The email marketing mix

Forget killer headlines, attention-grabbing subject lines, stand-out graphics, cross-platform compatibility and spam-filter-beating code/ content… These are extremely important elements in the design of a successful email but the really crucial variables aren't in the mechanics. They're in the process. And you don't have control over all of them.
A simplified list would look something like this:

• The target recipient
• Timing
• The hook
• The follow-up

This is the email marketing mix and we'll tackle each core ingredient one at a time.

The target recipient

The zeroth law of any kind of online marketing. You won't get results by sending the right message to the wrong person or, more damagingly, sending the wrong message to the right person.

Before you get writing your email you've got to know exactly who you're writing for. Think about key traits. What are they looking for? What are their key motivators? What appeals to them and what worries them?

Targeted emails work best. Don't just segment your lists by some arbitrary demographic or statistic. Dig deeper. Segmentation should create target audiences grouped by these key shared traits. That way you can develop messages specifically targeted to match.

Timing

Timing is everything. You won't get results by hitting the right person with the right message, just at the wrong time. And you can get unexpectedly good results from being fortunate to get your message across at just the right time.

Timing is the most uncontrollable variable. What would've guaranteed a response yesterday didn't work today because the recipient was on holiday, crazily busy or bought that morning from one of your competitors. Likewise, nothing you sent yesterday would've worked but today the recipient came to the realisation they needed what you had to offer.

Know your target recipients and try to anticipate the right timing for your emails. Not just "Thursday at 2pm", but by including time-related criteria (e.g. budget cycles and industry events) in your segmentation.

Create campaigns that build over time and keep people engaged. This not only builds brand awareness but increases the chances of an email being read at just the right time. Carefully constructed campaigns also allow you to create your own timing… perhaps a 'soft sell' newsletter-style for engagement, building and preparing toward a stronger call-to-action.

Also be flexible and responsive. Don't stick to a rigid campaign framework planned out months in advance. Timing is about being topical. Tying your message into what's on recipients' minds greatly increases its effectiveness.

Successful email marketing isn't "fire and forget".

The Hook

You know your target audience and what's on their mind. You've segmented your contacts accordingly. The job of your email is to create the right 'hook' to grab attention and get a response. Armed with the first two pieces of knowledge and the right segmentation your job is now a lot easier.

The hook is the purpose of your email. It's the headline, the call-to-action and the theme… it's what leads to the message. The message is how you present the hook, what makes it palatable… the bait if you like. Don't make the mistake of starting with the bait (writing the message) before you've set the hook.

The follow-up

From landing pages to telesales calls, from the next email in your campaign to supportive social media activity… failing to make the follow-up an integral part of your email is like forgetting to tie the hook to a line.

Someone clicks on a link in your email. Where does it go? To an optimised landing page that continues the message and leads to a simple and strong call-to-action? Or are they dumped on your home page?

When someone clicks through and spends hours on your site but doesn't contact you or abandons their shopping cart – what are you doing to follow-up that interest? A phone call, a follow-up email, nothing?

Again, successful email marketing isn't "fire and forget".

Mix it up

Before you start writing, designing and coding your emails spend plenty of time on understanding your target recipients and thinking about the timing. Develop the hook first and make the follow-up an integral part.

Mix it up a bit. Test different timings, segmentations and hooks. Be responsive by adapting to, and taking advantage of, topical opportunities. And, above all, give yourself a chance by creating intelligent campaigns rather than blind one-off email blasts.