Email marketing, just like direct mail, requires a specialized knowledge base. Managing email campaigns has a unique set of requirements, best practices, and specifications to ensure the most favorable outcomes. Developing a clear strategy from the outset is vital to creating a successful email marketing campaign, but many factors in the testing and development of email programs from subject lines to offer prominence can lead to differing results. 

Your core staff should manage the critical functions of email planning, analytics and strategy, but bringing in specialists to complement your best practices and execute complex campaigns can drive higher click and conversion rates.

With the right email marketing strategy, companies can replicate the success they have had in direct mail.  There are however major differences to email marketing execution.   The most obvious are the laws that regulate SPAM and compliance. 

The strategy needs to be addressed in to areas content and delivery.  And a proper strategy must be outlined for each area to ensure relevance


Content

Relevance—Content must speak to the relevance of the transaction. For instance, you do not want to send a promotion of a fur coat in a transaction email confirming the purchase of an “I love PETA” t-shirt.

Brand Consistency—Ensure that you are using your brand consistently in every message. Not only should your email communications match each other, but they too should match other communications where brand is represented including Websites, brochures, etc.

Delivery

Real-time—Timing is everything, so companies must ensure that relevant messages are also timely, which usually means less than a 24 hour time frame from the original transaction time.

* Zrinity Inc.“Improving the Buyer Experience (and ROI) Through Transactional Email Marketing

Testing and Tracking- Test, test, test, and then track everything