level that people get from experiencing others doing things instead of writing about them. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there are plenty of ways to mix up your content for mobile users. If you’re looking for a new way to generate more mobile leads for your email list, consider creating an infographic lead magnet. Lead magnets are essentially pieces of content that users can get in exchange for their email addresses. An infographic is a visual piece of content that displays interesting points and facts for people to read. Creating a lead magnet with a nice piece of visual content will encourage mobile users to subscribe, which opens the door to future engagement opportunities. Video content is also extremely helpful in helping brands grow their mobile audience. In fact, video content alone is 50x more likely to drive organic traffic than text-only posts! Think about unique videos you can make that focus on your products or industry as a whole. You can make an opinion piece, guide, tutorial, or even spend some time chatting with your followers. People love video content, and that trend will not change in 2021. Final Thoughts As you can glean from this article, trends will continue to grow. As more people get comfortable using mobile devices, expect to see a continued increase in shoppers. We think that there will be an increased demand for these strategies as brands continue adapting to their customers’ needs.
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Converting website visitors into paying and repeat customers is the goal of e-commerce, but getting there isn’t always easy. In fact, studies estimate the average e-commerce conversion rate is just 2-3%. Sounds gloomy, I know, given all the effort that we go through to build e-commerce websites, and the promotions to get it seen! But, there are things we can do. Follow this simple checklist to optimize your e-commerce website experience, and turn more of your existing website traffic into sales. 1. Attention-grabbing photos (and video, too) Photography needs to do the job of making the shopper feel like they can (almost) touch your product. And the more photos, the better. Include multiple angles of the product standing alone, with people using it, and a shot of the packaging. A short video is great for showing how a product moves, works or how it should be installed. 2. Powerful product descriptions Your product copy should be short and hard-working. Use a mix of action words and sensory words to paint a clear picture of specific product features and benefits. This is also the place to have a little fun if that fits with your brand voice. And don’t forget to spellcheck your text. 3. A clear call to action (CTA) If you don’t ask a customer to buy from you, chances are they won’t. An effective CTA is short and clear, such as Add to Cart or Checkout, and they work best on coloured buttons. Your Checkout button is like a cash register, so don’t make shoppers look for how to give you their money. 4. Reviews and testimonials Product reviews are powerful persuasion tools. A good review can answer a nagging question in the consumer’s mind and give them the confidence to buy from your business. Testimonials, although more effort to obtain because they require outreach, are worthwhile, detailed accounts of the customer experience with your product or service. If you’re able to get media or industry experts to review your products, these are worth featuring prominently. 5. Free shipping With free shipping the norm these days, it’s easy to assume that it’s the only way to go. And while free shipping can increase conversion rates on e-commerce websites, it can seriously eat into your profit margin. Shipping carriers can increase their prices, too, further cutting your profits. Many merchants choose to increase product prices to maintain the same margin, but there is another approach. Free shipping minimums are a great compromise that incentivizes customers to increase their order value while offsetting your shipping costs. 6. Sales, deals, promo codes, and coupons Satisfy the deal hunter in everyone by offering special promotions and discounts. A designated Sale section on your website navigation clearly tells shoppers where to go for the best savings. Ramp up the sense of urgency by using time-limited coupon codes or bundling high-demand products with sellout potential. 7. A straightforward return policy Offering a reasonable return policy is an important part of your e-commerce business strategy. If your policy is too generous, it may be abused. If it’s not flexible enough, customers may choose to buy elsewhere. Post your policy and clearly outline terms for returns, refunds, and exchanges to give shoppers the confidence to place their trust in your business. Ensure returns are handled professionally, and you’ll continue to build customer loyalty for future purchases. Ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level? AtlanticOnline.ca can help promote your business online. Find out more by calling 1-902-717-8496 for a free consultation with one of our eCommerce Account Consultants .
There are plenty of exciting ways to grow your business! More people are using email and social media than ever before, and the result is plenty of new opportunities for leaders and marketing teams across all industries. One aspect of marketing you may be neglecting is your mobile strategy. Over 3.5 billion people own mobile devices globally, which means you’re leaving a lot of money on the table if you’re not doing everything possible to reach smartphone users. If you need more context, consider this; the average person spends 3.3 hours on their smartphone every single day. You can maximize sales and conversions by looking for opportunities to put your business front and center while your target audience uses their phones. The thing is, mobile users have slightly different behaviors and interests when compared to their desktop counterparts. Our goal today is to reveal four effective mobile marketing strategies you can use to help your brand thrive following the new year. Emphasis Personalization In 2021 and 2022, we learned that consumers love personalized experiences. Business owners quickly figured out that catering to their audience’s needs is a great way to generate more sales. You can see personalization aspects across all of the major marketing platforms today, including social media, email, and on-site. Nailing personalization will help you get more mobile conversions in 2021. People are interested in engaging with companies that offer products that help with specific pain points or cater to individual goals. The best way to make this strategy work for you is to understand the customer personas that visit your site. Personas are generalized personality type profiles that define your target audience. For instance, a sporting goods store would have personas for football fans and separate profiles for people interested in basketball. Because your products or services offer multiple solutions, you need to consider these factors when offering personalized content or promotions to smartphone visitors. Using a mobile-responsive design ensures that their experience is personalized to their interests and their device. Leverage the Power of Voice Search Another trend expected to impact mobile sales specifically is voice search. Consumers use smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa to search the internet, but mobile phones play an equally important role. Android and Apple-powered smartphones have a voice assistant that smartphone users can use to ask questions, browse the website, and make purchases. We know that more people are using their devices to place orders too. A surprising 22% of people using smart speakers, including their mobile phones, used their devices to buy a product. You can improve your voice search visibility by including new keywords throughout your content. The truth is, people rarely speak the way they type. When you’re creating blog posts, use a conversational tone, and include some of these new words throughout your content. Now, when someone is searching for your chosen keywords, there’s a chance your site could pop up in their results. Due to this exposure, they could go to your website and become a subscriber or customer. Mobile users are likely to follow their voice-activated device’s suggestion, so getting this part of your mobile marketing strategy right is essential. Simplify Processes and Empower Users Next, let’s talk about your website’s design and choices you can make to empower users. The people interacting with your brand want a smooth and seamless experience across all platforms. Smoothing out your edges and using each marketing platform to your advantage will help you dramatically boost your mobile conversion rate. For instance, you may want to consider adding a customer support feature to your largest social media accounts. A whopping 63% of people expect customer support options through social media. If a smartphone user is thinking about becoming a customer, not having an additional support option could be a deal-breaker. Your objective is to make things as simple as possible for visitors discovering your company and those interested in the products or services offered on-site. So, improving your page loading times and reducing clutter on your website will ensure that mobile and desktop users alike can find exactly what they need. It’s also a good idea to simplify the big moments in the buying process. For example, fine-tuning your checkout page ensures that more customers stick around and complete their order. As a result, you’ll see fewer abandoned carts and an improved customer retention rate. This part of the process will evolve in phases. Take your time and slowly improve navigation, design, and function availability across all platforms, and you’ll see more mobile engagement. Shift to Visual Content We’ve also noticed a drastic shift in the way people consume content. Mobile users are a big fan of visual content like images and videos. Both of these types of media see more engagement when compared to simple text posts. There’s an additional engagement level that people get from experiencing others doing things instead of writing about them. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there are plenty of ways to mix up your content for mobile users. If you’re looking for a new way to generate more mobile leads for your email list, consider creating an infographic lead magnet. Lead magnets are essentially pieces of content that users can get in exchange for their email addresses. An infographic is a visual piece of content that displays interesting points and facts for people to read. Creating a lead magnet with a nice piece of visual content will encourage mobile users to subscribe, which opens the door to future engagement opportunities. Video content is also extremely helpful in helping brands grow their mobile audience. In fact, video content alone is 50x more likely to drive organic traffic than text-only posts! Think about unique videos you can make that focus on your products or industry as a whole. You can make an opinion piece, guide, tutorial, or even spend some time chatting with your followers. People love video content, and that trend will not change in 2021. Final Thoughts As you can glean from this article, trends will continue to grow. As more people get comfortable using mobile devices, expect to see a continued increase in shoppers. We think that there will be an increased demand for these strategies as brands continue adapting to their customers’ needs.
Helping you navigate the sea of digital since 1999 | © 2024 Atlantic Online Fairlead Marketing Inc. | All Rights Reserved | Privacy