Expert Tips for Kicking Off Your 2015 Email Marketing Right

The holiday decor has been boxed up, the New Year’s Eve confetti swept away and, one by one, your team members have returned from their holiday travels. There’s a certain excitement in the air at the beginning of a new business quarter-an opportunity to start fresh with a brand new strategy.

If 2014 taught us anything, it’s the power of email is growing exponentially. Automation and analytics have become smarter, paving the way for another generation of email-proficient consumers. Even better, all signs point to 2015 being another landmark year for email.

To ensure you put your best foot forward in Q1, we’ve got three pro tips guaranteed to maximize your contact engagement.

Think Mobile First

Five years ago, mobile strategy was something only the most innovative and forward-thinking companies achieved. Two years ago, mobile strategy became a standard complement to desktop-based campaigns. Now, however, mobile marketing is the frontrunner. In fact, mobile usage overtook PC internet usage in 2014.

If you’re still planning your campaigns for desktop before considering mobile, it’s time to reverse your strategy. As you develop your messaging, remember the majority of your subscribers will be reading your emails from their mobile device. Which leads me to my next point: mobile design.

Responsive Design is Not Optional

Because mobile usage is so prevalent, responsive design has evolved from a “nice to have” to a “need to have.” Consumers not only prefer email communications to render correctly on their mobile devices-they expect it.

To ensure mobile success, we suggest following these responsive design principles:

• Single column: In addition to a cleaner look, single-column designs cater to unlimited scrolling, and thus more effective in driving activity on mobile devices.
• Large buttons: Most mobile devices use touchscreen technology, so make sure your buttons are sizeable and clearly marked.
• Straightforward Calls to Action: By using simple and obvious CTAs, you can seamlessly guide subscribers through to the next step in the buying process regardless of their screen size.

Develop Targeted Personalization

In 2014, you couldn’t read a single article or attend a single conference without hearing the term “Big Data.” As data grows and we learn more about our consumers, implementing “Big Data” into your email marketing strategy is becoming much easier and much more prevalent.

Data is the fuel behind email personalization. The more you know about your contacts, the easier it becomes to create impactful campaigns. By obtaining and analyzing customer information, you can personalize the experience for each and every contact. Data points such as age group, social interests and purchase history help companies offer individualized, impactful messages.

For example, an online shoe store probably doesn’t get the same level of engagement from an email selling snow boots in Miami as they would in Upstate New York. By segmenting contact lists by region, however, the store could market the most appropriate footwear for each geographic area.

Of course, to be most effective, you need to apply all three of the above best practices. By focusing on mobile strategy, utilizing responsive design consistently and applying customer data to ensure better personalization, you’re sure to stay ahead of the competition this quarter.

Ready to make 2015 your most successful year yet? Learn how our Email Intelligence services can help you revolutionize your campaigns.