No matter how savvy you feel you are when it comes to the subject of email marketing, the landscape is constantly shifting. To stay ahead of the crowd, then, it has become vital to regularly review your strategies and to adapt according to the latest trends.

Even with increased competition, email newsletter marketing continues to be one of the best ways to cut marketing costs while reaching more customers than ever before. With the popularity of social media engagement and cross platform marketing, your newsletter can still play a key role in coordinating your online promotions.

Taking your Email Marketing to the Next Level
As with all forms of marketing, your company's email newsletter shouldn't stand still. In the second part of this two part series we look at the latest techniques to maximise your email marketing.

Perception of Value
Okay, they may have given you their email address at some point in the past, but don't be fooled into assuming your current subscribers (a) remember who you are or (b) even care. Whether you send out weekly, monthly or quarterly newsletters – find a subtle way of reminding the reader of your unique value proposition that prompted them to sign up in the first place.

Consider the Bigger Picture
When it comes to marketing a service or product, an email is rarely just an email. It forms part of the overall customer experience (as opposed to just subscribers). Avoid slipping those blinkers on and thinking of email marketing as a sterile environment.

Consider how your marketing efforts align with your overall brand and image, and ensure your message is consistent.

Use your resources
Only by using data correctly will you ensure your subscribers' experience is a fulfilling one. Data holds the key to any successful marketing campaign. However, as you collect data be careful not to discard or dismiss vital information such as user preferences (how information is used, frequency of messages etc.) – this information is arguably as important as your creative marketing efforts.

Listen to what they have asked for, and deliver on your promise.

Carrot and Stick
Whilst blindly firing out emails and asking for subscribers may result in an initially high success rate, the subsequent drop-off may prove less desirable. Remember, you want people to want your email.

Consider including a sample with your initial mail-out or promotional offer – this will ultimately result in an engaged, receptive readership as opposed to an indifferent one.

Bite-Sized Chunks
You can't please all of the people all of the time, and expecting your content to be absolutely relevant to every one of your subscribers is – in short - unrealistic. With this in mind, the email 'mini-series' has become a popular vehicle for many email marketers.

Pick a topic that engages the reader and bears some relevance to current events – for example the 12 days of Christmas, New Year's resolutions, 7 deadly sins and so on. Placing your message in some kind of social context provides fresh and stimulating ways to engage your readership.

So, when you sit down to write your next marketing email – consider some of the points above. Don't be afraid however to experiment and learn from the results – the rest is up to you!

If you would like assistance in evaluating the effectiveness of your email marketing activities, or wish to create your own email marketing strategy, call us on 0845 345 2592.