Effective email targeting means you’ll have to take time to understand your audience.

Time well spent though. Those subscribers are valuable!

Together, we’re going to look at how to use email analytics for better targeting. Plus, how to use an email targeting mindset in every aspect of your strategy. Including:

• Lead generation
• Email list management
• Newsletters
• Cross-selling 
• Upselling

*91 percent of consumers stated they’re more likely to shop with a brand that offers them personalized offers and product recommendations – Accenture

Targeting Leads

If you have a sizable list already, then targeting new leads gets easier over time.

You can look at past lead gen strategies that produced the most new subscribers and which ones brought the best subscribers on board→ buyers and super-engaged followers.

On the flip side. With a small list, you don’t have tons of data to guide you on what lead gen tactics work best. So test. This takes resources. 

But it’s worth it once you gain traction and begin to see patterns.

Use a personal approach to collecting leads. Is this as easy as personalizing emails to a known audience? No. But just as important. 

You can even personalize your opt-in process over time. 

*Double opt-in is a must for deliverability (but are others in your industry using it?)

See the data at GetResponse’s report.

• 17.04% of Agencies use double opt-ins
• Just 10.59% of Financial Services do so
• Publishers had the highest rate of use at 19.08%

Email Metrics and Leads

Examples of what to look for in lead data:

1. Open rates for new leads
2. Click rate for new leads on your welcome emails
3. Days of the week leads unsubscribe
4. Are you losing too many leads after switching to a double opt-in?
5. Find patterns in how long the average subscriber stays ‘engaged’

*Personalized promotional mailings have a 29% higher unique open rate compared to non-personalized mailings – Instapage

Email Targeting with Newsletters

An email newsletter is a great tool for email targeting. 

You’ll learn a ton about subscribers who read your editorial content over several weeks, months, then years.

Endless data can spring from newsletters using surveys, replies, and tracking what readers decide to click on.

I can’t stress how crucial it is to utilize a newsletter if you’re not. And to lean more into your newsletter if you do create one regularly.

Free helpful content can produce profits…

*The New York Times found that website visitors are 2X more likely to become paid subscribers if they subscribe to a newsletter first.

There’s a bonus benefit to writing a newsletter too. But first, let’s touch on follow-up targeting and transactional emails.

Targeting with Follow-Ups

Yes, even follow-up emails should be targeted. 

These emails are usually expected by customers / subscribers.

Examples of this type of email targeting:

• User leaves a positive review then an automated thank-you message hits their inbox
• No review is left after a few days, a follow-up reminder will prompt more reviews
• A personal follow-up after a month(s) is going above and beyond, so it can result in another purchase (upsell)
• Following up with a reader who replied to your content or survey is a great way to increase their loyalty even more

Target with Transactional Emails

Transactional emails can be personalized to be relevant to the recipient also.

I don’t advise over-doing transactional emails just as an excuse to send an extra email.

But it’s smart to include email targeting in necessary automated messages. Examples: Shipping confirmation emails or sign-up confirmations.

How can you target these with personalization?

Look at the data. 

1. Shipping confirmation is a good time to offer a coupon on the next purchase of that item or similar one.

2. Sign-up confirmation. Don’t overwhelm a new subscriber. Just a link to your best blog post or report is a good warm-up idea. Or a post related to the lead magnet that caused them to sign up.

Targeted Timing

Timing plays a role in email targeting.

An email that meets a reader where they are on the customer journey will get clicks and conversions versus a poorly timed email. 

Trying to sell a big-ticket item to a subscriber who only heard of your brand yesterday rarely works!

Timing is a factor during busy mailer seasons too. 

The holiday shopping season makes an inbox crowded. Even your loyal fans may be exhausted by too many emails, even if yours are laser-targeted.

*Ninety percent of U.S. consumers find marketing personalization appealing, to some extent – Statista

As for the newsletter bonus I wanted to mention. A newsletter is how many Inbox Mailers clients implement perfectly timed promotional emails.

Their newsletter arrives and when their subscriber opens it, a promotional email is triggered. When it lands in the inbox, the subscriber is likely to read that email as well.

You can learn more about workflows like this when you schedule your free demo of Inbox Mailers

Data and Email Targeting Checklist

“Hey Kenneth” won’t cut it anymore. Anyone can stick a %FIRSTNAME% in emails.

We have to be more creative and proactive in our targeted approach as email marketers.

Stick your thinking cap on and I’ll give you a starting point with a checklist of subscriber targeting opportunities.

1. Location
2. Gender
3. Pet owner
4. Parent
5. Book reader 
6. Prefers video
7. Audio lover
8. Time zone
9. Local sports teams
10. Purchase behavior (ie. amount spent)
11. Job title
12. Inside jokes for their industry (no cringe, please🙂)
13. Email images targeted to their preferences / behaviors
14. How long since they logged into your site
15. Owns car or uses public transit 

The information in your CRM and email analytics tells a fuller story than you know.

Like #15. They don’t need to fill out a survey. If they live in NYC, they likely don’t have a car.

Thinking cap.

*Personalized images based on the recipient’s location can lead to a 29% increase in click-throughs compared to a generic image

Email Targeting Summed Up

Some brands naturally have a more personal relationship with their audience.

Tire sellers aren’t as touchy-feely as florists.

Still, doesn’t mean Goodyear Gary can’t make his ‘tire tips newsletter’ personal. Good tires get families from A → B safely.

I’d say that’s as personal as a dozen roses.

Your audience is filled with real live people. They’re not numbers.

While they won’t be sending you flowers, they do expect a connection if they’re taking time to read your emails.

Make that connection with solid effort toward your email targeting and personalization.

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