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Tag: Email Marketing

The Power of Email Automation: Streamlining Workflows and Enhancing Efficiency

It seems as though automation is at the forefront of almost all business growth nowadays — and for good reason. By automating specific tasks, a company can free up essential workers to take on larger roles. Businesses can save money, streamline processes and fight back against employee burnout. Maybe you’re already utilizing automation in different areas of your business, but you could be missing out on one of the simplest — yet most effective uses — email automation. 

READ: Email Drip Campaigns — 3 Examples and Best Practices To Boost Customer Engagement

By unleashing the power of email automation for your business, you’ll streamline workflows, reduce human error, free up employees and enhance both productivity and efficiency within the workplace. 

The best part? Thanks to the popularity of automation services today, harnessing the capabilities of automated email systems is easier than ever. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages. 

Why automation is essential for growth

In today’s tech-forward society, automation isn’t just an effective strategy — it’s a necessary one. Some of the greatest benefits of automating specific tasks include: 

  • Continued growth
  • Enhanced productivity
  • Limited costs
  • Improved communication
  • Fewer errors

Often, you can also expect a profit increase by automating the right tasks. Things like CRM systems for targeted marketing are great examples of automation at work. Imagine being able to solve 65% of customer inquiries without human interaction. CRMs with chatbots can do that. Supply chain management, risk management systems and cloud computing are all fantastic examples of automation at their finest. 

READ: Maximizing Efficiency, Minimizing Errors — Harnessing AI and Automation in Your Marketing Strategies

Cloud computing, for example, can allow your business to automatically process data, financial information and more, from anywhere in the world. It updates in real-time and can automatically adjust your business practices based on that information analysis without a single employee having to lift a finger. Not only can that help to boost your bottom line, but it dramatically reduces human error and takes a lot of the risk out of making changes to your business. 

Small businesses can also benefit from the Internet of Things (IoT).  If you work in an office setting, for example, some obvious IoT implementations to use alongside automation might include smart sensors that manage lighting, temperature and security. Using IoT technology alongside automation allows businesses to streamline mundane and repetitive tasks, which can lead to a better employee experience while making business operations more efficient. 

What is email automation? 

Email automation is nothing more than the ability to send emails automatically. While that sounds simple enough, there is really no limit to where you can go with it and how much it can benefit your business. 

Think about the last time you signed up for an account with a big business or subscribed to a monthly service. Chances are, immediately after submitting your information, you received an email from that company thanking you for joining. Maybe they offered you a special discount or explained the wonderful features you would now be able to enjoy. That was an automated email, personalized for you to make you feel welcome and appreciated.

Email automation isn’t about sending out monthly newsletters to large audiences. Rather, it’s about personalization and segmentation. There are certain triggers and parameters that can be set up within your email system to automatically send out specific types of messages to certain groups of people. Examples include signing up for a newsletter, buying a product or registering for a loyalty program. 

Automated emails can also be based on milestones, like a customer’s second or third purchase, a year within a loyalty program, or a birthday. By sending out these targeted messages automatically, you’re humanizing your brand, fostering a better relationship with your customers and clients and reducing the stress on your employees who would otherwise have to manually search through extensive data and send out countless emails each day. 

READ: Using Video in Email Marketing Campaigns — Best Practices and Benefits

Setting up an automated email strategy

Today’s consumers are inundated with advertisements. So to stand out in a crowd, you need to utilize technology to make your business feel more personal, and sending out automated emails is a great place to start. 

If you want to implement an automated email strategy, your messages need to be relevant, timely and as far away from generic as possible. By making your email content more personal and segmenting your audience, you’re more likely to boost conversions and draw more people to your website. 

It’s also important to make sure your strategy doesn’t overload your audience. If you’re going to set up an automated email system, each message should have a clear objective. Consumers are savvy, and they don’t want to waste time reading irrelevant content. As long as you have a clear message that catches the reader’s eye, your emails are less likely to end up in the proverbial trash bin. 

Chances are, you already have an email hosting provider for your business. Most business communication is still done via email — internally and externally. If you haven’t already looked into the services your provider offers when it comes to automation, now is the time. Not only will you streamline workflows and improve customer connection, but you’ll take a lot of stress off of your employees with a few simple clicks. 

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

How To Develop a B2B Social Media Marketing Strategy

There’s no denying how well social media facilitates conversations and connections between businesses and consumers. It does it so well that business-to-business (B2B) operations often question if they should have their own social media marketing strategy. 

The short answer is, they should. B2B customers partake in social media just like B2C companies. You just have to find where they are and understand how to best approach and connect with them. 

These eight steps will help you develop an effective social media marketing strategy for your B2B business. 

READ: Is B2B Email Marketing Dead? 

Set clear social media marketing goals

First and foremost, you need to establish what you want to get out of social media marketing. In other words, what do you want to achieve through social media? Your goals could revolve around: 

  • Lead generation 
  • Educating your audience 
  • Building brand identity and awareness
  • Becoming a thought leader in your industry 
  • Increasing engagement with ideal customers 

Once you set clear goals, attach key performance indicators (KPIs) to them. KPIs ensure that you’re progressing toward your goals. Some examples of KPIs include:

  • Mentions and Reach for brand awareness
  • Comment rate and Clicks Per Post for engagement 
  • Marketing Qualified Leads and Cost Per Lead for lead generation
  • Interactions and shares for thought leadership 

You also want to ensure your social media marketing strategy and goals align with your company objectives. 

READ: Don’t Get Left Behind — Top 8 Social Media Trends for 2023 

Align company objectives with your strategy

Your social media marketing strategy should always support specific business goals. You wouldn’t be using social media effectively if you did anything else. 

What are your company objectives? To increase sales for a new product? To gain new business partnerships? Establish better brand awareness? Improve customer service? 

Once you determine business objectives, choosing what actions to take on social media to achieve them is more straightforward. 

Understand your customers 

You must know who your customers are and how they engage on social media to create the best approach.  

B2B customers differ from B2C customers in that you’re likely dealing with a group of people rather than a single consumer. Determine who the decision makers are and find out as much as possible about each one. 

Dig into as many details as possible, like demographic information, personality traits, lifestyle habits and behaviors. In addition, learn about what they do on social media. Document their favorite platforms, the content they consume, the brands they follow and so forth. Gathering this data will give you valuable insights and will ultimately improve the customer journey experience when you know exactly who your target audience is.

READ: Determining Your Business’s Target Market – Why It’s Necessary and How To Do It

Choose the right platforms 

Much of how well you do on social media relies on your chosen platforms. You should choose platforms based on your unique customer base, capacity to create captivating content and your team’s skillset. 

However, LinkedIn should absolutely be on your list. This platform’s been deemed the most suitable for a professional audience, and that’s precisely what your B2B customer base is. Understand who in your audience uses LinkedIn, the content that performs best and other best practices. 

You should also know when to post on the platform. Recent research suggests Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during working hours are best. So, make sure you can post during these times consistently. 

Run from boring B2B content 

B2B content has a bad rep for being boring. Much of it is ridden with technical jargon, reliant on the written word, too long and void of creativity. Yours can’t be this way if you want your social media marketing strategy to be successful.  

Your social media content must be entertaining as much as it is educational. Many of your content ideas should be original and rooted in the uniqueness of your brand and offerings. Look at content from successful marketers to get inspiration. 

Then, choose the kind of content you want to create. For example, user-generated content is excellent for building authenticity. People love video content more than any other type right now. Interactive content, like polls, surveys and games, is another good choice. 

Choose content that fits your social media platforms and your audience. But make sure it’s got flair and keeps people coming back for more. 

READ: Using Video in Email Marketing Campaigns: Best Practices and Benefits

Rely on modern tech tools 

In today’s digitally-focused world, you won’t be able to do everything manually regarding your social media presence and get the kind of results you’re looking for. You need modern tech tools to help you keep up with the pace of social media.

For example, B2B businesses are leveraging influencer marketing as part of their social media marketing strategies more and more. Influencers can help you build trust faster with your audience and personalize their brand experience. 

5G internet can take influencer marketing to the next level. Immersive AR and VR experiences are possible with 5G. You can better create and maintain computer-generated imagery (CGI) influencers. 5G also supports you in getting out high-quality video and other content quickly. 

Modern tech tools that should also be on your radar include:

  • Social media listening tools 
  • A content management system (CMS) to automate content creation and publication 
  • Data analytics tools to measure your strategy’s progress 
  • An auto-responder for comments and direct messages 
  • A customer relationship management (CRM) system to track customer relationships 

These modern tech tools are great but don’t limit yourself to them. Find the ones that support your social media marketing goals the best. 

You’re missing out on a grand marketing opportunity without using social media. Develop the most promising strategy for your business with the tips above and become a social media sensation on your chosen platforms. 

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

8 Steps for Creating an Omnichannel E-commerce Strategy

With the digitalization of commerce, customers are adopting new shopping patterns. According to Salesforce, 78% of customers use several channels to start and complete a transaction. Additionally, on average, customers communicate with companies through nine different channels. That’s why it’s essential to optimize your e-commerce strategy for omnicannel purposes.

However, providing omnichannel experiences requires substantial effort, resources and competence from the retailer. Therefore, future-thinking merchants should focus on a comprehensive e-commerce strategy if they want to advance their omnichannel initiatives.

READ: From Clicks to Conversions — How to Craft an Effective Online Advertising Strategy

What is omnichannel e-commerce?

Omnichannel e-commerce is the integration of a brand’s separate sales channels to provide uniform, seamless shopping experiences. With omnichannel capabilities, customers can start their buying journey in one channel, switch to another and pick up shopping right where they left off.

Why is omnichannel e-commerce important?

Wider reach

Omnichannel e-commerce enables companies to provide meaningful customer experiences across numerous popular channels, thus reaching more people and making brand interaction hassle-free.

Sales growth

Delivering relevant shopping experiences consistently across channels can strengthen customer relationships, which positively influences sales. According to a Sprout pulse survey, 77% of customers are more likely to buy more from brands they feel connected to.

A better understanding of customers

E-commerce businesses can collect and merge comprehensive customer data from multiple integrated sales channels to gain insights into customer behavior, deliver personalized experiences across touchpoints and plan data-driven marketing campaigns.

READ: Determining Your Business’s Target Market – Why It’s Necessary and How To Do It

8 steps to an effective omnichannel strategy

1. Make your e-commerce strategy mobile-friendly

Companies striving to make cross-channel shopping seamless need to first check that store visitors using their desktop, smartphone or tablet can access it with equal convenience. If not, then merchants should redesign their websites to provide consistent experiences for different devices. 

2. Tailor your message to the channel

Once a business chooses the channels to be present on, it should define the purpose of each channel and create content relevant to this purpose. Even though all channels should deliver a consistent brand message, they don’t have to duplicate it. Instead, store owners can adapt content to the specifics of the channel and use different timelines, tactics and formats.

READ: Email Drip Campaigns — 3 Examples and Best Practices To Boost Customer Engagement

3. Map the customer journey

For each channel, businesses should understand how customers behave during the purchasing process. This will help merchants visualize the customer journey and ensure a convenient transition between every step as well as different channels, providing seamless experiences and increasing the chance of a purchase.

4. Power up omnichannel with data

Omnichannel commerce requires integrating back-end systems and sales tools to enable data sharing across various touchpoints and cross-team collaboration. This way merchants can track inventory across all sales channels in real-time to maintain supply chain stability and deliver orders on time. With their tech stack integrated, brands can synchronize critical commerce-related data and provide more up-to-date and relevant information to their customers.

5. Set up cross-channel customer service

In the omnichannel approach, companies should consolidate individual support requests from different channels into a single source of truth to give context to support reps and enable them to quickly resolve customer issues.

According to Gladly’s 2021 report, 63% of customers love brands specifically for excellent customer service. This means that establishing omnichannel customer service will also help companies increase customer satisfaction, improve retention rates and maximize customer lifetime value.

6. Keep testing

Companies should regularly review their customer-related activities to determine if current methods are working. The testing scope can include various marketing and technology components, from reviewing the correctness of customer segmentation to website performance testing, making sure it properly handles the traffic.

7. Remarket across channels

With omnichannel marketing campaigns, store owners can remind their customers of unfinished purchases by showing relevant ads on marketplaces or social media, sending targeted emails, or pushing personalized notifications in the app. Such omnichannel re-engagement helps accelerate conversions, reinforce brand recognition and encourage brand loyalty.

READ: How Brands Can Grow Customer Loyalty and Build a Positive Reputation in 2023

8. Invest in human talent

Even if a business adopts best-in-class omnichannel technology, improper or poor use by the employees will undermine the investment in the long run. That’s why employee training should accompany the introduction of the omnichannel e-commerce strategy.

Additionally, companies can identify areas where they lack in-house resources or expertise and hire external specialists to support every tech component and strategic initiative within their omnichannel agenda.

The bottom line

Omnichannel e-commerce strategy enables merchants to erase the boundaries between multiple shopping channels by centralizing data acquisition and providing consistent, personalized experiences. With the right omnichannel strategy, e-commerce businesses can turn their brand experience into a competitive differentiator, fostering customer loyalty and driving more sales.

 

Alena KuptsovaAlena Kuptsova is a Technology Research Analyst at Itransition, a software development company based in Denver, CO. She analyzes current digital transformation trends and explores the opportunities the emerging technologies bring to businesses across industries.

Email Drip Campaigns — 3 Examples and Best Practices To Boost Customer Engagement

If you’re not currently using email drip campaigns for your business, you’re missing out on effective ways to engage your audience and convert them to customers. But the good news is that it’s never too late to start.

We’ll cover some email drip campaign best practices and examples to help you connect with your audience in the right way and at the right time.

READ: Is B2B Email Marketing Dead? 

Email drip campaigns — best practices

Here are some email drip campaign best practices you can apply to your own email marketing campaigns.

Segment your subscriber list and send personalized messages

According to Statista, over 60% of online shoppers can’t be loyal to businesses that deliver non-personalized content. With that in mind, group your recipients into different segments to help you send personalized and targeted email drip campaigns.

To achieve that, you must thoroughly understand your target audience by knowing their pain points, shopping preferences, and demographics.

For example, if it’s a cart abandonment email you’re sending, think of what problems the customer would have encountered. Maybe your shipping costs were too high, or you hadn’t clearly stated your return policy. Then, craft a personalized email addressing these issues to boost your chances of converting the prospect.

You can use an email marketing platform to engage better and understand your audience, helping you segment them into appropriate groups.

READ: Using Video in Email Marketing Campaigns: Best Practices and Benefits

Add a call-to-action in the drip marketing campaigns

Your recipients should know what they should do at the end of every email — whether signing up for a free trial or scheduling a call. So always include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your email drip campaigns.

Tailor your CTA buttons according to your audience’s buyer journey stage. For example, if a segment of your audience has recently signed up for your newsletters, you can ask them to follow your brand on social media. You can share a case study or a white paper if they’re at the consideration stage.

Use social proof to increase your audience’s trust and credibility

Social proof is where people are influenced to buy your products or services because they trust and follow the actions of other buyers. Giving evidence in your email drip campaigns that other consumers have used and benefited from your products establishes your company as trustworthy and reputable.

According to a 2023 BrightLocal survey, 44% of consumers are highly likely to give a positive review if they feel your business went above and beyond to offer an exceptional experience. 

So, look for ways to solve your customers’ problems and give them great experiences to get positive reviews you can use to attract more prospects. For example, you can ask subscribers questions about their business challenges through interviews or questionnaires, then send them emails educating them on how to solve their issues.

READ: How Brands Can Grow Customer Loyalty and Build a Positive Reputation in 2023

3 effective drip campaign examples

Let’s look at three effective drip campaign examples to inspire yours.

Welcome drip campaign

One essential drip campaign email to send new subscribers is the welcome email. These emails are triggered once a user submits their email address or joins your newsletter.

The welcome email is your brand’s first impression with these new subscribers and sets the tone for the rest of your interactions. 

Here’s an example from Spotify:

email drip campaigns
Image Source: Spotify

The welcome email is simple and straight to the point. It thanks the prospect for signing up, then highlights the value they’ll get from the brand and an option for unsubscribing.

Cart abandonment drip campaign

Customers abandon close to 70% of their shopping carts. But the good thing is that around 75% of such consumers typically want to return to your website and complete their purchase.

With open rates of over 49% and conversion rates of 8.38%, sending abandoned cart drip campaign emails can help you recover those would-be-lost sales. 

Here’s a drip campaign email example from Society6:

email drip campaigns
Image source: Society6

Lead-Nurturing Drip Campaign

A lead-nurturing email drip campaign focuses on prospects who are interested in your products or services but have yet to buy. The email marketing strategy is to keep the leads engaged with your brand and build a relationship with them until they’re ready to purchase.

In your lead-nurturing emails, offer valuable information and attractive offers to boost your chances of persuading your customers to buy. 

Here’s this lead nurturing campaign example from The 5TH offering a 60% discount for their New Arrivals:

email drip campaigns
Image source: The 5TH

The Bottom Line

The best practices and examples above can help you create drip email campaigns that convert your leads and prospects into customers. So, consistently offer your audience value and relevant content to help them decide to purchase. That way, you’ll be able to boost your company’s revenue.



Author
Skirmantas Venckus

Skirmantas Venckus is a writer by day and reader by night. He hates talking about himself in third person. He is also the growth hacker at Sender.net – the email marketing provider that is focused on user-friendliness, affordability, and utility.

 

Promote Your Real Estate Business — 5 Best Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing is one of the go-to marketing channels for real estate businesses, including but not limited to brokers, agents, appraisers and property managers. Outside of traditional methods, there are online platforms, channels and technologies which make promoting and selling products or services to a more targeted audience a much easier task. Various strategies are used, but they never stay static. Search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and more are some of the main methods you can use to promote your real estate business by:

  •  Reach a wider audience
  • Generate leads
  • Build brand awareness
  • Showcase property listings
  • Engage with potential clients

This will ultimately help you attract more clients, close more deals, and grow your real estate business.

READ: LLCs and Real Estate Investing — Pros and Cons You Should Know in 2023

Put effort into SEO to promote your real estate business

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website’s visibility on search engines like Google, making it easier for potential clients to find your real estate business. Effective real estate SEO includes some of the key things to make sure you do to increase visibility. Some are very technical and could be handed to a specialist or agency, and some are very straightforward and can be done by a non-specialist.

Keyword research

Identify relevant and high-traffic keywords to target in your content.

On-page optimization

Optimize page titles, meta descriptions, URLs, and header tags for targeted keywords.

Content creation

Publish informative and engaging content related to the real estate industry.

Link building

Acquire high-quality backlinks to your website from reputable sources.

Local SEO

Optimize your website for local searches by including your business address and contact information. As most real estate businesses cover a specific geographical area, it’s important to have your listings on Google, Yelp, Bing (yes, Microsoft’s Bing as well), and other important listing sites to have the same rich information, a lot of reviews (good ones), and be actively maintained.

READ: 7 Reasons Local SEO is Excellent for Small Businesses 

Technical SEO

Ensure your website loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and has a secure HTTPS connection. A key thing to understand is how to make the website “seen” by search engine bots.

Make your real estate website more user-friendly

A user-friendly website is essential for engaging and retaining potential clients. Some of the must-have features for a real estate website include:

Responsive design

Ensure your website works well on all devices, including mobile phones and tablets. Already, 50% of users do all their searches on mobile, in some industries, it can be as high as 90%.

Easy navigation

Organize your website with clear menus and intuitive navigation.

High-quality images

Use professional and appealing images to showcase your property listings.

Property search functionality

Include a search feature that allows users to filter properties based on their preferences.

Contact information

Display your contact details prominently, making it easy for users to get in touch.

Testimonials and reviews

Showcase positive client feedback to build trust and credibility.

Use Google Ads to get fast results

Google Ads is a PPC advertising channel that can help your real estate business get quick results by driving targeted traffic to your website. Important things for advertising through Google Ads is to make sure you have the right keywords and audience and are actively measuring results. Do not let any ads run until the conversion tracking is properly set up and you have a good idea of attribution of leads coming from different channels. Important things to remember are:

Use location targeting

Target your ads to users in specific geographic areas where your properties are located.

Create compelling ad copy

Write engaging and informative ad text that highlights your unique selling points.

Utilize ad extensions

Use features like call extensions, location extensions, and site link extensions to provide additional information and improve click-through rates.

Test and optimize

Regularly review your ad performance and make data-driven adjustments to improve your results.

You can hire a professional or an agency to handle this, but keep your eyes on two of the most important metrics.

  •    How much do you pay per lead? — CPL (cost per lead)
  •    Quality of the leads

If two of the above metrics are within your targets, then scale the campaigns as much as possible.

READ: Determining Your Business’s Target Market – Why It’s Necessary and How To Do It

Develop a social media marketing plan to promote your real estate business

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can be valuable tools for promoting your real estate business. A successful social media marketing plan for real estate should:

Set clear objectives

Establish goals for your social media marketing efforts, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or engaging with potential clients.

Choose the right platforms

Focus on the platforms that are most popular among your target audience and best suited for showcasing your properties.

Share high-quality content

Post visually appealing images, informative articles, and engaging videos that showcase your properties and expertise.

 Engage with your audience

Respond to comments and messages, ask questions, and participate in relevant conversations to build relationships with your followers.

Monitor and analyze performance

Regularly track your social media metrics to understand the effectiveness of your strategies and identify areas for improvement.

READ: Don’t Get Left Behind — Top 8 Social Media Trends for 2023

Utilize email marketing

Email marketing is a cost-effective way to nurture leads, communicate with clients, and promote your real estate business. The best practices for a successful real estate email marketing campaign include:

Build a segmented email list

Collect email addresses through website opt-in forms, social media, and other channels, and segment your list based on factors such as location, property preferences, and engagement levels.

Personalize your emails

Address recipients by name and tailor your content to their preferences and needs.

Create valuable content

Share relevant and informative content, such as market updates, property listings, and tips for buying or selling a home.

Use eye-catching subject lines

Write compelling subject lines that encourage recipients to open your emails.

Monitor and optimize

Track key metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaigns and make data-driven improvements.

The bottom line

By implementing these five digital marketing strategies, you can effectively promote your real estate business, generate more leads, and grow your client base. Prioritize search engine optimization, create a user-friendly website, leverage Google Ads, develop a social media marketing plan, and establish an email marketing campaign to maximize your online presence and reach your target audience.

 

Michael HakobMichael Hakob is the founder and CEO of Andava Digital, with 10+ years of experience in digital marketing and focus on SEO and organic channels that drive traffic. Graduate with a degree in Management of Information Systems, Game Theory enthusiast and Management 3.0 follower.

Using Video in Email Marketing Campaigns: Best Practices and Benefits

Email marketing campaigns have been a staple in the world of digital marketing for years, and for good reason. However, as consumers become more visually driven, it’s important to consider new ways to engage with your audience. That’s where video marketing comes in. 

READ: Is B2B Email Marketing Dead? 

By combining email and video marketing, businesses can create compelling content that captures attention and drives results. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of using video in email marketing campaigns as well as some best practices for implementation

Benefits of using video in email marketing campaigns

There are numerous benefits to using video in email marketing campaigns. 

First and foremost, it can lead to increased click-through rates as video content is more likely to capture the attention of your audience. Video content can also improve engagement and open rates by providing a more dynamic and engaging experience. 

Moreover, videos have been shown to drive better conversion rates by showcasing products or services in a more visually appealing and informative manner. Finally, video can lead to improved brand awareness and recall as it is more likely to be shared and remembered by your audience.

Best practices for including video in emails

While including video in email marketing campaigns can be highly effective, it’s important to follow some best practices to ensure that the video is engaging and resonates with your audience. 

Keep the video short and sweet

Ideally, it should be just under a minute long to avoid losing the attention of the viewer. 

Use attention-grabbing headlines and thumbnails

This will pique the interest of your audience and encourage them to watch the video.

Incorporate a clear call-to-action

This should direct the viewer to take the desired action, such as visiting a landing page or making a purchase.

Optimize the video for mobile viewing

The majority of people access their email on mobile devices. 

Personalize the video to the recipient whenever possible

This will increase engagement and create a more meaningful connection with your audience. You can also encourage the viewer to share the video on their social media, improving your social media reach and benefiting your business in a variety of ways.

READ: 12 Ways to Repurpose Social Media Content for Email Marketing

By following these best practices, businesses can create effective video content that enhances their email marketing campaigns.

When should I include video in my email marketing?

Using video in email marketing campaigns can be highly effective when used strategically. Knowing when to include video can help businesses maximize the impact of their campaigns. Here’s a few tips:

  • Welcome emails can benefit from a video introduction to the brand and its products or services. 
  • Product launches can be accompanied by videos that showcase the features and benefits of the new product. 
  • Customer testimonials can be more impactful when presented in video form. 
  • Event invitations can be enhanced by a video that highlights the event and encourages attendance. 
  • Company updates such as new hires or major company announcements can be shared in video form to make the content more engaging and memorable. The common denominator in all these scenarios is that the addition of video will enhance the consumer experience, and provide information that text or static photos would not have conveyed.

Some do’s and don’ts

Knowing when to include videos in your emails isn’t the only strategic consideration. To maximize the impact of using video in email marketing campaigns, it’s important to follow some do’s and don’ts. 

  • Make sure the video looks and sounds professional. Whether that entails hiring a video production service or recruiting a videographer for your team, you don’t want a poor-quality video.
  • Embed the video directly in the email to ensure it is easily accessible for the viewer. 
  • Don’t include too many videos in one email as it can be overwhelming and lead to decreased engagement. 
  • Don’t autoplay the video, as it can be disruptive and annoying for the viewer. 
  • Include a clear call-to-action that directs the viewer to take the desired action, such as visiting a landing page or making a purchase.

By following these best practices, businesses can create more effective video content and drive better results from their email marketing campaigns.

READ: How to create great email newsletters

The bottom line

Incorporating video in email marketing campaigns can lead to increased engagement, higher conversion rates, and improved brand awareness. By following best practices and using the right tools, businesses can create effective video emails for a variety of purposes. It’s important for businesses to consider incorporating video in their email marketing campaigns and to experiment with different strategies to see what works best for their audience.

 

Jill BrooksJill Brooks is a freelance writer from the East Coast who enjoys discussing how technology impacts the future of work. In her free time, you can find her in the mountains, or on a hunt for the world’s best mac-and-cheese recipe.

Is B2B Email Marketing Dead? 

Email marketing in the B2B sphere is one of those constantly-analyzed topics in the modern marketing world. However, in the past few years, B2B marketers have been getting more into social media and influencer marketing, calling into question the efficacy of email marketing. 

Marketers may be experimenting with and incorporating modern marketing channels, but email marketing remains one of the most effective methods of B2B marketing today. 

READ  — 12 Ways to Repurpose Social Media Content for Email Marketing 

In Short: No, Email Marketing Isn’t Dead for B2B Businesses. 

Recent B2B email marketing statistics reveal that “77% of B2B companies use an email marketing newsletter as part of their content marketing strategy, and 79% of B2B marketers find email to be the most successful channel for content distribution.” 

So, no. Email marketing isn’t dead for B2B businesses. It’s still one of the most cost-effective ways to personally connect with decision-makers and drive sales. In addition, you can build excitement about your products and services, boost your credibility and improve brand recognition. 

A Guide to Effective B2B Email Marketing 

You can approach email marketing in many different ways. But these best practices will ensure your efforts are productive. 

Define Your Purpose

Sending your subscribers random emails almost guarantees you end up in their spam folder. They may even get so turned off by the inconsistency that they tell others about it, diminishing your brand’s reputation. 

Defining the purpose of each email campaign and individual email is critical. Attaching a “why” to your email marketing strategy is also essential. Document what you’re doing and why you’re doing it to help keep you organized and focused on the tactics that will get you results. 

Segment Your Subscribers 

You probably already have a growing contact list. If you don’t, work on gathering contact information for potential clients (ethically, of course). Then, once you have a handful of contacts, start segmenting them. 

Organizing and segmenting your contacts allows you to send your customers the most relevant emails at the best times. You can segment your contact list by gender, location, behavior, and where they are in the purchase cycle. You can also segment your list by a person’s role in the decision-making process. 

After segmenting your contacts, create personas. Personas are fictional representations of your ideal customer in each audience segment. Reference these personas to personalize your emails. 

READ — 10 Ways to Boost Your Email Marketing List

Personalize Your Emails 

“Personalized emails deliver a 6x higher transaction rate,” according to data on email personalization. This shows that when customers feel like you really know them, they’re more likely to engage and make significant purchases with your business. 

So, utilize targeted email campaigns to deliver more personalized experiences. Each email should tell a story and address a relevant pain point your customer is experiencing. Use keywords to grab their attention and ensure your tone is appropriate. Focus on bettering the overall customer experience with each email. Make sure to use what you know about your customers to create campaigns and individual emails they can truly resonate with. 

Direct Traffic to Your Other Marketing Channels

Email marketing is a critical part of your overarching B2B marketing strategy. But it’s just that, a part of it. Your customers will likely need more ways to connect with your business to deepen their relationship. 

So, directing traffic to other marketing channels in your emails is brilliant. For example, B2B blogs are fundamental in keeping customers updated, fueling thought leadership and growing a robust content library for your clients. You can use email marketing to redirect customers to your blog to learn more about a particular topic or your business. Find ways to weave in your other marketing channels in your email campaigns so your customers can enjoy an elevated experience. 

Don’t Forget About Analytics 

If there’s one thing you must never forget regarding email marketing, it’s data analytics. Launching campaign after campaign without understanding if what you’re doing is working is highly unproductive. 

Use data analytics tools to find out what’s working and what isn’t with your campaigns and individual emails. For example, study how customers engage with various calls-to-action (CTAs). Additionally, see which messages are getting the most engagement and analyze how accompanying visuals impact results. 

When you know what’s wrong, you can fix it. Conversely, when you see what works, you can duplicate it. 

Take an in-depth look at the benefits of B2B email marketing and use the tips above to ensure you effectively incorporate it into your marketing strategy. 

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

12 Ways to Repurpose Social Media Content for Email Marketing  

The beauty of digital marketing is that you have access to so many different channels, all of which can be used in tandem. This includes social media and email marketing. Of course, they both have different functions. 

For starters, social media is capable of reaching a wider audience and receiving real-time feedback. You also have access to user-generated content and reviews that can give you valuable business insights. The downside is that you have no control over the audience or their numbers – and you do not own the platform. 

Shifting our focus to email, it’s a more reliable way of reaching your audience. A relationship already exists with the customer, making it easier to share content. By bringing email and social media marketing together, you have the potential to accurately convey your message to your target audience. 

Unfortunately, creating high-quality content doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a lot of time and patience. And once it has been successfully created, you’ll want to ensure that it is used to its full potential, and this is where content repurposing comes in. 

12 ways to repurpose social media content for email marketing

To help you get an idea of how to repurpose existing content, here are a few simple ways other marketers have been able to do so.  

1. Create an infographic 

A great way to repurpose content is to cut it down into bite-sized, visual bits of data. It helps to simplify content while still getting the message across – and people love to read them. 

An example that comes to mind is when Dunkin Donuts sent out an email featuring an infographic made up of user-generated content from their social media platforms. 

2. Reshare your posts 

As a quick recap, you can send some of your best-performing social media posts in an email. This shows your audience what they may have missed and prompts engagement through the email. Social media digests are a great way to reach a wider audience.  

This means that, for example, if you weren’t subscribed to Tubik Studio, you would still be able to access their blog posts using Weekly Digest.  

3. Feature your best images 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and by using one that has won over social media audiences, you are sure to captivate your email marketing database too. Analytics can assist you in identifying these images. 

Starbucks did a great job with this during the festive season. They reused an Instagram photo with the caption “Ready for the holidays!”. Simple, sweet, and really effective. 

4. Polls drive engagement 

Social media polls have become increasingly popular as of late and audiences respond fairly quickly to them. Use your social media platforms to pose the question and generate the results and use email to share the outcome. 

Eventbrite knew how to use this to their advantage during the holiday season. They surveyed users to determine holiday patterns, and when the time came to share their results, they used one of the statistics as a subject line to hook the reader. 

5. Revive your Instagram stories 

Given the stories only last 24 hours, finding ways to reuse this content will help the content reach its full potential. Of course, stories are incredibly popular, and the content may be viewed, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t benefit from repurposing. Just be careful of embedding videos directly as certain email clients may not be able to view it. 

A simple way to do this is to follow in Shopify’s footsteps. They link through to an external player and simply have a static image with a play button on it for people to click on. 

6. GIFs of videos 

If you’re not looking to go through the effort of embedding or uploading a video, GIFs are the next best thing. Most email platforms will allow this content to pass through so there’s no risk of it not being seen. The best way to use this is as a teaser video that drives engagement. 

To keep in the feel of playing a video, Adrenaline Travel embedded a GIF with a play button to make it seem like an embedded video. 

7. Promote giveaways 

Everyone loves free stuff, right? Giveaways promote a ton of engagement and can attract a wider audience. A great way to utilize this is by launching a sign-up competition where people join the database and stand a chance to win an amazing prize. It can even go further than that and rerun previous competitions through your email marketing channel. 

Running Warehouse’s Freebie Fridays give readers the chance to win running shoes – hosted on social media of course and carried through into their email marketing efforts. 

8. Shine the spotlight on your audience 

People love having their five seconds of fame. People are also more inclined to buy products that have real user feedback. By combining these two things, you have powerful content to work with. Always ask for permission before sharing and try to relink to the original content whenever possible.  

An example of this is looking at the comments on one of your product posts and using positive feedback to help and promote the product.  

9. Share the reason why 

Tell your audience why customers support your brand by sharing reviews and testimonials. This would be more text heavy than the option mentioned above but provides more authority when it comes to making informed buying decisions. 

To help encourage customers to share their feedback, offer a discount coupon or free gift with their next purchase for every review they submit. Everlane always adds customer testimonials to their communications to help build trust with their audience. 

10. Host competitions 

Contests are another great way to promote engagement. By launching it on social media and sharing follow-up information via email, you can reap the benefits of both platforms. 

Quiz Clothing is one of the many brands currently making use of this technique. They launch the contest on their social media platforms and then send the information needed to compete in an email after signing up. 

11. Consider the social media platforms 

When it comes to sharing content, you need to know which platform is showcasing what.  For example, Instagram is great for selecting images while TikTok is a great place to find videos. Consider what you would like to share, and then visit the platform that will best enable you to do so. 

12. Consider your audience 

Above all, you need to identify what your audience is looking for. Are they more visually inclined or do they prefer text-based communications? This will help you identify the most relevant content as well as the platform housing it.

  

And there you have it, everything you need to know about repurposing content. The only thing left to ask, is what will you look at repurposing first? 

 

Ghia Marnewick MGhia Marnewick is a creative content writer for Aumcore, a digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO and creative content marketing services. She is passionate about finding new ways of sharing information with the world.