More than 60 per cent of brands are planning to focus their marketing efforts on email this year in order to broaden their reach and gain new business, a new survey by software provider Campaigner shows. The study noted that email continues to be one of the best ways to make a lasting impression on prospective customers.
More than a third of the marketers surveyed said that they send a welcome message after an individual has registered an email address, and half of those said that a notable portion of new subscribers engage in some way, often due to the deals, vouchers and limited-time offers given out during the process.
While 49 per cent of brands deliver promotions via email, news and high-quality content such as videos are offered by 55 per cent to entice subscriptions and drive engagement. More enterprises are now also recognising the importance of sending a welcome message in a timely manner, with almost two-thirds revealing that they get in touch within 24 hours.
Customer engagement
“It takes just seconds within meeting someone to form a lasting impression,” Campaigner general manager EJ McGowan said. “Unsurprisingly, first impressions for brands are just as critical and time-sensitive. Marketers who quickly deliver engaging welcome emails to new subscribers will see greater success in conversions, while also building brand reputation.”
The survey revealed that retail marketers garner the best response from email marketing when they send messages out before 2pm, with 35 per cent saying that the 8am to 11am time slot is ideal. It is also noted that welcome emails should be sent out immediately whenever possible to showcase the fact that organisations function 24 hours a day. Forty-seven per cent also agreed that sending a message to spam folders could damage brand image.
Despite the importance of making the right impression, 60 per cent of marketers believe that they could do more to make their emails effective. Almost nine out of ten use images to boost engagement, while 26 per cent are including videos. A further 31 per cent have enjoyed success by using geo-targeting, and more than half champion the use of ranked segmentation and personalisation to increase conversions.
