Must-have 1: Go for a personalised approach

Let’s face it: personalised (e-mail) marketing is a game-changer. It makes people feel valued and appreciated. Personalisation takes into account each person’s unique preferences, behaviours and interests. The result? More relevant and effective communication.

Potential customers are more likely to pay attention and respond to a message if they feel it is designed and targeted specifically for them. This in turn leads to more engaging communication, such as click-throughs, making purchases or sharing with friends and family.

One of the key benefits of email marketing is the ability to reach specific audiences with tailored messages. At every stage of your relationship, offer something valuable—be it information or promotions—to stand out and capture attention. For example, by offering valuable information that is useful to your potential customers.

But remember, do everything with trust, transparency, and consent.

Must-have 2: Build trust with transparency and consent

Trust forms the bedrock of any relationship, including the one with your customer. And you have to earn that trust. Privacy, security, and consent are non-negotiable, not only for you and your recipients but also for email providers like Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.

Therefore, make sure you are transparent and always ask for permission before sending emails (e.g. via opt-in forms on your website). Respect the privacy of your recipients, protect their data and do not share them with others.

Let potential subscribers know what to expect and how often. If possible, use a double opt-in procedure, confirming a subscription via email. This way, you avoid unwanted subscriptions and increase the quality of your list. Also, make it easy for recipients to change or withdraw their consent. It should be easy to unsubscribe. Every email should have a clear and simple opt-out option.

A golden rule: never (no really never) send emails to a purchased list of addresses. How do you get your recipients’ email addresses? So work from respect (for recipients and their preferences) and build a trustworthy brand.

Must-have 3: Know what’s going on by measuring and monitoring

Measuring and monitoring the success of an email marketing strategy is essential for making data-driven decisions. The only way to structurally improve your ROI is by closely monitoring the effectiveness of your campaigns. Clearly define your email marketing goals and determine which metrics you will use to measure success.

Focus on KPIs that give you a clear picture of the relationship with your customers, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, unsubscribes and other interactions and forms of engagement. This will give you insight into the performance of your email marketing. By analysing the results, you will be able to see which types of emails resonate with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.

By A/B testing, you can compare different versions of your e-mails and determine which elements lead to the best results. For example, use two different subject lines, and test the content, design and other elements to improve your results. By monitoring and analysing these results, you can make data-driven changes and improve your email marketing strategy over time. And with it, your relationship with your customers.

Must-have 4: Engage and seek interaction

Email marketing is often used as one-way traffic, still. And that’s a shame, because the channel actually offers the perfect way to really interact with customers. Use it as a tool to interact with customers, start conversations, and gather feedback. This is how you make sure you understand customers’ needs and preferences and build that strong relationship. By inviting your customers to respond to your emails, you can start a dialogue and build rapport.

Gamification and user-generated content is perfect for this. For example, use a challenge, set up interactive surveys or polls, or call on users to share reviews, user photos or other content with you. This way, you will know what is going on and how satisfied customers are. By listening to your customers and gathering their input, you can improve your offering and show your customers that you value them. The result: more loyalty, retention and word-of-mouth.

Must-have 5: Encourage customer advocacy and loyalty

You want customers to discover, experience and stay loyal to your brand. With email marketing, you can send them personalised, relevant content and offers to encourage loyalty and customer advocacy. These could include discounts for customers, updates on new products and services, and exclusive access to events and collections. You can also inform customers about promotions that match their purchase, and recommend additional products.

Sports clubs are masters of fan loyalty. They create positive interactions between fans and their favourite clubs, not only focused on sales, but also on engagement. Reward your customers for their commitment. Maintain strong communication and relationships with them through e-mail marketing. This is how you ensure customer loyalty.

You also want customers to be and stay enthusiastic about your brand. This is how they become true ambassadors. They buy from you more often, refer others to you and do the best advertising for you: word of mouth. Encourage ambassadors and fans to share their experiences and opinions about your brand, e.g. via social media. Promote your activities by using user-generated content in your email marketing. This shows potential and new customers how much current customers love your brand. Fans are worth their weight in gold. Reward them, be authentic and focus on the real relationship. Then they will stay much longer than a single purchase.

On the road to email marketing success

Is your customer-centric email strategy set in place? Then it is time to test, measure and improve. Test different elements of your email campaigns to see what resonates with your audience. Use data and insights to continuously improve your email marketing efforts. And then it’s time to start testing, measuring and improving again. That way, you’ll definitely be well on your way to better results.