If you’re running email campaigns as part of your automotive digital marketing strategy, you might be wondering how to get more out of your email marketing. There are some ways to improve email marketing success, and we’ve compiled them here for you.

UTILIZE YOUR SUBJECT LINE & PRE-HEADER TEXT

The subject line is going to be the first thing a client sees when they receive an email. This line is used to grab the user’s attention and make them want to click open. You want to release an offer that customers will not resist or give them some exciting news. For example – when it comes to dealership marketing, using a monthly payment, low APR finance rate, or an all-new vehicle announcement will prompt users to open the email.  These types of subject lines will work even better if you have a segmented email list that fits the buying habit of your customers.

Optimizing your pre-header text to support your subject line is another way to ensure open rates. Many users are opening on mobile, so having a pre-header text provides another reason to open. Using urgency or making this text personal is a plus!

HAVE A GRAPHICALLY PLEASING EMAIL

There are many different types of emails designs depending on who the target audience is. Some email designs have more text, and others are more graphic-based. No matter what kind of email you are sending out, you want to make sure that it draws in the audience. It should be clean, to the point with the messaging, include photos, interactive call to action buttons, and a continuous color theme.

MAKE SURE IT IS MOBILE-FRIENDLY

In today’s digital world, most people are checking their emails on their mobile devices. This is a key factor in creating an email. If your email does not fit the proper size for mobile, it is at risk of getting that automatic delete. People are served upwards of 300 plus emails per day. With that many incoming, you want yours to stand out while fitting nicely on the smaller screen. Each email needs to be effective for any device that it’s opened on.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ACCURATE LANDING PAGES & WORKING LINKS

Accurate landing pages that are linked are what’s going to keep the user on your website. You want each section of your email to link back to your website. The email will be the first step of your client interaction, but your landing pages will determine whether there will be more interaction or a possible sale. You want to make sure that your landing pages mimic what is in your email and provide the user with more information.

Every email that has HTML coded within it – needs to be tested properly before the official launch. If you have an email full of graphics, but broken links, it defeats the purpose of the email. Once you’ve sent yourself a test of the email, take your time to go through each link within the HTML. You want to test your emails with all campaigns, even if they are just text.

Tracking your links is going to be very beneficial for seeing what your users are doing. It gives you insight into what pages they are visiting, or if they click away from them. It helps with future campaigns and to see what is working, and what isn’t working. This coding and linking helps us as automotive digital marketers determine what works best for our client’s audience and improves overall conversion tracking.

TEST YOUR EMAILS

Test everything when it comes to your email campaigns. A/B testing will benefit in seeing what small changes help increase rates. A/B testing is a way to see what is working for your emails.

You test different versions of a single email to see how small changes can impact the results by changing the subject line, content, creative, or times to send. Don’t change too many things at once. You want to keep it subtle, so you know what works moving forward. Changing the subject line can help you increase click-through rates, changing the call-to-action buttons and positioning in the emails can increase click-through rates.

Compare the results after a few different tests. This will help gauge what times your audience is actively engaging with the content, and when it helps increase potential sales.

FINDING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

TARGETING YOUR AUDIENCE: Finding your target audience can take time and it isn’t always easy. You should have a base level of your audience, and who they are but you want to get to know them better. You must learn about your target audience and their buying habits to be able to curate an email that will attract them. Using demographics such as age, gender, company position, income can tell a lot about a person’s wants and needs. Depending on the email, the target audience can differ.

WHEN TO SEND THE EMAIL: Finding the best time to send your email campaign to your target audience is going to be done by testing. There are no specific days that will work for every business. Tuesday and Thursdays have seen better engagement for some. There are different times you can test. Early morning – to capture the clients who check their emails first thing in the morning. Mid-Day – to catch who check their email during lunch. Late afternoon – for those who need a pick-me-up. Early Evening – for those during/after their work commute. However, every email list is different. Some marketing standards will work for some, but not all businesses. You need to understand your audience and know what days and times work for them.

CLEANSE YOUR LISTS: When you find your target audience and build email lists it’s helpful to keep it clean. A list that is up to date, clean, and exactly the audience you want will help you have higher engagement rates. If you are sending an email to someone who regularly does not open or read emails, that can negatively affect your campaign. Remove subscribers who haven’t opened an email and focus on those who are opening and engaging.

PERSONALIZE YOUR EMAIL

Personalizing your emails to directly incorporate your target audience can give you a better chance at click-through rates. There doesn’t need to be many different ones – start with the basics. Adding in their first name is a good way to catch the user’s eye and attention. Adding it into the subject line is a bonus!

Along with personalizing the email, it’s best to have your email campaign come from a personal email. Most people are more likely to open and engage with emails that come from a person or company. It can push a client away just seeing no reply as the sender’s email address. Not being able to contact you directly through that email, can steer users away.

HAVE A CLEAR CALL TO ACTION

Having a clear call to action is significant for success in email marketing. It doesn’t matter what type of traffic you are looking to drive in, if the user can see the call to action within a few seconds of looking over the email. The buttons usually use bright colors with good placement for the best engagement. They have large text that is easy to read, but you don’t want to go overboard. Keep it short and simple but create urgency. Use the action-oriented text on the buttons to grab the attention of the users.

If you’re thinking about adding email marketing to your advertising mix or think it might be time to revamp your current strategy, D2D can help you with all of the pieces outlined in this blog as well as develop a clean professional look for your emails. Contact us today online or call 877-958-4524.