When carried out properly, an email marketing campaign can still be generate a greater return on investment than almost any other type of marketing. In recent years, email marketing has yielded an ROI of about $40 for every $1 spent on it, according to numerous reports.
Of course, the fact is that not all companies do email marketing the right way. In fact, most get it wrong, and they make costly mistakes that prevent them from getting the results they desire. The good news is that with the right online CRM software, you can avoid many of the mistakes other email marketers make.
What bad email marketing practices can online CRM software help you avoid?
Mistake #1: Waiting too long to follow up
Timing is everything when it comes to email marketing. If you wait too long to contact a new prospect or subscriber to your email list, you’re likely going to let a good opportunity slip away. Whenever someone signs up for your email list, you need to send a message to them immediately to get them engaged in your email marketing campaign.
The great thing about online CRM software is that it can automate this process for you. You can set up your email marketing campaign to automatically send out certain messages to prospects, new subscribers, or other individuals at a certain time. This ensures that the timing of your emails is always just right.
Mistake #2: Not contacting your customers on a regular basis
Email marketing is, in many ways, about building relationships. What does it take to build relationships with your prospects and customers? Communication. If you aren’t communicating with your audience on a regular basis, they’re going to forget about your company and lose interest in your products and services.
With the right online CRM system, you can easily schedule your emails to go out at certain times so that you are contacting your subscribers on a regular basis. This will help to keep subscribers engaged and to prevent lapsed subscribers.
Mistake #3: Not segmenting your email list
Not everyone on your contact list is the same, so it just doesn’t make sense to blast out the same email to everyone on your list every single time. Your contact list includes different groups, such as prospects, customers, men, women, young people, old people, etc. By segmenting your contact list into appropriate categories, you can better target your customers with tailored email messages that speak to their needs. An online CRM program can make doing this a breeze.
Mistake #4: Not tracking the results of your campaign
Do you know how your email marketing campaign is performing? What percentage of emails are actually getting opened? Which links and offers within your email are getting clicked? Which calls to action get the best response? Which subscribers are most active?
The more information you have about your email marketing campaign, the better. Data helps you make informed decisions for your email marketing campaign. A good CRM system will track every important detail of your email marketing campaign.
When choosing a CRM system, find one that offers advanced email marketing capabilities so you can take your campaign to the next level!
Craig Klein is CEO and Founder of Sales Nexus, a leading online CRM software provider for small businesses and sales teams. Craig’s a sales process guy. His passion is helping small businesses hire, train, measure and manage sales people through their entire sales process.