In the age of digital marketing, email still remains the basis of any effective marketing strategy, providing an?average ROI of $38 for every $1 spent. The effectiveness of email in reaching the right people at the right time is unsurpassed, making it a critical tool for event marketers.
As with marketing campaigns directed at selling products,?best practices apply for event marketers too. Using an email validation API, tracking key metrics, and ensuring continuity of the messages are all important. Below is a list of key do?s and don?ts so event marketers can make the most of their email marketing campaigns.
Event Marketing Email Do?s
Plan Your Strategy ? Before you compose your email messages or begin looking at?how to segment your event email list it is wise to begin with an overall event marketing strategy. Be sure to take into consideration the content which will best support your marketing messages.
Leverage different types of media and dynamic content. Video clips, text, infographics, and audio files can all be included to provide variety in your event marketing campaign. The diverse content should be built into an email content calendar to help plan relevant copy, provide consistency across all channels, as well as ensure the format for your message is varied and provides interest to all segments of your audience.
Create attractive copy that always gives value ? From?subject lines to signatures, the content for your emails should entice recipients and encourage them to follow through with the intended action. Each element of the email should add value and give a clear indication of what the recipient is expected to do. Aim for simple and direct subject lines, content, and calls to action.
Optimize for mobiles ? The majority of emails sent are?opened on mobile devices, so it is important to ensure your message can be read from smartphones or tablets as well as desktops. While emails may be opened on a mobile device, many people save messages they plan to take action with and follow up from a desktop computer. To ensure your email recipients don?t hit delete before reading your email, deliver it in a usable format for whichever device they use to open it.
Personalize and Segment ??Email personalization ranges from using a recipients name in the subject line and body of the email through to tailoring send times and selecting which elements of your event are highlighted.
Much has been written about personalization, mainly because it increases open rates and CTRs by as much as 75% and 82%, respectively. Segmenting your email list into groups of like-minded people is still one of the best ways to begin the personalization process for event marketing email campaigns.
Event Marketing Email Don?ts
Make registering for your event complex ? If you need email recipients to register for your event or purchase tickets, avoid making the process complex or unclear. Doing so will confuse potential attendees and lose them in the process.
Streamline ticket purchases and registration so it is as simple as possible for the end user. Links to the event page or additional information should be included within the email to give subscribers all the required information easily. It will also help to encourage them to register for your event.
Forget to proof and edit emails ? When crafting the email content and other messages, mistakes can happen. Sending emails with typos, dead links, or other errors makes you and the event you are promoting appear unprofessional and will lose you potential attendees.
Ensure that everything is double-checked so that the message is on point and free from mistakes before you hit send. Once the email has gone out, there is no way you can fix any overlooked mistakes.
Overlook follow-ups ? Your first message may be overlooked by email recipients, even if you have personalized and sent it at the optimal time for the user. Neglecting to follow up with potential attendees will harm your end results and damage the ROI of your event marketing email campaign. Follow-up emails are arguably just as important as the initial contact. Make them friendly and direct, and be sure to get the timing right.
Each element of an event marketing email campaign has the chance to either boost your success or cripple your results. Pay attention to each and every aspect of your campaign. As you follow the above do?s and don?ts, you can watch your ROI for email marketing campaigns grow.
