Let’s face it, followers you have today might disappear tomorrow. With ever-changing algorithms, on social media we all are also at the mercy of the people who decide who, when and by how many our content is seen. Generating sales on these platforms seems to be less and less likely. Unless you are the lucky one. So shifting attention to your subscribers and focusing on email marketing these days is a smart move.
There is no doubt that email marketing is a powerful strategy, especially for design-led brands who sell products online. Email marketing is a form of direct marketing since it requires an email address and consent to receive business promotions and communications. From sharing your latest news, promoting latest offering to building loyal community, many brands benefit from running email marketing campaigns at low cost, even during the downturn.
The big question is: How can you increase your sales by 20% through email marketing?
Here are some of the most game-changing strategies we implement with our clients:
Building the email marketing momentum
When we start working with design brands on their email marketing, one of the first things I say to them is “momentum”. We need to create a manageable schedule and stick to it, every week, no matter what. Sales from email campaigns increase over time, when customers realise that you are simply there for them, when they need to buy or are looking for your product category. This brand awareness and recall of your brand comes from consistency and showing up in inboxes regularly.
So even before starting working on your strategies, messaging and content plan, create a manageable schedule which fits in within your other activities. Factor in any time-consuming activities such as content creation into the schedule too.
Paying attention to the design and visual aspect of your sales campaign template
As a creative business, you should prioritise visually stunning email designs that reflect your brand’s aesthetic and artistic flair. We find that spending time creating and incorporating eye-catching graphics, Gifs, vibrant colour palettes and compelling imagery helps dramatically with engagement, open rates and click-throughs. These design elements are not difficult to do yet grab the recipient’s attention and also reinforce your brand recognition and memorability, as mentioned in my previous point.
Balancing hard and soft sales
With the constant bombardment of “Shop Now” here and “Buy Me” there, in emails we have to be more mindful of not hard selling all the time. So don’t be afraid to craft engaging narratives and storytelling angles within the email content to captivate the audience and convey your brand’s personality, and balance these softer emails with sales. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, spotlight interesting people around you, or create your own musing about life, style, travel, art and anything else that will resonate with your audience to foster an emotional connection.
Treat your subscribers like your most important VIPs
The hardest thing in email marketing is keeping subscribers engaged and giving them a reason to open and interact with your emails every time you send them out. I always suggest to provide exclusive content, or even products which are not available anywhere else, early access to new collections, or special discounts and promotions to foster a sense of exclusivity and loyalty. When you are mapping out the communication across multiple channels, always consider your subscribers first. Don’t broadcast your new collection or arrivals, events and any important news whatsoever on social media first. Once it’s online and out, it’s not exclusive anymore.
Make it personal
More and more of us want to be treated like we’re not just a number. We want to feel like we’re being understood. So leverage data and customer insights in your CRM to create personalised and segmented email campaigns tailored to specific audience segments or individual preferences. This can take time, some skill and expertise, and lots of A/B testing, but the more personal your email marketing is, the more loyal your customers will be. And therefore, the better for your business.
CASE STUDY:
Working with a jewellery brand Black & Sigi on their email marketing, within a short space of time we have increased their online sales by 20% and growing. By implementing the points above, we not only engage their audiences every time we send out a campaign, but also we create unique opportunities that turn into repeat sales.
Imagine your email campaigns are like your shop window. Each time you have something new or season change or you want to grab the attention of passers-by, you’d put an amazing window display together. You’d think about every detail, the story you want to tell and make sure that there is no speckle of dust anywhere. Treat your email marketing and campaigns in a similar way.
If you’d like to find out more about how we turn email marketing into a valuable sales channel for your business, get in touch for a chat.
