In today’s world there are 3.9 billion daily email users. Yes, that many! With such a large audience using email, it is no wonder that marketers are finding success through their B2C marketing efforts. In fact, 59% of respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions. Because of this, we decided to list 7 easy B2C email marketing best practices that you can implement to your email marketing strategy.
1) Using Personalisation
It has been seen that B2C emails which are personalised will receive much higher open rates than those which are robotic and clearly sent to masses of people. In fact, 74% of marketers say targeted personalisation increases customer engagement.
You can personalise emails by adding their name, providing exclusive offers, watching their behavioural traits, knowing their gender, or even wishing them happy birthday!
Something which is so simple can significantly change your open rate, click rate and time spent on email a necessity for your business.
2) Using Chatbots
Did you know approximately 60% of people provide fake personal details? This is not good for your marketing efforts as you will not know exactly who you are sending emails to, how you can directly appeal to them or even provide effective personalisation factors.
One of the best ways to avoid this is by using a chatbot application on your site. On here you can converse with them to set up their email preferences based on real and accurate data. Did you also know, Facebook now has its own inbox chatbot which you can implement onto your site? Making it even easier for you to have a chat option for your customers.
3) Staying on the right side of the Law
Since the adjustment to the law surrounding GDPR, the way that companies can take, and store personal information has been revolutionised. To legally possess someone’s personal data, you now need full permission from that individual.
In summary, the new law introduced in 2018 impacts consent and how you seek, obtain and store it. This affects every business which uses EU citizen personal information, regardless of whether the company is based in Europe or not.
When creating forms, make sure it is GDPR compliant to ensure your organisation does not come to blows with the law. Also, ensure your email marketing lists are GDPR compliant. If you follow the rules outlined by the personal data law, your strategy will receive better engagement! The lists will be more refined, therefore those who consent to emails will be more likely to read the content sent to them.
4) Using Video
It is a known fact that image-based content performs a lot higher than text-based content, but video content is even better! According to HubSpot, 43% of consumers want to see more video-based content sent to their inboxes every month.
Here are some tips if you decide to plunge into the world of video:
- Keep it short.
- Test before sending.
- Deliver valuable content.
- Make sure it is good quality- a poor video will do more damage than good.
The videos do not need to be multi-million-pound productions with celebrities endorsing a product/service which they have never actually used before. The power is in the quality, angles, editing and storyline- they do not need to be expensive to be of high quality.
5) Take advantage of Transactional Emails
A transactional email is sent to your customer after they have agreed to facilitate an agreed transaction. They may be sent after an account has been created, as a purchase receipt or as an account notification. Did you know transactional emails get twice as many opens than a marketing email? Especially if you are an e-commerce site.
As transactional emails have such a high open rate, use them to your advantage by including:
- Related items
- Newsletter opt-in button
- Social Media icons
- Exclusive offers
If you make sure to include these in your automatic emails after a purchase or emails related to an account, you are subtly promoting other ways in which they can connect, stay informed and promote further purchasing from them- all forms of marketing!
6) Utilise Gamification
People are like young children if there is a chance to play a game, they jump at it. Because of this, why not include a form of gamification in your emails to increase engagement, please customers and subtly market your product/service.
Some awesome examples include quizzes, social media sharing in exchange for money off, or even a fun mini-game for them to enjoy.
7) Align The Sales & Marketing Teams
It is a common problem among companies that their sales and marketing teams do not work closely together. If this sounds like your business – this needs to change.
Utilising both teams can significantly improve your email marketing efforts as the salespeople are directly conversing, interacting, and watching the customers, therefore, will know them better than anyone. They could highlight areas to exploit, subjects to avoid or even provide insight into the audience.
For further insights and guidance, we invite you to explore our blog at 07hm.co.uk/blog. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information tailored to the needs and challenges of SMEs navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, if you have specific questions or need personalised advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email at info@07hm.co.uk or telephone on 01702 410663.
