What's the recipe for a brand-to-customer relationship that lasts a lifetime?
A big helping of engaging content, a pinch of personalization and, sometimes, a sprinkle of luck. With the luck of the Irish upon us this week, marketers can draw a unique comparison between email contacts and leprechauns: We know they're there, but we never see them unless they instigate direct engagement.
Marketers must "catch" contacts at the right time and in the right place to spark engagement with their brand. Though the steps to building a relationship are tried and true, every marketer should have a "lucky charm" tactic in their back pocket to engage with their toughest contact.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I've outlined three email marketing tactics to excite existing customers and spark new engagement:
1. Switch Up Your Platform
With constant spam and overflowing inboxes, email is becoming an annoyance rather than a convenience for many users. If you aren't receiving active engagement from certain contacts, it may be because they aren't even checking their email. However, very few can go a whole day without signing into at least one social media channel. To increase the chances of catching your contacts' eyes and leading them to your brand's pot of gold, consider launching campaigns throughout different times of day when people are likely to be on social media channels (i.e., during lunch or the evening commute). Make sure to use A/B split testing to optimize your headlines and further drive brand awareness.
2. Recycle Old Campaigns
If a change in communication platform doesn't provide enough luck to get customers engaged, maybe a change in content is just the charm you need. The idea that content cannot be reused is false. Even if a campaign was unsuccessful the first time around, it can still be reworked and freshened for a new audience. Adding animations (emojis, GIFs, video, etc.) to your content is another way to surprise your contacts and stand out from a sea of marketing emails.
3. Offer an Incentive
Everyone loves free giveaways. A generous loyalty program that offers a shiny pot of gold (or more realistically, a discount, promotion or free product) makes even the lowest-tier contacts to want to forge a relationship with your brand. Offering your contacts various levels of incentives has the power to separate your brand from competitors and drive overall revenue through the roof. The key to a successful loyalty program is insight gained from data analysis. This will allow you to offer personalized and relevant rewards, ultimately reaping significant benefits for your brand.
It's never too late to build a strong relationship with a contact, no matter how long they've been unresponsive. Leveraging these St. Patrick-approved email marketing practices could help you get lucky with your contacts at every tier.
EJ McGowan, general manager of Campaigner, has more than 25 years' experience in the software industry with expertise in building highly available, scalable SaaS-based solutions.
