E-mail marketing is a very effective way to both drive and nurture leads. However, it can be difficult to generate ideas, offers, and content…and to obtain the necessary approvals.
Here are five ways you can streamline your e-mail creation and approval process.
- Designate a Gatekeeper
One person should be in charge of your e-mail marketing. This person is the one who will be in charge of making sure everyone responsible is getting their work done on time and that e-mails are being sent when and to whom they are supposed to.
Create an e-mail calendar that includes the e-mail topic, the call to action (CTA), and who in your organization is going to provide copy, data, photos, etc. for the e-mail. This ensures there are no surprises and everyone is working from the same page.
It’s also a good idea to designate one person in each business area as the e-mail contact. This person is responsible for reporting any e-mail worthy news from their department to the e-mail gatekeeper. One of the biggest obstacles with creating e-mails is having the content. This is a good tool to create a flow of content ideas.
- Work Smarter
It’s a good idea to come up with two or three reusable e-mail templates. This way you’re not recreating the wheel each time. You can rotate the order of the templates you use so prospects don’t see the same template back-to-back. Then, all you have to do is drop in new copy, new images, and a new CTA and you’re done!
- Establish Guidelines
It’s helpful to have some guidelines established before you begin. For instance, decide the contact name and information you will be using for each type of e-mail campaign you send and where it will be placed in the e-mail. Will all e-mails (regardless of who they are from) use the same logo and direct prospects to the same website?
Also, make sure each e-mail adheres to your brand guidelines and make sure everyone involved has a copy of your brand guidelines to refer to. You’ll also want to address what makes a good subject line as well as words to avoid in your subject line so you can increase your open rate.
- Develop a Need-to-Know Mentality
Of course, in a perfect world, everyone’s opinion would count and everyone would get equal time to weigh in with an opinion on each e-mail you send. But, we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in a fast-paced, results-driven marketing world. As such, it’s best if you streamline your e-mail marketing approval process to the bare bones. Whose eyes absolutely, positively have to see the e-mail before it is sent?
- Meet to Discuss Progress
Figure out what works best for your organization, but a brief meeting to discuss new content ideas, what’s working, and what isn’t is essential. (Make sure you have someone from Sales present so you know how the e-mails are working for them.)
If you implement these five strategies, you’ll get your e-mail creation and approval process in check and start seeing the payoff of this effective marketing tool.
Digital Media Insider 