Email Marketing Plan

Email marketing describes using email to promote products and services, it is also a means of developing relationships with customers.  Email marketing is valued amongst marketeers due to it's ease, low cost and it's range of formatting and personalisation abilities.  

Email marketing is relatively easy to set up, allowing it to become accessible to both large and smaller companies alike. A mailing list can be created by inviting customers are to join a newsletter, a discount can be used as an incentive and then regular updates can be shared across the customer base.  

Email marketing can be used to promote certain goods, sales, promotions and discounts.  Blogs, competitions and social media can be involved in marketing campaigns to further customer appeal.  Incentives such as 'Refer a Friend' are successful in encouraging current customers to introduce the products or services to people within their networking circle.

Mailing lists can be used to email customers with personalised content, targeting particular groups or individuals with information that would appeal to them specifically. Large volumes of generic emails could lead to customers unsubscribing from the mailing list, being able to tailor and personalise email messages should reduce the number of opt-out requests. 

There are a vast number of email templates, logo designers and design tools available over the internet which means the person behind the email does not need to be a brilliant designer nor particularly creative. 

A key benefit of email marketing is that it is easy to measure, results can be reviewed very quickly and improvements can be made immediately. Most email marketing software will allow you to track open, click-through and conversion rates, making it simple to spot how a campaign can be improved (10 benefits of email marketing | Pure360 2018).

Open Rates refer to the ratio of recipients that open the received email message, this measure can be used to assess how customers respond to a subject line.  Click- through rates describes when the recipient of the email, upon opening, clicks an embedded link within the email which sends them to the website.  Click- through rates can be achieved with placing 'Call to Action' buttons within the marketing email which send the reader to the appropriate sections of the website.  Attractive product images and promotions followed by a call to action button and a link straight to checkout could create impulse purchases. 

 (Malamut 2018)

The diagram above shows some very interesting facts and figures regarding email marketing, the diagram is based on figures from 2014.

The Radicati Group is a technology market research firm that provides quantitative and qualitative research on email, security, instant messaging and social networking.  In a recent report, The Radicati Group stated the following 'The number of worldwide email users will top 3.8b in 2018, and is expected to grow to over 4.2 billion by the end of 2022. Over half of the world population uses email in 2018' (Email Statistics Report, 2018-2022 2018).

In 2018, the total number of business and consumer emails sent and received per day will exceed 281 billion, and is forecast to grow to over 333 billion by year-end 2022  (Email Statistics Report, 2018-2022 2018).

It is evident from these statistics that email marketing is a very successful way to promote businesses and the sources indicate that this method of marketing will continue to grow in the future. In 2011, the Direct Marketing Association estimated that email marketing typically returns £40 for every £1 invested. A number of sources have suggested that this is better than any other channel (10 benefits of email marketing | Pure360 2018).

The graph pictured below shows the reasons why consumers open their email, it is interesting to note how important the subject line is.  The subject line will encourage 47% of consumers to open their email compared with 26% of consumers that will open their mail on the basis of the offer itself.  This highlights the importance of an engaging subject line in email marketing.  

Subject lines fewer than 10 characters long boasted an open rate of 58%, 38% higher than the next highest open rate, for subject lines of 50-59 characters in length (42%)(Meher 2018). Personalized subject lines are 22.2% more likely to be opened (Meher 2018).

(Meher 2018)

More emails are opened on mobile devices now than are opened on desktops (The 10 All-Time Worst Email Marketing Mistakes - (2018) .  It is vital that emails can be seen properly and that they look impressive on mobile devices. 

 (Specht et al. 2018)

(How to create email marketing campaigns for mobile devices - FreshMail 2018)

The way we interact with email when using mobile devices is very different than our “traditional” relationship with our inboxes. Two interactions exist, the first is the need to kill time and the second concerns the inner need to be up to date (How to create email marketing campaigns for mobile devices - FreshMail (2018)). . Emails on mobile devices are commonly read while in bed - both right after we wake up and just before we go to sleep .

(The 10 All-Time Worst Email Marketing Mistakes - 2018)

When implementing a marketing campaign, the consumer's emailing preferences must always take important hold.  The graph pictured above displays the results to a survey carried out in the US showed that consumers like to be emailed between once every two weeks and once a month.  Over mailing will fill up inboxes fast and if the emails are repetitive they could be ignored and could eventually lead to consumers leaving the mailing list all together.  

Mothercare is a nationally recognised brand which sells baby clothes, maternity clothes, toys, pushchairs and a wide range of baby equipment.  Mothercare holds regular sales and promotions which are promoted via social media and email newsletters.

There are many attractive qualities to the particular email shown above, I will list the items that I believe are successful marketing techniques.

• Instantly recognisable logo which with the additional holly has been given a seasonal twist to indicate the Christmas season.
• Clearly defined shopping categories listed along the top included with functioning links to the site for easy accessible shopping.
• Bright and noticeable discount code which also alerts the customers to the expiry of the discount code so they don't miss out.
• 50% off Christmas jumper sale promoted with clear and attractive images of the clothing with a 'shop now' call-to-action button.
• Sale items show the sale price and the original price to highlight to the customer the quality of the discount on offer.
• Sale is promoted further by the 'Don't forget the Christmas Jumper Day' which is season appropriate and participated by many schools and children's nurseries.
• Large follow on social media icons on display
• 'Trusted for over 50 years' reinforces the quality of the brand and reminds customers that they are a reliable and trusted company.
• More useful links to encourage shoppers to head to the site with ease.
• Terms and conditions and unsubscribe opt-out links are clearly displayed

Boots sells an extensive range of health care, beauty and pharmaceutical brands.  Boots also sell baby and children's clothes and encourages new parents to sign up to it's parenting club for exclusive offers and parental advice.

The email image above promotes Boots' upcoming baby event, where many popular items will be sold either at a discount or as a promotion for a limited time only.  The parenting club receives notification of these events in order to prepare the customer and encourage them to buy items at the event over their competitors. Such events are also rolled out by supermarkets and encourage customers to purchase large items or everyday items in bulk to maximise the deals on offer.

The email has many attractive qualities:

• Large and brightly coloured images to capture the attention of the recipient.
• A taster of the items that will appear in the baby event, the date that the event will begin and the duration.
• A reminder to the customer that Boots has a qualified team of pharmacists that can give advice relating to baby health, which encourages sales of pharmaceuticals.
• A reminder that items in the event can be bought online through order and collect, which will ensure the customer can shop for what they need without the concern that the items might be sold out.
• A large call-to-action button 'Shop Baby' which takes the customer straight to the site.
• Links to particular shopping categories are displayed at the top of the email.
• Unsubscribe and privacy policy displayed clearly.
• Large and recognisable follow on social media icons. 

The Cuddle Company is an online shop that sells handmade and personalised blankets and various items of clothing.  The email below is introducing a Halloween competition, it is engaging and will get the attention of the reader. Competitions are a great idea for getting the customers to interact with the brand and keep their attention on the site and products being sold. 

The email pictured below by Foodtown is an example of bad email marketing.  There are so many coloured images with far too much text in different font sizes, it is difficult to focus on any of the particular items being promoted.  Many of the discounts will be overlooked by the reader and nothing in particular stands out.  

(Bad Email Marketing Design Examples 2018)

The research and statistics that I have gathered has enabled me to decide on the features that I would like to appear in my email campaign. Through my research, I have discovered many considerations which are vital for a successful email marketing campaign. I have evaluated emails sent by competitors and I have learnt  how to pitch the right information to the right audience in the right way at the right time. 

Following my research, I developed a number of emails that could be sent to people that join the Mini Steps mailing list. I used MailChimp to create my emails and screenshots of my designs are listed below.

Introducing the Spring Range

Summer Sandals- 20% Off Discount Code

Autumn Sale

Refer a Friend for a 20% Discount

I wanted my designs to reflect the Mini Steps brand.  The people that sign up to the newsletter do so in order to receive offers and discounts, I have designed an email that promotes a sale and a discount code.  Sales and discount codes reward customer loyalty and are used widely across different businesses.  Refer a friend is a clever way to get existing customers to actively find new customers in exchange for an incentive such as freebies or discounts.  This marketing ploy could be rolled out during quieter months to attract more business.

In all of my emails I have ensured the following:

• Good brand recognition- visible logos, company name, etc.
• A small, simple collection of large and attractive images.
• Appropriate use of call-to-action buttons.
• Small volumes of subject appropriate text.
• A punchy subject line- to grab the attention of the reader
• Attractive and legible text font.
• Responsiveness across desktops, tablets and mobile devices.
• Seasonal images and appropriate colour schemes.
• Large follow on social media icons.
• Links to the Mini Steps website.
• Clearly visible opt-out link for customers to unsubscribe.

I have produced a table which displays the intended marketing campaign across a 12 month period stating the type of email that would be sent each month, please see below.  The emails were chosen to keep the customers in touch with the brand at regular intervals.  I wanted to ensure that the emails would have wide appeal and not become repetitive or excessive.  It was logical to place promotion of sales a month before the introduction of the new season's range. The marketing strategy would be reviewed, monitored and maintained continuously to enhance business performance.

REFERENCES

Specht, B., Specht, B. & Posts, S. (2018) The 2017 Email Client Market Share [Infographic] – Litmus Software, Inc.. [Online] Available from: https://litmus.com/blog/the-2017-email-client-market-share-infographic [Accessed 2 April 2018].

Staff, I. (2018) Marketing Campaign. [Online] Available from: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketing-campaign.asp [Accessed 2 April 2018].

Meher, J. (2018) The Ultimate List of 2012 Email Marketing Stats. [Online] Available from: https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33901/The-Ultimate-List-of-2012-Email-Marketing-Stats.aspx [Accessed 2 April 2018].

Malamut, C. (2018) Statistics that Prove Email Marketing is (Still) Not Dead - Capterra Blog. [Online] Available from: https://blog.capterra.com/statistics-email-marketing-not-dead/ [Accessed 2 April 2018].

The 10 All-Time Worst Email Marketing Mistakes - (2018). [Online] Available from: http://blog.sendlane.com/10-time-worst-email-marketing-mistakes/ [Accessed 2 April 2018].

 Bad Email Marketing Design Examples (2018). [Online] Available from: https://www.mailjet.com/blog/news/email-design-halloween/ [Accessed 2 April 2018].

 Email Statistics Report, 2018-2022 (2018). [Online] Radicati Group, Inc. Available from: https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Email-Statistics-Report-2018-2022-Executive-Summary.pdf [Accessed 3 April 2018].

10 benefits of email marketing | Pure360 (2018). [Online] Available from: https://www.pure360.com/10-benefits-of-email-marketing/ [Accessed 3 April 2018].

How to create email marketing campaigns for mobile devices - FreshMail (2018). [Online] Available from: https://freshmail.com/guide/create-email-marketing-campaigns-mobile-devices/ [Accessed 6 April 2018].