We have previously discussed the critical nature of email marketing for affiliate marketers based on its powerful return on investment. However, you can only optimize ROI by following email marketing best practices specific to the affiliate business.
The following is an overview of several best practices in email marketing, along with insights and tips to help you implement them in your business.
Building a large contact list is beneficial for affiliate marketing. However, the larger your list, the more diverse the interests of the people on it. Therefore, as your list grows, it becomes increasingly imperative that you segment your content to optimize relevance.
When you create sign-up or subscription forms, include options for subscribers to self-select preferences. Even free platforms like MailChimp allow you to provide segmenting options. For instance, you can ask subscribers about particular interests, product preferences, or content interests. Options for affiliate marketers may include: 1) Newsletters, 2) Deals and Discounts, 3) Announcements and 4) New Product Updates. Some subscribers may select to receive content on all of these, whereas others might only have interest in one or two.
Relevant targeting improves open rates and reduces the frequency of unsubscribes.
“Drip” is a common term used to describe a series of messages built in advance and delivered to people over time in a scheduled sequence. This type of automated campaign is available through most major email marketing software programs. It allows you to plan a cohesive message strategy and to time your email deliveries for optimum impact.
Automated campaigns are often triggered by user behavior as well. For instance, you can target new site visitors and customers with content matching what they viewed on-site. This approach is much more effective than sending the same general campaign to everyone.
If you get readers to engage with your content and respond to calls-to-action, you are more likely to keep them subscribed and interested. Interactive features, such as videos, images, and other features, contribute to engagement.
Generating a response is based, in part, on offering a CTA that aligns with the targeted reader’s interests. Think about whether a campaign message is most sensibly followed with a more in-depth content piece like an eBook or whitepaper, a promotional offer, or something else. Give clear action signals with a button for your CTA.
Daily deals sites like Groupon are built on massive contact lists. However, these types of sites often struggle with low open rates. This reality illustrates that people become desensitized and disinterested in daily promotional pitches.
Mix up your content to include valuable information and resources, entertainment, and occasional incentives. The content diversity is more appealing to typical subscribers.
These are some of the best email marketing practices to aid affiliate marketers in maximizing ROI. The potential with email campaigns is great, but only if you have a solid plan!