By Rebecca Hartley, Marketing Manager at 101 Websites, Apps & Email Marketing
Autumn is the ideal season to review and refine your email marketing strategy, reflecting on past months, analysing campaign data and thinking ahead to future goals.
Budget Allocation and Goal Setting
Now is a logical time to revisit marketing budgets and allocate resources strategically for the upcoming year. By assessing past campaign performance, you can make informed decisions about where to invest next. Use this period to identify what worked well and consider allocating more time and budget to those areas for next year, to build on your success.
For activities that didn’t meet expectations, try to work out why. Should you retry them next year? Do you need to invest in upskilling your team, allocating more time or increasing agency support to improve results?
Do you have ideas for fresh campaigns? Are there untapped opportunities to target audience segments that could drive growth or help you achieve your goals?
Setting clear, measurable goals and objectives is essential to ensure that your efforts align with your overall business strategy.
Email Marketing Strategy
Used effectively, email marketing delivers consistently high returns on investment. Give yourself a head start for next year by defining your strategy in Q4.
Start by considering your audience's needs and interests. What do they want to hear from you, and how can you best deliver what they need? Segment your data into groups of contacts with similar attributes or interests. Tailor your emails to provide engaging, personalised content crafted specifically for each group.
Sending visually appealing, on-brand emails is essential for maintaining a professional image. Are your email designs up to scratch or do you need help with creating a smart template that you can adapt for each campaign?
Check your email automation sequences. Do they match your customers' buying journey, providing the right information at the right time?
Content Planning
Content is king in the digital world. Use Q4 to plan your content strategy for the coming year. Identify key themes, topics and trends that are relevant to your industry. Create a content calendar that aligns with your email marketing, social media and website updates. High-quality, relevant content can drive organic traffic and engage your audience.
Choosing An Email Marketing Platform
When was the last time you reviewed your email marketing platform? Is it cost-effective and easy to manage? Surprisingly, many smaller firms still rely on Outlook to send mass emails which leads to delivery issues, hinders campaign analysis, and potentially creates legal compliance problems.
Selecting a campaign platform can be overwhelming. However, as a UK business, you have a distinct advantage – the opportunity to work with a UK-based provider. Take Smart Messenger, for example. They not only guarantee that your data remains securely within the UK but also offer a high level of personalised service from their Norwich-based team. This includes free one-on-one training and unlimited phone support.
You don’t have to navigate email marketing alone. Allocate the time and budget necessary to get the support you need. Whether it's an email marketing course to enhance your skills, professional assistance with creating a corporate template design, guidance on setting up automated workflows, or even a fully managed service where a trusted agency handles your email campaigns – these options are available to ensure your marketing is as effective as possible.
Seizing the Opportunity
By spending time in Q4 evaluating past campaign performance and planning for the upcoming year, you'll start January with a strong foundation, positioning yourself for even greater success in 2024.
Need help with any aspect of email marketing? Get in touch with the Smart Messenger team to discuss how we can support your goals and help your business thrive.
