Viewpoint article :The most effective ways in which email marketers can engage with their brand new subscribers

The latest viewpoint article from Emailvision, the marketing automation and customer intelligence company.

Recent research from the company reveals that more than 68 per cent of UK’s top retailers are failing to incentivise their welcome emails, causing a potential rift between new customers. To address this, in this article, Anthony Wilkey, Regional Director, Account Management Group, sets out the most effective ways in which email marketers can engage with their brand new subscribers, establishing a strong relationship from the offset.

Anthony lays out six simple steps that retailers, or any business can follow to make sure that the first contact they have with their new customer is as valuable as it can be.

‘Welcome Netiquette’: 6 Steps to Engage Email Subscribers

By Anthony Wilkey, Regional Director, Account Management Group, Emailvision

With more than 68 per cent of the UK’s top retailers failing to incentivise their welcome emails, according to recent research from Emailvision¹, email marketers are clearly missing a trick when it comes to engaging with new email subscribers.  However, the good news is that there has never been a better time for marketers to re-think their email campaigns and give their new subscribers the welcome they deserve.

Sending a welcome message to new subscribers is one of the most effective steps a marketer can take toward establishing positive relationships with potential customers. These messages can achieve open rates of more than 50 per cent, and have the potential to generate significantly more revenue than a general email campaign. The value doesn’t stop there—establishing early engagement with your campaigns can help improve results for subsequent campaigns too.

On the other hand, when potential customers give you permission to email them, they are conveying a measure of trust in your brand. If the ensuing experience isn’t handled well, that trust can easily disappear—along with the potential revenue that subscriber may have generated. Recently, we found that more than 71 per cent of consumers cited receiving unsolicited messages as a reason to begin resenting a brand.

With the potential for such significant benefits, it’s important for marketers to take the opportunity to make a good first impression early and make the most of their welcome campaigns. Over time with monitoring, testing and feedback, you will find your welcome program will evolve.

5 tips to kickstart your B2B personalisation strategy (1/2) #ecommerce – http://t.co/SfUDztMWfi

— Emailvision UK (@EmailvisionUK) July 10, 2013

We’ve examined the practices of top marketers and found several common characteristics to help you get your customer relationships off on the right foot.

Time is of the Essence

Signing up for your mailing list is the most obvious indication that an individual wants to hear from you. There is no upside to delaying that first communication. The best practice is to automate these emails so new prospects, subscribers, fans and followers receive their first welcome message within seconds or minutes of sign-up. This is when they will be most receptive and, in fact, many are conditioned to expect an immediate response. If your organisation needs more time to get this email out the door, we recommend you aim to get it out in the first 24 hours to avoid losing your new subscriber’s interest.

Today’s consumer has more access to technology, which is driving rapid changes in online behaviour. They are connected—be it by mobile, tablet or PC – even when they are ‘on the go’. With consumers’ constant connectivity it makes it critical for marketers to align programs to meet these needs and expectations.

For example, a welcome campaign might be triggered by a consumer’s purchase and subscription at the same time – imagine the impact of them receiving a personalised email reading, ‘How are you getting on with your new Canon SLR camera?’ and sharing some relevant resources applicable to the purchaser.  The impact is potentially immediate and positive and can quickly lead to a converted brand advocate.

Drive Interest with a Strong, Relevant Subject Line

The welcome email can do much more than its name implies. This email offers the opportunity to reflect the personality of your organisation, while also allowing you to convey a purpose and establish standards for what the subscriber can expect going forward. Every call to action should reinforce the value in taking that action, so be engaging, create excitement and bring to life the experience your brand encapsulates. This should ideally be delivered in the subject line and reinforced in the content within the email. For example, a welcome with a discount coupon connects the email to the consumers’ sign-up action, while the discount makes them feel they are being rewarded and incentivises them to open the message and perhaps even make a purchase.

¹UK Retail Email Benchmark Study 2012

About Emailvision

Emailvision is a leading provider of cloud-based marketing automation and analytics.  Emailvision delivers innovative and unique solutions for relationship marketing across email, mobile, social and web. Every month, the Emailvision marketing cloud platform delivers over 600,000 personalized marketing campaigns for more than 3,300 clients.

Emailvision is located in 22 countries around the world. In 2012 Emailvision was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately-held software companies.