by Rotem Gal, Contributor to Inc.
Consumer behavior is evolving-make sure you’re learning along with it
During the long fight against Covid-19 the nature of email marketing has evolved. Email volume was up during the pandemic because lots of people simply made purchases and business exchanges online when they had to stay at home. Email marketing then became the spotlight in business again.
Though the pandemic continues to rage, there are signs of hope. With the vaccination gradually available to a broader public and some countries going back to normal while people resume their regular work and lives, how can businesses leverage their email marketing effort for the biggest benefits?
Here, you will find out the 4 most important elements to include in your emails for the best marketing benefits:
1. Segmentation for Customized Experience
Besides segmenting users at the beginning when they first purchased your product or subscribed to your newsletter, try to further segment them. This can help you understand the specific needs of a user so you can provide them with an even more suitable experience and solution going forward.
For instance, you can collect more customers’ data including their interests and preferences when purchasing something. Utilize all these pieces of data to have a better glimpse into their concerns and hidden wants, so that you can tailor the content and promotion for your customers better.
2. Experiment with Your Email Sending Time
An analysis on consumer behavior over different periods of time – at the beginning of the Covid outbreak and now–was run by Haim Pekel, Co-Founder and CEO of Ongage. He reports that, at the beginning of Covid, there was a clear time to send emails to generate a high amount of clicks. But now, it’s hard to recommend a single best time to send, as CTR is more evenly distributed throughout the day. This could be because when people are going back to their normal lives now, their schedules’ vary more with more social lives.
Pekel suggested businesses change their email sending habits: “If they relied on a single best-time-to-send pre-Covid or during Covid, they may have suffered in CTR because of this, and they need to adapt. This means, to experiment more with their sending time, testing options they have and haven’t tested.”
3. Real and Authentic Personalization
People were forced to stay at home and separate from each other physically during the pandemic. This is why personal connection has never been this much wanted from consumers.
Instead of robotic content that focuses on promoting products, a personal touch in emails will make customers feel connected and understood. Real and authentic personalization through email marketing will help you form a stronger bonding with your customers. Thus, customers are more likely to trust your recommendation and purchase your products.
4. Show Humanity and Empathy
Nowadays, people are getting more and more aware of public affairs. According to 5W’s 2020 Consumer Culture Report, 83% of consumers are influenced when a brand aligns with a cause they’re passionate about – it could be social, environment or politics. Consumers would simply support brands that stand up for a cause.
Human beings crave to be understood. If you show people that you care about what’s happening in the world, instead of only focusing on how to make your products or services better, people would feel your humanity. If you stand up for a cause that people care about, your customers feel more connected with your brand, and will support your brand further.
Bottom Line
Don’t waste the effort that you put into email marketing during the pandemic! You can leverage what you’ve got and gain more trust (and even sales) from your customers if you can transform your email marketing swiftly.
Article originally appeared on Inc.
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