Email marketing is a marketing powerhouse. With a return on investment of almost 40% per dollar spent, email marketing has become an indispensable tool, particularly in small business marketing, in order to boost returns and connect with customers on a personal level.
But not all emails are created equal. You need the right strategies and techniques, your email campaigns can offer incredible results. Nail your email game and you’ve got yourself a golden ticket to boost revenue. Here, we’ll explore 15 lesser known, but seriously effective, and actionable tips to help boost your rerun on investment (ROI) for email marketing.
15 tips to maximise ROI for email marketing
1. Personalisation matters
When it comes to email campaigns, personalisation is key. With small business marketing, connecting on a personal level is paramount.
By using your subscriber’s first name throughout your email, you’re able to connect with them on a deeper level. According to studies, our names are intrinsically tied to our self-perception and make up a massive part of our identity.
You can even segment your audience so you can tailor specific email content (eg. location or product recommendations) based on preferences and behaviours. This way, your emails are targeted, increasing likelihood of conversion.
2. The one call-to-action rule
Life is chaotic, and so are your subscribers’ inboxes. Make life easy for them – stick to one clear call-to-action per email.
People are busy and are faced with an overwhelming amount of decisions each day. On average adults have to make 35,000 decisions per day.
Don’t confuse them with too many options! Whether it’s “Buy Now” or “Learn More,” keep it simple.
3. Create a content bank
Write your emails in a separate document to create a content bank. This allows you to refer back to content later and easily tweak and repurpose as needed.
Plus, writing in a separate document can highlight grammar mistakes more easily and save you from losing all your copy if there’s a glitch in the email service provider.
4. Utilise opt-in offers
Create irresistible opt-in offers to entice your audience to sign up for your email list. Give them a compelling reason to join your mailing list, such as a free ebook, exclusive discount or insider tips. More about lead generation and lead magnet ideas here.
Make joining your email list an offer they can’t refuse!
5. Use templates
When it comes to formatting your emails, consider creating a template or a few different options in your email service provider. By setting the styles at the top level and duplicating those templates, you can save time and don’t have to start from scratch for each email.
Plus, you can rest assured all your emails are on brand.
6. Regular list cleaning
Time for some Marie Kondo action on your email list! Keep your email list clean by regularly updating and removing inactive or incorrect addresses to maximise deliverability.
This optimises deliverability and engagement – it makes sure that the people in your email lists are the one who really want to hear from you.
Alternatively, if you feel that a segment of your audience just needs a little push to warm up to your emails, you can also try launching re-engagement email campaigns.
7. Have a Call-to-Action list
Create a list of single call-to-actions for your email campaigns to direct your readers with a single, compelling action for increased clicks and sales. A study by Campaign Monitor states that emails with a single CTA increased clicks by 371% and sales by 1617%.
Having a list ready can save you time – and that blank brain moment when you’re trying to write something exciting. Make sure you switch up the call to action but use the same link.
8. Test your subject lines
Don’t forget to test your subject lines to see which generates higher open rates. Use A/B testing to send two versions to a small segment of your list to find what resonates best with your audience. Higher open rates lead to more engaged subscribers and can generate leads.
Beyond that, you can also experiment with different elements to improve performance and conversion rates. A/B testing increases conversion rate to up to 49%. Following a data-driven approach will give you more metrics to analyse to help improve your strategy.
9. Optimise your preheader text
Don’t neglect the preheader. It’s the snippet that appears below the subject line. Strategically optimise preheader text to provide a sneak peek of your email content and make them even more eager to open.
A well-crafted preheader can increase open rates and generate leads. And no one is reading your amazing emails if they’re not enticed to even open them!
10. Optimise for mobile
We’re a society on the go. With more and more people checking their emails on mobile. Make sure that your emails look great on all devices, especially smartphones, to make it easy for them to engage with your content and generate leads. Mobile clients account for 41.6% of emails open.
Remember, accessibility enhances the user experience and engagement.
11. Analytics Insight
Use analytics to track and analyse your results to measure the success of your email campaigns. Monitor open rates, click-through rates, conversions and other relevant metrics to fine-tune your strategies. More about email marketing metrics here.
Monitoring email deliverability health gives you important feedback so you can take action to rectify any issues, such as addressing spam complaints or improving sender reputation, in order to generate leads.
12. Dark mode optimisation
Dark mode is in as people try to combat the bright light from screens. You need to adapt to the growing popularity of dark mode.
Ensure your emails display properly in this setting by checking your email templates and making any necessary adjustments to offer a seamless experience for dark mode users.
13. Inject humour and personality
Lighten the mood! A well-timed joke or a sprinkle of wit can turn your brand into the cool friend in their inbox. Inject personality into your email campaigns to create a memorable and positive experience for your subscribers.
Make them smile, and you’re halfway to conversion.
14. Add interactive elements
Consider adding interactive elements like quizzes, polls or surveys to your emails to engage your subscribers and collect valuable insights while providing fun.
Make your email an experience!
15. The authenticity of plain text
While fancy HTML emails have their place, plain-text emails can create a more personal and authentic connection with your subscribers. They can feel like genuine one-on-one conversations, which can boost engagement.
There is a time and place for plain text emails, you can mix and match depending on the content and messaging.
Bonus tip to generate leads
Make your mailing list feel like an exclusive club. Leverage the power of exclusivity. Create exclusive content for your email subscribers that can’t be found elsewhere. This rewards subscribers for their loyalty, sets you apart from your competition, and helps you generate leads.
Boost your ROI for email marketing
Email marketing is one of the best investments in marketing that you can ever make – especially as a small business marketing tool. With an ROI of almost 40% per dollar spent – it’s a no brainer!
But you need to do it right. With these tips, you’re well on your way to a great email strategy that will truly maximise your ROI for email marketing and generate leads.
By implementing these suggestions, you can create compelling and engaging email campaigns that yield impressive returns. Remember, email marketing is a journey, and continuous monitoring and optimisation are crucial to achieve optimal results.
If you want to get started on your email marketing before the year ends, I recommend Mailerlite*, which provides a seamless and user-friendly experience that simplifies your email marketing endeavours.
And if you’re looking for more support with your marketing strategy, I run a program that teaches you the foundation of marketing SO you can maximise your email marketing and be more strategic. The Effective Marketing Program will run again in January 2024.
(*The Mailerlite link is an affiliate link with no additional charge to you.)
