An increasing number of businesses across the country are starting to realise the positive impact that solid email marketing campaigns could have on their brand awareness and sales figures.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve quickly, businesses are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd with their direct marketing initiatives. However, many have yet to pin down the perfect combination of quality data, optimal campaign design and varied channels, according to Thomson Local.

Email marketing experts have agreed that one of the most important buzzwords to creating a successful email marketing campaign is 'personalisation.' However, many firms are reluctant to spend the time – or the money – that they think personalising thousands of email messages will take.

New research from EpiServer, the web content management provider, revealed that a third of marketing professionals across the USA believed that email marketing campaigns which had been personalised in some way were 'highly effective and measurable.'

A further 14 per cent revealed that the personalised campaigns received far better response rates than the mass campaigns – with no attempt at personalisation – could generate.

Head of Retail at thomsonlocal.com, Paul Cross, explained that creating a personalised campaign was not as tough as it may sound. “Email broadcast software makes it simple to insert personal information such as the recipient's first name, their company name or something else you know about them which is relevant to the campaign,” he said.

“Another benefit of personalised email is that it helps to differentiate you from spam emails. When people see their name in a subject line or in the email message, they know that it's sent by someone who knows them, so it can't be spam,” he added.â?¨

Mr Cross also went on to say that a personalised campaign was so important as it will have 'more resonance' than a more basic campaign aimed at the masses.

A marketing budget will have to be slightly increased to allow for a personalised campaign to be created, but it may not be as expensive as you think, and the rewards the company should reap in terms of data collection and response rates should be more than worth it.

Companies appear to be cottoning onto the idea of the personal approach through email marketing campaigns. King Fish recently revealed that, whilst just seven per cent of marketers located in the USA were currently offering personalised mobile experiences, 42 per cent planned to start doing so over the next few years. within the next year or two.â?¨

One large company that has proven success with personalisation is clothing chain Boden, who won a Marketing Week Engage Award in May 2011 for its catalogue. â?¨The online catalogue, which was individually personalised and sent to each Boden customer using their first names, generated a 30 per cent rise in customer responses.

Whilst personalisation is clearly key, businesses must ensure that they get the details correct, warns Mr Cross. “In order to personalise your emails accurately, you need to have access to accurate B2B data. Personalising incorrectly can do more harm than good,” he said.

from MoreNiche Affiliate Marketing Blog