We are in the media: Email marketer subscribed to the newsletter of 10 retail...

ayshakhatunasha

Belarusian food chains and tried to subscribe to their newsletters. Based on his findings, he compiled a list of the most common mistakes in e-mail marketing.



— In the company where I work, virtual phone number service email marketing brings in 20-25% of revenue. I see that this tool works. I was wondering if large retail chains in Belarus use email marketing? This industry is especially interesting because consumers regularly return for purchases, food and household items are always needed. Email marketing can be very effective here. I selected the 10 largest food chains (based on total retail space) according to the Ministry of Trade as of February 1, 2016.



To begin with, using the free SimilarWeb service, I looked at the traffic of the sites of these networks and what share of traffic comes from email newsletters (over 6 months).



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And then I looked at how email marketing works on these sites - whether the site shows an offer to subscribe to news or get a bonus for an email. I found many shortcomings. However, they are typical for any industry.



"Invisible" subscription form
Many sites have it, but it often blends in with other content. As a user, I don't notice it. I'm sure that by simply putting the subscription form in a visible place, these companies will get more subscribers.



Not so good examples. The main page of this network's website has too many bright elements and a dull subscription form. This distracts attention.



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Find the subscription form on this page:



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To subscribe to special offers from another chain, you need to select a specific shopping center on the main page, select the “hypermarket” tab and there, in the left line, find the word “subscription” in small print:



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A good example. From what was, this example is not bad.



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Too complicated
Subscription should be convenient: ideally, the user should leave a name and email and receive instant confirmation. I found examples where it takes a lot of time to subscribe:



Not so good examples. The subscription form in the screenshot below is not very effective for growing a base. But on the other hand, this data can be used for segmentation and personalization.



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Successful examples. This network has a subscription form that couldn't be simpler:



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To subscribe to the newsletter, simply leave your e-mail:



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Instant subscription to special offers from another network:



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Slow or unclear confirmation email
To ensure that the user does not forget to complete the action, the letter should arrive immediately. Then it can get lost. I received some confirmation letters after 5 minutes, in some cases they did not arrive at all.



Some of them were unclear. A poorly formatted letter or one that is not formatted at all does not make you want to read it.



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Here's a good example of a clear confirmation email. There's nothing superfluous here:



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There is no regular mailing plan
After the confirmation letter, it would be useful to send another letter and inform the subscriber how often they will receive them, what they will be about. But no one did this. Only in two networks did I receive mailings regularly. However, the frequency of mailings is individual for each industry. And maybe some letters did not arrive at all.



Here is a successful example of regular work with subscribers. I received letters 2-4 times a month.



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No personalization
Only a few stores address their subscribers by name. Here's  a good example of personalization. Even if it's a bit too formal.