Return Path: Three steps to better email campaigns

Nearly 15 years since the first email campaigns were sent and it still seems that email marketing is misunderstood. According to a recent study from Return Path, more than half of the email campaigns from big brands to consumers were fumbled.

by Kristina Knight

For the study, Return Path subscribed to email programs from 60 of the biggest marketers; researchers found that 60% of these marketers did not send a welcome message and most marketers waited about 10 days for the first email contact.

Both of these issues are huge where email is concerned. Consumers who sign up for newsletters, coupons and other marketer information expect to see a return on their time investment nearly immediately. A welcome email is the perfect first step.

With a welcome email, marketers are introduce the company to the consumer, lay out their email plans and include an initial offer. This is a good way to let the consumer know when to expect contact and is a great way to engage. The first actual email campaign should be sent within one week after the initial welcome/contact letter to keep user interest peaked.

Another miss: those companies who actually sent a welcome letter did not personalize that note. Only 15% of marketers personalized messages but 70% had that information because they asked for a full name during the subscription process.

Not personalizing messages is a simple fix but it is one that should never happen. One of the first rules of marketing is to know your consumer; what better way to engage a user than to use his or her name?

By taking these three steps: sending a welcome note, personalizing that welcome email and contacting users faster, marketers can expect to improve the ROI of email campaigns.