Electronic direct mail is a great way to reach your target market. This is all provided that you can persuade customers and prospects to make that all important click.

Hoping that amping up your online marketing efforts may give your sales a boost in the upcoming financial year? Join the club.

Interest rates are on the rise. The cost of goods and services are increasing across the board, and consumers and businesses are beginning to pull in their belts. 

According to research released by NAB in June 2022, one in four Australians have cut their spending on food delivery services and entertainment. 

Twenty two percent of survey respondents had cancelled or cut back on services in and around the home. Around one in five had curtailed their participation in leisure activities, such as dancing and sport, or slashed their spending on hobbies.

The results reflected the economic times, according to NAB group executive personal banking Rachel Slade.

“We can see the impact of inflation starting to show with prices moving up. We know many Australian households are already feeling cost of living pressures,” says Slade. “This research reflects the conversations I’ve been having with our customers. People are finding ways to make short term changes and get on top of their money.”

Capturing sales in a shrinking market

Against that backdrop, Australia’s army of small business owners will have to pull out all the stops. This is to ensure they continue to get their share of the tightening spend.

Electronic Direct Mail can be a cost-effective way to keep your customers informed and engaged. It can ensure your business is top of mind when the time comes for them to make a purchase. 

Professional marketers continue to regard it as a tried and true means of drumming up business. A recent survey showing 46 percent view it as an important lead generator.

Provided, of course, recipients notice and open your messages. That’s by no means a given. In today’s times, most consumers are besieged by marketing messages and elevating yours above the crowd is no mean feat, even for the pros, who typically regard one in five as a good ‘open rate’.

At ActiveCampaign, we’ve built a successful business helping other businesses grow by cutting through the clutter and getting more eyeballs on their email newsletters and offers. 

Here are some tips to help your small business do just that in FY2023.

Segment and automate 

In 2022, information overload is a very real thing. Most individuals have developed personal ‘filters’ that allow them to screen out anything that isn’t relevant to their needs and interests. Using marketing automation to segment your email list will enable you to target your campaigns at individuals who are likely to be interested and engaged – and to fire off your messages at times when your chance of capturing their attention is greatest. 

Subject lines that sparkle

It’s called clickbait for a reason. Media outlets know that a smart, funny or intriguing headline will get consumers clicking on an article in droves, even if the subject matter it contains is likely to be less than riveting. The same principle applies with email marketing. Channelling your creative energy to craft subject lines that recipients struggle to scroll past will help you up your open rate and, ultimately, your chances of securing a sale. 

Build brand value

Every single interaction you have with customers is a reflection of your brand, email newsletters included. That’s why it’s important to be on your game when generating content that will wing its way into their inboxes. Adopt a consistent tone of voice and brand messaging. Use the templates in your marketing automation platform to give your emails a professional look and feel. This will boost customer engagement over time.

Track and test

How do you know if your messages are hitting or missing the mark? Top email marketers don’t rely on guesswork to answer that question. Rather, they track and test their campaigns rigorously so they know which tactics have worked and should be repeated in the future. Deploying the analytics capabilities of your marketing automation platform will enable you to explore everything. From your click through and conversion rates down to the most effective time and day of the week to send your EDMs. Knowledge is power. Exploiting the wealth of data at your fingertips will help you to get better and better at connecting with your customers digitally.

Marketing that makes a difference

Email can be an economical and effective medium to market your product or service offering. This is providing you invest time and effort into crafting creative, clickable messages that resonate with your target market. In today’s economic times, investing in marketing automation technology that makes the task easier is likely to prove an intelligent move.

Shahid Nizami is the regional vice president Asia Pacific and Japan, ActiveCampaign