BUH, BYE bulk emails!
Gone are the days of successfully using "one-size-fits-all" generic bulk emails—when one email "blast" promoted a product or service to a mass audience. Today, in order to capture your prospect's attention and break through the clutter of 121 emails per day on average hitting their inbox, you need to reach them in more creative, meaningful, and personalized ways.
That's where incorporating generative AI in your email marketing strategy can help drive more successful efforts for your business.
But first, what is generative AI?
Generative AI is a type of AI whose algorithms can create new content based on prompts and data on which it has been trained. This includes text, images, video, stories, and even music.
"In email marketing, this generative AI is allowing us to create more highly personalized content in a much quicker way!" says Chelsey Ucciferri, Email Marketing Manager at Radiant Digital.
In general, AI can analyze large amounts of data to spot patterns and preferences—something that would take hours without AI—enabling you to send the right message to the right person at the right time.
Advantages of Generative AI
Generative AI can offer your company several advantages for email marketing, including:
1. Personalization: Generative AI can create customized messages based on your prospects' browsing habits and purchasing history. When they feel that your email is tailored to them, it will resonate with them and get them to engage. Studies show that personalized emails can generate up to 760% more revenue.
2. Automation: Generative AI is proficient in helping with repetitive tasks like segmentation, scheduling, and follow-ups, which can make this task easier for your business.
3. Optimization: AI analyzes email data to find the best times to send your emails to your prospects, which can help improve delivery rates and engagement.
4. Segmentation: AI tools can often provide insights to help you create targeted segments based on your prospects' demographics and customer behavior. This can help ensure your emails are relevant and impactful to them.
5. Creation: AI writing tools can quickly generate subject lines and email content, allowing you to test different versions and refine your messaging.
Using Generative AI For Email Campaigns
Now that you know the advantages, it's time to put generative AI to work for your company. You can almost use generative AI in every step of your email campaign:
Step 1: Segment your audience: Understanding who your target audience is usually the first step in any successful email campaign. Generative AI can analyze your prospect database to identify patterns and segment your audience based on various criteria such as demographics, purchase history, and engagement levels. By creating distinct segments, you can tailor your messaging to meet each group's specific needs and interests.
Step 2. Help write compelling subject lines: Since the subject line is the first impression, it must get your desired attention and action. Using generative AI can help make it work. By analyzing successful subject lines from past campaigns, AI can generate new, attention-grabbing options that are more likely to entice your prospects to open your email. You can even A/B test different subject lines AI generates to see which ones perform best.
Step 3. Personalize your content: Once the email is opened, the content needs to be enticing. Generative AI can create personalized email content that directly speaks to your prospects. For instance, if a customer has shown interest in a specific product category, AI can generate recommendations or special offers related to that category.
Step 4. Create dynamic content blocks: Generative AI can also help you create different segments of your prospect list so each prospect segment can receive different content within the same email template.
Step 5. Automate follow-ups: Following up with your prospects or customers is essential but time-consuming. Generative AI can automate follow-up emails based on their behavior. For instance, if a customer abandons their cart, AI can generate a personalized reminder email that includes the items they left behind.
Step 6. Analyze performance and optimize campaigns: After launching your campaign, it's important to analyze its performance. Generative AI can help you go through the data to identify what worked and what didn't. By understanding engagement metrics, you can refine your future campaigns, ensuring that your emails continue to resonate with your prospects.
Best Practices For Generative AI
Before you jump in, here are a handful of tips to keep in mind when using generative AI in your email marketing strategies:
1. Start small: If you're new to generative AI, begin with a few campaigns to test the waters and then gradually increase your efforts as you become confident the technology is working for you.
2. Maintain brand voice: While AI can generate content, ensuring the messaging aligns with your brand's voice and values is essential. Always review AI-generated content before sending it out.
3. Combine AI with human touch: Use generative AI to enhance your campaigns, but don't forget the human element. Personal touches, such as handwritten notes or personalized greetings, can make a significant difference.
4. Stay compliant: Ensure your email campaigns comply with regulations such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM. Personalization should never come at the cost of privacy.
With generative AI in your marketing toolbox, the possibilities for crafting personalized messages to help drive successful email campaigns are endless!
If your company needs help creating generative AI content for your email campaigns, please get in touch with John Coleman, Director of Email Operations.
