While most companies keep the main focus on their communication and marketing strategies to send promotional email campaigns, sometimes other more effective tactics of engagement go unnoticed. That's because the big gimmick of this type of message is usually a call to action followed by slogans like "buy now", making this contact somewhat repetitive over time. The reaction may be the lack of interest of your audience, especially if they don’t intend to buy the product that is on sale.

Attract more readers to interact with your email marketing campaign, regardless of the conversion itself during this time of engagement, is more important to a relationship in the long term via email and it even helps to leave a positive impression of your brand for who receives the content.

One way to get to this point is through the adoption of interactive tactics, giving to your reader a reason to engage while, at the same time, you demonstrate the value of your email marketing campaign and therefore adds value to your brand. Even though this particular action doesn’t result in a sale, the experience can lay the foundation of a long relationship.

What research indicates about interactive marketing

Interactive marketing can influence, and much, in the purchase decision. In addition to contribute increasing revenue for your company, the feature also explores the enormous potential of engagement that the online environment offers.

According to a survey by Forrester Research, the biggest internal challenge to implement interactivity in email marketing campaigns is the pursuit of customer understanding in all available channels of interaction: online, mobile, social and even offline. In order to meet this demand, the Web Analytics is considered one of the most effective tools to overcome the challenges from marketing area.

Among the highlighted impact actions, the study indicates social media presence for a direct conversation with consumers about the company and its products/services, specific messages on each channel to their customers, a history with all customer interactions with your brand through multiple channels and the tracking by the multiplatform recognition from customers.

Exploring interactions in email marketing campaigns

The best known ways to generate engagement that have been gaining strength in campaigns include the adoption of videos and games.

One of the resources used in the first model is called 'hotspot'. With this, readers have access to “clickable items” inside the video. Let's use the example of a fashion ecommerce. You can show many combinations of clothes and when your “viewer” likes an specific part, he or she can click on it and be directed to the page of your company with the product to view more details and buy. The action offers a very personal experience between brand and customer.

Consumer approach in order to fully exploit the power of engagement by a variety of digital channels should follow three main pillars that will form the basis of your strategy:

• Improve the customer experience:

An effective marketing action passes by the concern for engagement between brand and customer, taking into account the preferences of each customer individually. So prioritize different treatment, personalized communication and relevant content;

• Evolve together with your client:

Customer’s behavior is not always the same. In addition to technological developments, the lifestyle, habits, preferences and how to communicate are also constantly changing. So follow your customers. Establish a direct communication and connect with them in all of your company’s interactive channels;

• Combine different strategies:

A marketing tactic can give quite right, but it can be even more promising when combined with others. So evaluate what works best and create a set of coordinated strategies for both online and offline interactions.

In an era where collaborative culture and an environment surrounded by interactions dictate the relationship between brand and customers, interactive marketing is an invitation to the consumer to replace the mere role of “spectator” for a more active participation. With the right strategy, the public interacts and shares, turning into a powerful corporate ally and a true ambassador for your brand.

Throughout this post, we separate interactive actions of some Brazilian brands, like the picture above, which can serve as inspiration for you. Not all examples are email marketing campaigns, but all ideas can be adapted to email.

So now let's talk locally. In one of the UncommonGoods’ campaigns, the chart is interactive. The reader is invited to choose the type of decoration that describes his or her home through three options. While the consumer interacts with the brand, the store's products are promoted.

Another example is Sephora, one of the largest stores of beauty products, betting on a more didactic style. In its campaign, several videos, step by step style, teach simple makeup techniques, inviting the reader to be her own makeup artist. Regardless of buying interest, the action already creates the link to a relationship between the brand and its customers.

To finish this post, let’s show a campaign of Rei, a shop specialized in clothing and equipment for camping and other outdoor activities. In its email, readers are invited to participate in a quick quiz with questions like “what is your style to camp?”. Here is visible that the focus is totally geared to the target audience of the brand.

So you should invest in direct communication channels, such as sending personalized and tailored email marketing campaigns for each customer’s profile, relationship through support and customer success service, constant monitoring, instant feedback and active participation in social media. Also to fully hit the right choice, stay tuned on BigData techniques and metrics analysis, following the evolution in customer’s behavior. This way, your company will keep close to its audience, besides knowing exactly what they are looking for and, most importantly, being able to achieve it.

So if the action hasn’t integrated your communication strategy for 2015, we highly recommend that you add the interactive marketing to your activities. This will keep your email marketing campaigns with that fresh air, not to mention that your brand will stand out in front of competitors, as well as being a fun way to spark the interest of your customers and to connect with them.

*With info from Return Path.

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