Building and segmenting your contact list
Building a high-quality contact database
First and foremost, it is essential to build up a high-quality contact database that complies with the RGPD (General Data Protection Regulation).
To do this:
- Set up clear and visible registration forms on your website.
- Offer something of value (white papers, discounts, exclusive content) to encourage people to sign up.
- Avoid buying databases that could not only damage your reputation, but are also contrary to good legal and ethical practice.
Segment for better targeting
Fine segmentation of your contacts will enable you to offer more relevant messages and increase your open and click rates. You can segment your lists according to :
- Geographical location
- Purchase or engagement history
- Stage in the buying cycle
- Expressed preferences or interests
Advantage: a personalised message in the right mailbox at the right time significantly increases the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Customisation and automation
Personalising content
Personalising email subject lines and body copy is crucial. Use the recipient's name in the subject line or introduction, and tailor the content to their interests and past behaviour:
- Make product/service recommendations based on previous purchases
- Adapt the tone or frequency according to the level of engagement (very active customers, prospects on the lookout, etc.)
Setting up automated scenarios
Automation tools (workflows) make it easier to set up email scenarios tailored to the customer's behaviour or stage in the customer journey. For example:
- An automatic welcome email after registration
- Automated reminders for abandoned shopping baskets
- Sending an anniversary or thank-you email after a purchase
Tip: automation saves time, creates a smoother user experience and increases the conversion rate.
Designing hard-hitting emails
Taking care with the subject line and pre-header
The subject line is the first thing the recipient sees. To maximise your open rate :
- Opt for a short, catchy subject line (ideally between 40 and 50 characters).
- Avoid words that are too ‘commercial’ (e.g. ‘free’, ‘promotion’, etc.), which are likely to trigger anti-spam filters.
- Use a pre-header (a line of text that appears after the subject line) to encourage recipients to open the email and to give it more context.
Make the message clear and concise
Internet users spend little time reading their e-mails. Make sure that :
- The design should be uncluttered, with short paragraphs and light visuals.
- The call-to-action (CTA) should be clearly identifiable and placed at the beginning of the content.
- The main information (offer, benefits, conversion link) should be quickly accessible.
Optimising mobile display
Today, a large proportion of emails are consulted on smartphones. A responsive email, adapted to mobile reading, is therefore essential.
Make sure you :
- Reduce the width of the content and increase the size of the font to improve readability.
- Do not overload the email with images.
- Make sure CTAs are large enough and well spaced out to be clickable on a touch screen.
Measuring and optimising performance
Monitoring key indicators
To measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, you can track :
- The open rate
- Click-through rate
- Conversion rate (purchases, registrations, downloads, etc.)
- Unsubscribe rate and spam complaints
Regularly analyse these metrics to identify areas for improvement and refine your approach.
Testing and optimisation (A/B testing)
Mettez en place des tests A/B pour optimiser en continu vos campagnes :
- Testez différents objets, pré-headers, visuels ou emplacements de CTA.
- Comparez les résultats et validez la meilleure version.
- Appliquez les enseignements tirés à l’ensemble de vos futurs emails.
Complying with regulations and good practice
Beyond performance, it is important to respect data protection rules and ensure that your mailings are compliant.
- Obtain the explicit consent of your recipients (opt-in).
- Systematically offer an unsubscribe link and make the unsubscribe process easy.
- Comply with current legislation (RGPD in the EU in particular).
Tip: a compliant and transparent campaign builds subscriber confidence and preserves the reputation of your sending domain.
Conclusion
The success of email marketing lies in the balance between personalisation, relevance of content and respect for the recipient. To develop a winning strategy, you need to :
- Build up a qualified, segmented contact base.
- Personalise messages and automate delivery to increase effectiveness.
- Design hard-hitting emails that are suitable for all media.
- Analyse performance and regularly optimise your approach.
- Comply with current legislation and maintain the trust of your subscribers.
By applying these best practices, your email marketing strategy will become a major asset for strengthening customer loyalty, generating new sales opportunities and building brand awareness.
