Increase your conversions/sales with Email Marketing

In the modern digital age, the email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective tools for SMEs that want to increase their conversions (conversions) and their sales. For every €1 invested in email marketing, the average return is around €36 - a staggering ROI of 3600%. This means that with the right strategy, even a small business can see significant increase in conversions from its email campaigns.

However, simply sending mass emails does not guarantee results. It takes a targeted approach and optimization of every aspect of email marketing - from the content and subject matter of the email, to the timing of sending and the use of modern tools such as artificial intelligence (AI). In this detailed article we will see:

• Which email marketing optimization strategies can increase your conversion rate (such as content personalization, A/B testing, appropriate sending timing, engaging email topics, etc.).
• How you can leverage AI tools for even better email marketing results (AI-generated email topics, predictive personalization, automation, etc.).
• Examples of how to apply the above in practice, step-by-step instructions where necessary, and specific observations for the Greek market.
• Useful statistics and expert advice to base your decisions on data.

Let's start by defining what "conversion" means in the context of email marketing. Conversion we call any desired action that the recipient of an email takes after reading it - for example, a purchase in your e-shop, a subscription to a service or the completion of a form. Our goal is to maximize these conversions by systematically improving email campaigns.

Email Marketing Optimization Strategies

Content personalisation & segmentation

One of the most effective tactics for increasing conversions is the personalization of emails. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, tailor the content according to the characteristics and preferences of each recipient.

Start with segmentation (segmentation) of your email list: divide subscribers into groups based on demographics, purchase history, interests, etc. For example, you can create separate campaigns for new customers, for repeat buyers or for customers who have shown interest in a specific product category.

With personalisation, each recipient receives a more relevant and attractive message. This can mean:

• Addressing the recipient by name (e.g. "Hi Maria," instead of a generic "Dear Customer").
• Product/service suggestions based on previous purchases or browsing (e.g. "Maria, check out new accessories for your mobile phone" if you know she recently bought a smartphone).
• Customize content according to the stage the customer is at in the buying journey. A new subscriber may receive a welcome email with a first order discount, while an inactive customer may receive a special reactivation offer.

The power of this approach is reflected in the statistics: personalised email campaigns can generate up to 760% more revenue than non-targeted ones, while especially personalised call-to-action (CTA) has on average 202% higher conversion rate compared to general CTA. In addition, research shows that personalised emails deliver six times more transactions (e.g. more purchases) than non-personalised ones. Simply put, personalization makes the customer feel "special" - and that translates into more actions and sales.

Also make sure your data is up to date and accurate. Clear the list your contacts from inactive emails and any duplicates, and collect information (in a legal and transparent way) about your customers' preferences. The better you know your audience, the more targeted you can make your messages. And remember: complying with GDPR and only sending messages to those who have given explicit consent is not only a legal obligation, but also a best practice to maintain your audience's trust.

A/B testing and experimentation

Even small changes to an email can affect open and conversion rates. This is where the A/B testing - the practice of trying two versions (A and B) of an item to see which one performs best. For example, you might create two versions of an email with different subject lines and send each version to a small percentage of your list. If version B has a significantly higher open rate (opening percentage) from A, then you will select the winner to send to the rest of the public.

A/B testing is not just limited to email. You can experiment with:

• The content: e.g. different text formulations, different images or message length.
• The CTA: try different prompt buttons (e.g. "Buy now" vs "See more") or different button placement within the email.
• The offer: if the email contains an offer, see if an alternative offer (e.g. 10% discount vs free shipping) brings more conversions.
• The design/layout: change button colors, try a bold header image vs. no image at all, or different text/image layout.

To perform a proper A/B test:

1. Here's what you'll try - change one variable each time (e.g. only the subject or only the CTA), so that you can clearly see the difference in the results.
2. Randomly divide the audience - send version A to a small random sample (e.g. 10%) of your list and version B to an equal number of recipients.
3. Count the results in a reasonable period of time. Compare the indicator you are interested in (open rate, click-through rate, or direct conversion rate).
4. Apply the winner - send the best version (the highest performing one) to the rest of your ~80% audience to maximize the benefit.
5. Record the conclusions - note what you learned from the experiment so that you can use it in future campaigns. Over time, these lessons will accumulate and continually improve your strategy.

With constant experimentation, you will discover what "speaks" best to your audience. You may find that a short and concise topic performs better than a long one, or that your clients respond better to a more personal style of writing. The key is not to assume what works - test it in practice.

Notes: Experiment gradually and change one variable at a time. If you change several elements at the same time, you will not know which of them affected the performance.

Optimal dispatch timing (Timing)

The timing of when you send an email can play a big role in whether the recipient will open and interact with it. Your subscribers have certain habits: they check their email at some time each day, whether it's in the morning when they start work, during their lunch break, or in the evening. So finding the optimal shipping time for your audience can significantly increase the open rate and thus conversions.

In general, many studies recommend mid-week days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and times during the day such as mornings or early afternoon for higher response rates. For example, one study found that during 15:00-18:00 on Sunday had an open rate of up to 94% - an impressive finding showing that audiences can respond at non-obvious times when the competition in their inbox is less. Conversely, Friday night is considered one of the worst times, as many people relax and don't pay attention to email at that time.

Of course, these are general trends. Your list may behave differently. So, combine statistics with testing: experiment by sending the same campaign at different times or days and compare open rates and click rates. Also, take into account the location and time zone of your audience - especially if you have customers outside of Greece. An email sent at 9am local time will reach a subscriber in the US at the crack of dawn, so it will probably be buried under other messages until they wake up.

The goal is to find the "sweet spot" where your recipients are most receptive. Track your data: many email marketing tools display statistics on when subscribers tend to open their emails. When many email marketing campaigns tend to open their emails, many emailers tend to open their emails more frequently. schedule (schedule) your emails at the right time for each segmented audience group. This way, your message will appear at the top of the inbox when the customer is active, increasing the chances of interaction.

Attractive email subjects (Subject Lines)

The subject (subject line) of an email is the first impression the recipient will have - and it largely determines whether they will open the email or skip it. An attractive, relevant and clear subject can drastically increase the open rate, while a bad subject can lead the email straight to the inbox or even to spam.

Tips for better subject lines:

• Conciseness and clarity: Try to get the message of the topic across in 5-7 words. Many emails are read on mobile devices where a few characters of the subject appear.
• Personalization: Include the name of the recipient or information about the recipient. A personalised subject has a better chance of getting attention (e.g. "George, an offer for you").
• Sense of urgency or rarity: Use time frames or limited quantities to motivate the reader (e.g. "Only for 48 hours - Discount 30%").
• Avoiding spam words: Terms such as "FREE", "Guaranteed", "Earn money", etc. may increase the chance of the message being filtered as spam. Be honest and specific.
• Use of questions or statements that arouse interest: A curious (but not misleading) subject can increase openings. Example: "Do you make this mistake in email marketing too?" - creates an incentive to open the email to find out the answer.

The data confirm the importance of the good theme. According to surveys, about 47% of recipients choose whether to open an email based solely on the subject, while the 69% may mark an email as spam based on the subject. In addition, the personalized subject lines are by 26% most likely to open compared to non-personalised ones. So, in addition to the subject, make sure that your business's From name is also identifiable and trustworthy - together with the subject, these are the two elements that the user sees first.

Don't be afraid to spend time writing and improving the topics. Some companies even use special tools or AI to create and evaluate different versions of themes (more on these below). Remember that the subject line is the "showcase" of your email - if it doesn't entice the customer to open it, all the other content (no matter how high quality) will never be seen.

Email content & Call-to-Action (CTA)

After the recipient opens the email, the email is sent to the content of the message must convince him to carry out the desired action. Keep the text understandable, friendly and focused on value for the reader. Some best practices for content and call-to-action:

• Clear message and structure: Start with a short introduction that captures the interest and explains the benefit. Use headings or bold type to highlight important points. Recipients often make skimming (quick reading) - help them with short paragraphs and lists.
• A main CTA: Each email should have one main purpose. The design and text of the CTA button should reflect this purpose (e.g. "Make a Reservation", "Buy Now", "Learn More"). A clear CTA helps the reader know exactly what to do next. If there are multiple prompts, there is a risk of confusion or distraction - prioritise one main action.
• Optical elements: Use images or graphics that enhance your message, but don't overload the email. A product image, an infographic or even a short GIF can make the email more engaging. But make sure the email looks good without images (in case the user has disabled images).
• Adaptation for mobile: Over 50% of emails are opened from mobile devices. If your email is not optimized for mobile (responsive design), you risk the user deleting it immediately (approx. 50% of users delete emails that do not display correctly on mobile). Use legible font, appropriately sized buttons for finger tap and make sure the page the CTA links to also works well on mobile.
• Personal and friendly tone: Write as you would speak to a customer face to face. A professional but warm tone builds rapport. Show that you understand the customer's needs and emphasize how your product/service meets them.

At the end, remind the recipient what to do. A strong close can repeat the prompt (e.g. "Don't miss the opportunity, click the button below to...") and create a sense of urgency. With well-structured content and a strong CTA, you'll see more readers convert into customers.

Using Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing

AI-Generated Email Topics & Content

Artificial intelligence has entered the field of marketing in a big way, and one of the first areas where its value was shown is in text creation. Already there are tools that use AI to automatically suggest or create engaging subject lines and email texts. For example, you can give an AI tool some information about your campaign and it will return suggestions for email subject lines that are optimized for a higher open rate.

The benefits of AI-generated topics/subjects include:

• Saving time: Creating and testing multiple text versions is fast, allowing you to choose the best one.
• Data-driven optimisation: Many of these tools have been trained on huge volumes of data (e.g. millions of email subjects and their open rates) and so can identify patterns that work. For example, they can figure out which combinations of words, length and style in a subject line tend to perform best.
• Variety & creativity: AI can give you ideas you might not have thought of. This helps to avoid "creative fatigue" when writing many similar emails.

Example: HubSpot's marketing team managed to increase the conversion rate from their emails by 82% in a case study, partly through experimentation with AI in content creation. Imagine having 10 different email subject variations ready in a few seconds - you can test them (with A/B testing) and choose the one that brings the most openings.

In addition to themes, AI can help in writing the text of the email itself. You can ask it to draft email drafts based on certain bullet points or adjust the style (e.g. more formal or more relaxed). However, caution: always check and edit the text the engine produces to ensure that it aligns with your style and is 100% accurate. AI is a tool, not a substitute for human judgment. Used correctly, however, it can give you a head start in creating content that grabs attention and leads to more conversions.

Predictive personalisation with AI

The personalisation we discussed earlier can be taken to the next level with the help of AI, through the so-called predictive personalisation (predictive personalization). Here, AI tools analyse large data sets of user behaviour (purchases, clicks, interaction time, preferences) and try to Provide what each individual customer wants or will do next.

For example, an AI might learn that user A tends to buy shoes about every 6 months, or that user B opens emails more often on a technology-related topic. Based on this information, the email marketing platform can:

• Automatically send a personalised shoe offer to user A close to the time when he probably needs new shoes.
• Tailor the content of the newsletter for user B, emphasizing technology articles instead of other topics.
• Identify which subscribers are more "hot" (likely to make a purchase soon) and include them in a more aggressive promotional campaign, while finding those who are showing signs of disengagement and sending re-engagement campaigns.

In other words, AI helps to move from simple segmentation at the team level to over-personalisation at the individual level. This was difficult to do manually, but machine learning algorithms can find patterns and make predictions for each individual. The result? More targeted messages that reach the right person at the right time, significantly increasing the chances of conversion.

It is no coincidence that already the 63% of marketers say they use AI tools in their email marketing. Those who are leveraging them for personalization report 41% revenue growth and over 13% higher click-through rate (CTR) in emails. These numbers show how powerful AI can be when applied correctly to message personalization.

For an SME, predictive personalisation might mean, for example, using a CRM/email platform that incorporates AI to automatically suggest which products to include in each promotional email for each individual customer. While it sounds advanced, many modern services (such as HubSpot, Mailchimp and others) are starting to incorporate such capabilities, bringing the power of "big data" and predictive analytics to the level of even a small business.

Smart automation & AI-Driven campaigns

Ο automation in email marketing is nothing new - many businesses already use automated workflows (e.g. automatic welcome emails, shopping cart reminders, newsletter series). But artificial intelligence is making these automations more "intelligent" and efficient.

AI and optimal dispatch time: Instead of sending all emails en masse at the same time, AI models can analyze when everyone is most likely to open their emails. This allows the platform to schedule each email individually at the ideal time for each recipient. For example, a user who interacts more in the mornings will receive the email early in the morning, while another who checks the inbox in the evening will receive it later. This personalised scheduling maximizes open rates without requiring manual effort from you.

Triggered campaigns with AI: Beyond simple timed sequences (e.g. an email every week), AI can help activate dynamic behavioural campaigns. For example, if a customer clicks on a particular product in your newsletter but doesn't buy, an AI system can automatically place them in a drip campaign with more information or an offer for that product. If someone hasn't opened an email in a long time, a "We miss you" campaign can be triggered with a reactivation discount.

The value of automation is also shown by the results: automated emails deliver on average 320% more revenue than the non-automated ones. In particular, reminder emails for abandoned baskets have about 3 times higher conversion rate compared to other types of emails, as they target the exact moment and person who has shown purchase intent. With AI, you can further refine these automations - for example, the system can tailor the content of the reminder email based on the products the customer looked at, or add a special offer if it predicts they need an extra incentive to complete the purchase.

For small and medium-sized enterprises, the AI-driven automations mean you can have a "smart" marketing machine working for you 24/7. You set the rules once and the system learns and optimizes constantly. This not only saves time, but ensures that every customer receives the right message, at the right time. In the competitive email inbox environment, such advantages can make the difference between a campaign that simply runs and one that brings results.

Conclusion

Email marketing offers huge potential for small and medium sized businesses in Greece, as long as they strategically implement the right practices. By personalizing content, A/B testing, proper sending timing and creating engaging topics, you can significantly improve the performance of your campaigns. In addition, leveraging tools artificial intelligence - from AI-generated texts to behavioural predictions and intelligent automation - can act as a force multiplier, giving you a competitive edge and saving you time.

The key is to combine human creativity and strategic thinking with the power of data and technology. No AI alone knows your audience better than you do - but in your hands, it can become a tool that Enlarge the effectiveness of your actions.

So start gradually: optimise your emails with the techniques we've mentioned, test one by one the AI tools available (many of which are already integrated into the well-known email marketing platforms) and monitor the results closely. With continuous improvement and adaptation, you will see the conversion rate and email marketing becomes one of the most profitable channels for your business.

In a Greek market where competition for consumer attention is fierce, those who are the first to exploit these practices and technologies will have a clear advantage. Your customers' email inbox can become a "goldmine" of conversions - as long as you approach it in a smart and user-friendly way. Good luck with your next email campaign!

Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/ai-email-conversions