Content plays a vital role in customer engagement
You’ve been sending emails to your customers and waited for them to participate and engage. Much to your dismay, the response has been cold. You’ve done everything to make your emails interesting but, something is missing in them.
Here’s how customers will feel the need to respond to your emails:
It is all about impulse when an email reaches the inbox and the receiver decides to open and respond to it. So, it’s a matter of a few minutes – create such an impact on the mind of the customers that they would respond immediately. Content has a significant role in extracting that quick and impulsive response.
The key is not only reaching out to customers but inspiring them to engage with the brand. Customers should instantly act on the email. An element of surprise, delight, and compulsion to act over the email is vital for the success of email marketing campaigns.
So, how content plays a vital role in engaging the customer and eliciting a response you wish?
1.An element of surprise
All emails are more or less the same. Why would customers bother to respond to this monotony? So, your email should create an element of surprise. Awe and delight the customer. How will you do this?
It is not a difficult task in this technology-driven world, where technology has made things simpler. Use videos, GIFS, and memes to make emails interactive.
Also, use a conversational tone while you write the content. Audiences should feel that the email isn’t coming from a brand, but an individual. This makes your brand human and approachable. 81% of content marketers believe that interactive content grabs attention more effectively than static content.
Audiences would love you and once this feeling seeps in there is no turning back. Engagement is bound to be a regular phenomenon in your communication with the customers.
2. Let the design blend with the content
When customers decide to open the email its an opportunity to get a step closer to them. Don’t miss this chance. The first thing that strikes and stands out is the design- the color combination, font, the way the information is presented and the outlay. All of this should catch the attention of the customer.
Customers also notice the content, which should be conversational as mentioned earlier. But, design and content don’t work in isolation. They have to blend and be in sync with each other. If the content is funny the images, design, and colors used should all be adding to the humor. The bottom line is the design and content should appeal to the audiences.
3. Understand what motivates your consumers to react, act – click, read and share
When you reach out to customers, study how various customers have reacted to your emails. What links they have clicked, what content they’ve read, have they shared the information on the social media or shared the email with someone?
Know what makes them act- click, read and share? Once you’ve analyzed their response, design custom made emails to audiences. Share information that interests them.
4. Personalize and probe
Personalize your communication with the customer. This is possible when you ask for some information that can help you know more about customers. You will get many opportunities to probe.
Customers visit your website and spend time on particular pages. This indicates their subject of interest. But, if you need to know something more about them, there can be a pop-up on your website where you ask some vital information about them. It may be their birth date, anniversary date, their interests, hobbies, address, or profession. You can ask them what are they hunting? Is there any particular information they are looking out for?
All this information when gathered will give you an idea as to how to personalize the email.
Personalized emails create a greater impact.
5. Information driven emails
Customers are looking out for something- a product or service. They have a query or curiosity, which needs to be satiated. They are hunting for information online or offline. So, know what they are curious about.
When you care to know what they are looking out for they tend to feel the connection. When you send an email, ask them how you can help them? You can also observe how they navigate through the website or which landing page they visit?
Satiate the curiosity of customers. This gives them a reason to engage with your brand and goes a long way in leading to a purchase.
6. Don’t hard sell
It’s best to not push too hard to sell in the first email itself. Let customers first feel entertained. They should feel that you are interested in knowing them and hearing them out.
Build a rapport by sending interactive and personalized emails. Once they build this connect then you can direct them to the website or social media page. Though this seems to be a roundabout way and a long process, it’s the best way to develop a long-term relationship with customers.
7. Value customer feedback
The process of engaging customers, leading them to purchase and repurchase is a continuous process. For customers to re-engage and repurchase, they should be happy. So, their feedback should be valuable to you. Ask them how was the experience of engaging with the brand? Ask for suggestions as to how this experience could be bettered?
You value their feedback and it should be conveyed to them.
8. Retaining customers
Thanking your customers is a way to make them feel special. Some customers might be using your services from quite some time. Thank them for being with you.
If your brand has reached a milestone, its necessary that your customers know about it. Customers are the reason and contributors to your success story. Thank them for being with the brand throughout the journey.
When you decide to strategize your email campaign your objective should be clear. You should know what kind of response you want from the customer. But, ultimately each email campaign aims for some kind of response from customers.
Let’s quickly run through what we’ve been discussing.
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Send personalized, interactive emails that create an element of surprise.
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Remember that the customers should never feel a brand is communicating with them. They should feel human connect.
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Let the design and the layout of the email blend with the content.
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Understand what motivates the customer to react- click, read and share.
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The motive of selling should not be made obvious. Selling will come later and if you wish to develop a long-term relationship, always focus on keeping the customer engaged, entertained and connected.
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Request for feedback from the customer. Let customers know that you value their feedback.
- When you decide to strategize your email campaign your objective should be clear. You should know what kind of response you want from the customer.
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Never miss an opportunity to thank your customers. It makes them feel special.
This is how different types of content can appeal to the audiences and inspire them to act.
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