An email marketing campaign to generate communications between our clients and cold prospects.

We started the campaign by generating a data-list from reputable online sources. Within 7 days our team had a database of 10,000+ targeted prospects. These prospects were hand-picked to ensure they all fit within our client's target market.

Once we performed a quality check on the database, we began formulating an email distribution plan to ensure we hit a maximum open and click rate for the first introductory email. This plan was set up in the form of a flow chart so our clients could easily analyse our plans for the campaign. The flow chart also demonstrated what's was going to happen at each stage and at exactly what point it's going to happen.

For this campaign, we used Mailchimp for all email distribution tasks. Before we start any email marketing campaigns, we carefully assess which email marketing CMS is going to be the right fit for the campaign at hand.

We opted for Mailchimp for this campaign due to the accurate reporting and simple list/audience segregation.

‍

Getting Started with the first email campaign.

Within this campaign, our clients requested that the first email is distributed to all prospects in one go. All of the prospects were placed in a list titled: List 0. From there, we analysed the data and feedback from the first campaign and automatically divided the lists accordingly.

Here's how we handled all potential responses from the introductory email to all of the prospects:

🙁  Did not open: All prospects that did not open the emails were placed in a segregated list (List A) ready for a first follow up in 4 - 7 days.

😐  Did not respond/click the link: All prospects that did open the email, but not click any links or respond, were placed in a segregated list (List A) ready for the first follow up in 4 - 7 days.

😃  Responded to email: For all prospects that opened the email and responded with an interest were moved to a different list (List B) and then passed over to our client to convert to a client. These prospects were not followed up with.

🥳  Clicked the link in the email: For all prospects that clicked the link in the email were moved to a different list (List C).

‍

(List 0) For this introductory email, we saw the following results;

• Delivery rate: 91.2%
• Open rate: 48.9% (very impressive!)
• Link click rate: 6.2%
• Response rate: 15.4%

‍

We let this campaign run for 7 days, this gives our clients prospects plenty of time to open, read and acknowledge the email. After 7 days, we have an adequate understanding of the final result/list that the prospect is going to land in.

‍

Now the important part, the followups.

We then began work on the followups to List A. Our followups were worded strategically to result in a high open and read rate. The subject link of the follow up was displayed as though we were responding to the initial email. When people see "Re:" at the start of a subject line, they see it as more personal as it indicates that it's responding to an email.

Within the text content of the follow-up email to List A, we asked professionally and politely if they had read and received the first email. We then elaborate slightly more and try to push for a call to action again... in this case, a link click or reply.

This campaign also ran for 7 days. This gives our clients prospects plenty of time to open, read and acknowledge the email. After 7 days, we have an adequate understanding of the final result/list that the prospect is going to land in.

Here's how we handled all potential responses from the first follow up email:

🙁  Did not open: All prospects that did not open the email were left in the same list (List A) ready for a second follow up in 4 - 7 days.

😐  Did not respond/click the link: All prospects that did open the email, but not click any links or respond, were left in the same list (List A) ready for the first follow up in 4 - 7 days.

😃  Responded to email: For all prospects that opened the email and responded with an interest were moved to a different list (List B) and then passed over to our client to convert to a client. These prospects were not followed up with.

🥳  Clicked the link in the email: For all prospects that clicked the link in the email were moved to a different list (List C).

‍

(List A) For this follow up email, we saw the following results;

• Delivery rate: 98.8%
• Open rate: 59.9%
• Link click rate: 4.2%
• Response rate: 10.1%

‍

After 14 days we've built up a much more substantial and informative amount of data about the database. Because of this, we now have 4 segregated lists.

💡  List 0: Initial full list of prospects.

💡  List A: No response or link clicks. (This is our follow up list)

💡  List B: Our converted list. (This is a list of prospects that responded and were passed over)

💡  List C: Link click prospects. (A list of prospects who have clicked the link)

‍

Time for list C and other follow-ups!

We politely and professionally asked them how they got on using the website. We also added the link again in case they didn't convert correctly the first time.

From this point, we ran two further follow-ups (one per week) to all of the individuals on List A. When a prospect on List A responds, or clicks a link, from one of the follow-ups they were added to List C and then led through the regular List C funnel that's described above.

‍

Conclusion...

To conclude, our clients were extremely happy with the results. Because of our campaign, they were able to convert a number of the potential leads that we generated through link clicks and responses. Later this year, we are running an additional email marketing campaign with this client to target people of a different industry.

‍