Email Newsletter Marketing: Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Creating and sending email marketing newsletters has become the single most affordable and efficient method of advertising in the last few years. However, the most common conundrum for most marketing managers and business owners is how to predict what will motivate subscribers to become regular customers with this sales approach. Is it flashy images, or simple straightforward offers with a clear call to action? Or do people respond to a more subtle and informational approach?
Business owners are no different than the millions of other people with a computer and Internet access who receive a variety of email marketing newsletters weekly. If you are one of those business owners then you have received both the good and bad, and every example of quality, content and functionality in between.
From B2B offers to personal requests for sales and information that lands in your inbox, the variety of plain text and flashy html email marketing templates is almost limitless. These not only offer you a wide range of products and services you may or may not want, they also can be a great resource for your email marketing solutions. Not so much that you want to copy their format or content, but to determine what motivates you to click for more info, purchase, or makes you want to unsubscribe.
After you make your list of likes and dislikes, go through those lists and then put yourself in your subscriber’s shoes. Who are the majority of people who make up your subscriber base? Are they primarily homemakers, part of your business industry, or do you cater to a wider demographic? Then ask yourself if you were part of any one of these groups, what would each member of this group be most interested in and what presentation approach would possibly motivate a purchase?
Now make shorter preference lists organized by user categories. Once this is done you now have outlines for your future email marketing best practices based on your demographics and target groups.
If you are responsible for the creation and distribution of your company’s email marketing newsletters, setting aside some time to take a comprehensive look at the variety of email marketing promotions coming into your inbox will be time well-spent.