Throughout our last several articles, we’ve been helping pizza business owners with practical tips that will allow them to build a powerful online presence. Number 4 on the list was email marketing, which we broke into two segments. Last time, we shared 3 simple steps to start building your email list, so if you haven’t read it, check it out today!
For this article, we will presume that you followed those tips and have a list of customer email addresses to work with. With that starting point, we will answer the question of ‘what is email marketing’ and share strategies and best practices to keep in mind as you create your email marketing campaign.
What Is Email Marketing?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s back up for a minute and answer the question, “What is email marketing?”
Email marketing is a form of digital marketing where businesses use email to send promotional, informative, or transactional messages to customers. Doing so builds relationships and informs your audience about your business, products, and services. Email marketing aims to reach the right people at the right time with the right message to drive sales, engagement, and loyalty.
You can use email marketing for many purposes, including promoting new products, building brand awareness, and increasing customer engagement. When it is used effectively, email marketing allows businesses to communicate with their audience in a targeted, personalized, and cost-effective way, making it an essential part of any marketing strategy.
As a reminder, we mentioned in our last article that the average expected ROI of email marketing is $40 for every $1 spent on marketing. For this reason, no matter what your marketing budget is, it’s a great idea to put some of your money into email marketing. Of course, to get an ROI like that, you have to approach each email marketing campaign strategically. Read on as we will fill you in on the top email marketing strategies and best practices.
9 Email Marketing Strategies and Best Practices
Email marketing is a crucial aspect of running a successful pizza business. You can keep your customers engaged and coming back for more with the right strategies. In the section below, we’ll review some of the best email marketing strategies for pizza business owners. By following these tips, you’ll be able to see real results and grow your pizza business.
1. Segment Your Email List
Segmenting your email list is a powerful way to send targeted messages to different groups of customers. This approach allows you to tailor your messages based on customer behavior and preferences, increasing the chances of contacts opening and engaging with your emails. For example, you could send different emails to customers who haven’t ordered from you in a while and those who frequently order from you. By sending more relevant messages, you’ll increase the likelihood of customers taking action.
2. Carefully Choose a Subject Line
Choosing the right subject line is crucial to the success of your email marketing campaigns. A good subject line can increase the open rate of your emails, while a weak or misleading one can lead to low open rates and even prompt people to mark your emails as spam. According to a recent study, 64% of people decide to open an email (or not) based on the subject line.
Here are some tips to help you choose effective subject lines for your emails:
- Be Concise: Subject lines should be short and to the point, ideally around 50 characters or less.
- Be Clear and Descriptive: Your subject line should accurately reflect the content of your email.
- Use Strong Language: Use powerful language to grab your subscribers’ attention. For example, “Limited time offer” or “Exclusive deal for subscribers.”
- Create a Sense of Urgency: Try using a deadline or a call to action in your subject line. For example, “Last chance to save 50% on pizzas!”
- Personalize: Personalize your subject lines by including your subscriber’s name, location, or previous purchases.
2. Personalize Your Emails
To follow up on our suggestion of personalizing the email subject line, you can also use personalization in the body of your emails. Adding a customer’s name or information about their previous orders can make your emails feel more personal and increase the likelihood of them acting. Personalization not only makes your emails more relevant, but it also makes your customers feel valued. This can help build a stronger relationship with your customers and increase the chances of them becoming repeat customers.
3. Make It Easy to Unsubscribe
While you want to keep your customers on your email list, it’s important to make it easy for them to unsubscribe if they want to. Including an easy-to-use unsubscribe link in every email you send will help keep your list clean and reduce the chances of your emails being marked as spam. Additionally, making it easy for customers to unsubscribe can help build trust with your audience. By respecting their wishes and making it easy for them to opt out, you show that you value their preferences and don’t want to harass them with unwanted emails.
It’s also worth mentioning that having a clean email list can help improve the deliverability of your emails. By regularly removing inactive or unengaged subscribers, you can ensure that your emails are being sent to people interested in hearing from you. This can increase your emails’ open and engagement rates, leading to better results for your email marketing campaigns.
4. Offer Incentives
Offering incentives in your emails is a great way to encourage customers to take action. Incentives can come in many forms, from discounts and promotions to exclusive access to new menu items. It’s important to consider what incentives would appeal to your customers and test different options to see what works best. You may also want to consider offering different incentives to different segments of your email list based on their behavior and preferences. For example, you could offer a discount to customers who haven’t ordered in a while and a free item to frequent customers to say thank you.
5. Try A/B Testing
A/B testing is a great way to see what’s working and what’s not in your email marketing campaigns. You can determine what resonates best with your audience and make changes accordingly by testing different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, call-to-actions, and email content. A/B testing allows you to optimize your emails for maximum effectiveness, which can lead to better results for each email marketing campaign.
To start with A/B testing, choose a single element to test and send two different versions of your email to a small portion of your email list. After analyzing the results, send the winning version to the rest of your email list. Repeat this process for each element you want to test, making changes and refining your emails based on the results.
6. Be Mobile-Friendly
With more and more people checking their emails on their mobile devices, making sure your emails are mobile-friendly is important. Mobile-friendly emails are easier to read and navigate on a small screen, increasing the chances of people opening and engaging with your emails. To make your emails mobile-friendly:
- Use a responsive email design that adjusts to the size of the screen it’s being viewed on.
- Use a clear and simple layout that is easy to read on a small screen.
- Test your email to see what it looks like on a mobile device.
7. Make It Visually Appealing
Making your emails visually appealing is a great way to grab your customer’s attention and keep them engaged. Incorporating visuals into your emails can also help break up large blocks of text and make your messages easier to read. This can help keep your customers engaged and increase their chances of taking action. When adding visuals to your emails, ensure they are high quality and relevant to the content of your message.
8. Utilize Automation
Automating your email marketing campaign can save you time and effort while increasing your messages’ effectiveness. With automation, you can set up targeted and triggered emails that are sent automatically based on specific actions taken by your customers. Most of the top platforms for email marketing include automation.
9. Track and Analyze Results
Finally, it’s important to track and analyze the results of your email marketing campaigns to see what’s working and what’s not. Using these metrics, you can make data-driven decisions about optimizing your email marketing campaigns for better results. You can refine your email marketing strategies by continuously tracking and analyzing your results to achieve the best possible results for your pizza business.
Plan Your Next Email Marketing Campaign!
In conclusion, email marketing is an effective and cost-efficient way to reach and engage your customers. By following these strategies, you can maximize the impact of your email marketing campaigns and see real results for your pizza business. Get going with these tips and plan your next email marketing campaign today! And stay tuned because next time we will cover our last element of online presence – online advertising.
