Have you been waiting for it (almost) as long as GOT season 8? Here's episode 2 of our Fact Checking column, dedicated to preconceived ideas about email marketing. In this second installment, we take a look at 4 preconceived ideas (or not) for boosting prospecting emails.
But there are certain codes that need to be respected. Some ideas seem good, or original... but are they really effective?
So here we go, FAKE NEWS or NOT FAKE NEWS?
Info n°1 : drive-to-store thanks to the geolocation of Internet users is the solution... Fake news!
We agree, but it would be ideal if our prospecting emails could have a direct effect on online sales AND in-store sales. The chimerical meeting of the digital and the physical. So why not offer drive-to-store mechanics in acquisition emails?...
After all, it's so simple: all you have to do is geolocate the prospect at the time of opening, thanks to his IP address, and push him a tempting offer at the nearest point of sale. However, unlike fluid mechanics or the study of the knights of the year 1000 at Lake Paladru, IP addresses are not an exact science...
The IP address does not (yet) allow us to pinpoint the exact location of an Internet user. It can extend over dozens of kilometers. The most advanced location-based services offer correct information in only 50% of cases within a 10km radius. And let's not forget the use of proxy/VPN services (such as NordVPN or certain anti-virus software), which can locate a surfer hundreds or even thousands of kilometers from his or her actual location. It's like offering a promotion on pains au chocolat to buyers of chocolatines... Outch!
Another limitation of the drive-to-store mechanics applied to acquisition is that the prospect knows little or nothing about your brand. The offer must therefore have sufficient impact to make the prospect want to visit the store. Bring out the big promotional artillery, because a free rose on Women's Day might not be enough...
News #2: Personalizing my email will boost my KPI's... Fake news!
We've already talked to you about how and why to adapt your communication to your prospect's target audience. What works for CRM / loyalty is not necessarily a panacea when it comes to acquisition. While a web user who is a customer and subscriber to a newsletter may feel valued by receiving a personalized newsletter (surname, first name, last visit, etc.), this may not be the case for a prospect, who may be less sensitive or even downright resistant to too much familiarity. It's a bit like being on first-name terms with your future mother-in-law when you have your first roast chicken on Sunday.
Premature personalized communication (even with a simple "Hello Juliette!") can seem intrusive and produce the opposite effect to the one initially intended... the prospect runs away!
Finally, you should be aware that a mistake by the basic editor cannot be ruled out, and that the presence of errors in the prospect's first or last name could prove particularly damaging...
"- His name is Juste Leblanc... - Oh really, he doesn't have a first name?"
Tip n°3: displaying dynamic elements will hold prospects' attention and boost the reactivity rate... Not fake news!
To stand out in mailboxes, especially during periods when prospects are hyper-solicited such as sales or holiday seasons, we're tempted to use a certain number of dynamic elements that will grab web users' attention.
Great idea! When you consider that the average reading time of an email is around 6 seconds, this is a good way to catch their eye and make them want to find out more about your offer or collection. Certain formats, such as gifs or countdowns, are particularly virtuous. Not to mention the sense of urgency it inspires, which boosts the reactivity rate...
So, as the saying goes, "Move with the post"! But beware, animated formats should be handled with care:
- Certain animated formats make your emails heavier and can penalize your deliverability.
To find out more about best practices for animated formats, read our article : "Animate your acquisition emailing: which format should you choose?"
- Content or offers that adapt dynamically according to the day or opening hours of the email, or stock levels, can be interesting to test. However, it implies a very generalized email subject, which can be detrimental to the open rate.
Finally, you should know that animated formats are like good words: you mustn't overuse them in the content of your emails...
Tip no. 4: Using the same subject line for my email campaign (relayed in CRM, PRM and acquisition) will enable me to harmonize and give greater strength to my communications... Fake news.
It's never a good idea to impose a single object on a customer, whether to win new business or to build loyalty! Such a practice can have two major impacts:
- A deterioration in deliverability. Relaying similar information multiplies the chances of being flagged by ISPs as a commercial e-mail. The royal road to the SPAM box! Not to mention the fact that the distribution of one type of e-mail has an impact on that of another: a CRM e-mail that encounters SPAM problems will have direct consequences on its PRM twin, which will also join the abyss of undesirable messages...
- Lower open rates. Just because an object has been effective in CRM doesn't mean it will be effective in acquisition or PRM: the audience is by definition not the same.
To control the subject lines of your email campaigns, opt for different subject lines in PRM and CRM, and offer a minimum of 5 subject lines for acquisition from publishers!
One thing's for sure, and therefore not FAKE, and that is that we're delighted to have spent this time reading with you and would love to extend it for real!
