This may shock you, but people are spending a lot more time on their phones and computers than they used to — especially since the outbreak of COVID-19. In fact, research indicates that data usage in early 2020 increased by as much as 47% compared to 2019.

With so many people fixated on their desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices, it's easy to understand why email marketing is more important than ever before. The fact is, businesses can take advantage of the public's renewed enthusiasm for digital communications to engage with customers at minimal cost and effort. How? Simply by developing an effective email campaign. Here are five ways to do just that:

1. Identify Your Goal

This is a simple but fundamental step. You have to decide what you want your email campaign to accomplish. Do you want to spread brand awareness? Do you want to promote a specific event or sale? Are you simply trying to increase your sales?

Whatever the case may be, make sure that you set a SMART goal for your campaign; in other words, a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. After all, it's much easier to hit your target when you have a clear idea about what your target actually looks like.

2. Offer Value

Let's be real, we all get spam email, and we all hate it. Don't be that company. Make sure that whatever message you send out to your contact list offers some form of actionable or educational value.

For example, do you have an upcoming 25% off sale for some of your products? Do you want to spread the word about a new guide that's just been published to your website? Think about what your audience may be interested in, and demonstrate value in that direction. Your email subject line and preview text should entice recipients with your value prop and ultimately get them to open and read your message.

3. Make It Personal

Online privacy issues make for big headlines nowadays. However, one survey found that 78% of customers say they're more likely to trust companies with their personal information if it's used to personalize their experience. This underscores the importance of making each email your company sends out as personalized to the recipient as possible.

Think about using tokens to personalize your emails (like the recipient's first name, his or her home city, and so forth). Also, make sure to segment your audience into groups, based on factors like age, gender, geographic area, etc. Segmentation is the first step towards personalization.

4. Craft Compelling Content

Okay, so you've got your recipients interested in your message. Is your job done? Far from it! Now you want them to click through to your website - and the only way to accomplish that goal is to provide some exceptional content.

What are we talking about here? We're referring to crisp formatting, stunning images, and dynamic verbiage. If you need some inspiration, the website ReallyGoodEmails.com showcases some of the Internet's most attractive emails. Check it out!

5. Perform A/B Tests

Should an email feature stay or should it go? The only way to find the answer is to perform A/B (or split) testing.

Most email providers, such as HubSpot and Mailchimp, will allow you to A/B test features like subject lines, email copy, sender, etc. Take advantage of this opportunity! You don't want to waste precious time and resources on underperforming emails when there's a way to determine what your recipients really like — and that's what A/B testing is all about.

If you follow these five recommendations for email marketing that are listed above, then you're sure to enjoy increased success from your marketing efforts. Want to learn more about how to get the biggest bang for your marketing spend? Never hesitate to reach out to our team of marketing experts for any other questions you may have.