The average opt-in email gets a 15-20% open rate. Again these are email programs where the subscribers have agreed to accept your newsletter or regular communication
with specials or offers. So how do you know that your emails are performing as well as can be expected? One way is to compare your results to the open average (percentage of people on your sent list who opened the email) and then compare your results to that of your industry. In fact, a competent email marketing service provider will have an option to compare your industry with your average email results to provide you with a valuable evaluation tool. Are you averaging more than 20%? If so, are you happy with that result? Have you compared it to your market’s results? And have you mixed up your messages in order to beat that average?
In reality, you can greatly improve your email marketing results by segmenting your list into the areas of their interest and then over time addressing those interests in a methodical fashion. Like any advertising form, if you make a general claim to the entire population, you may connect with some of that group but if you make a specific claim to a specific segment of that population you will reach a higher open rate since you are speaking to the needs of that smaller group and that is when recipients take the most action.
So start with your list. First separate current clients and past clients out from the rest. Then with your potential customers, separating those interested in one facet or product/service your company provides versus another or separate them geographically. It all depends on your business and answering the question what segments are there in my target market.
Once you have separated your list, create an email that addresses the specific interests of each list identifying the common goal of the recipients of your list and what subjects they are most likely to benefit from learning about. Remember a subscriber is someone who values your message and wants to learn about what you are an expert on.
In example create a frequent buyer card email for past customers that provide a benefit to them when they purchase more of your product or service. Make sure you take the time in the beginning of the email to thank them for their business before you ask them for more business.
Then create a second email for your potential customers. In this one, offer them a short term reduced fee to try one of your services (like a trial offer). Within your email make sure that you offer the readers an opportunity to interact with your content, by providing an article about your industry and what is the latest information. Include a link to the services you provide or a link to your website that goes directly to the products or services that the recipient is most likely to be interested in learning about.
Finally, after you send out the two different emails targeted to a specific group, measure your results. It is likely that your results will be increased to 25-50% open rates. That is because you are specifically addressing the recipient’s interest. If you see an improvement, challenge yourself to further segment the market and further define your list for future mailings. Also keep in mind that over time you want to keep track of the offers and email content you have sent to each group so you are not repeating yourself but planning each content to teach the market about your entire services over time.
Liz Harsch is an Award Winning All Star Email Marketer who is also an Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact. For more information on improving your email results, contact Liz at Tailor-Made Advertising in Torrance, CA at 310-791-6300. You can also email Liz with your questions or a request for a proposal or to have her speak at your next association event. Attend her next FREE Email Marketing and Social Media Workshops by checking her upcoming training schedule.
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