What’s Working in e-Mail Marketing
When it comes to email marketing, the numbers don’t lie. An eye-opening report took a look at 1,800 global email marketers across 15 major industry segments. CEOs, marketing directors, owners and digital marketing heads were surveyed on their use of tracking, targeting and subject-line testing — as well as their open, click-to-open and click-through rates.
Here’s what they had to say about the state of email marketing:
Frequency: On average, marketers across all industries send five emails per month to consumers. Marketers in finance, banking and insurance send the most emails per month (12.2 on average). Health and Wellness comes in at 6.8, followed by Retail/eCommerce at 4.1 and Consumer Goods at 1.5 emails a month.
Evaluation and Tracking — Roughly 15 percent of marketers surveyed say their company still does not regularly review email opens and clicks, and only 23 percent say they have integrated their website and emails to track what happens after a click.
Targeting — Some 42 percent of marketers across all the industries do not send targeted email messages. Only 4 percent use layered targeting, incorporating behavioral data to send relevant, personalized email messages to their audience.
Optimization — Nearly half (47 percent) of marketers say they sometimes test alternate subject lines to optimize email performance, and 18 percent test different email layouts and templates.
Of course this brings us to the million-dollar question: How do your email marketing efforts stack up in the critical areas of open rate and click-through ratio? Check these industry averages to find out:
Industry Open Rate Click-Through Ratio
Finance, Banking & Insurance 8.29 percent 2.99 percent
Health and Wellness 19.14 percent 2.94 percent
Retail/eCommerce 16.78 percent 3.07 percent
Consumer Goods 41.4 percent 9.47 percent
What’s Old Is New
The truth is that email can now officially be classified as “old media.” In fact, it’s the oldest digital medium still in use (remember, it came to us in the earliest days of the Internet).
But it’s old because it works. Do it right, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more effective way to reach a targeted audience. According to data from the Direct Marketing Association (UK), for every $1 invested, email marketing generates an average return of $38. Not too shabby.
New methods and techniques are helping email marketing become more vital and effective. Gone are the days of “spray-and-pray” email blasts. Newer disciplines like Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and the use of marketing automation software to match behavior to email triggers are moving the response needle. Increasingly, marketers are realizing that email is no longer a stand-alone medium, but something that integrates well with other media — mobile in particular.
SUBJECT: Act Now!
eMail marketing works — and it’s working better than ever. But you have to do your part. If you’re not targeting, testing and tracking, you’re missing the boat. Likewise, if you’re not keeping ahead of the curve (or at least riding it) with the latest methods, don’t be surprised if your numbers lag.
Let Wax Communications show you the most effective ways to conduct business digitally. Just call us at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.
Source: The State of Email Marketing by Industry – January 2016 DMA National Client eMail Report, 2015
