Email forwarding in the context of email marketing refers to the process where recipients of your marketing emails forward your message to their contacts. This can significantly amplify the reach of your campaign, tapping into networks that you might not have direct access to.
Email forwarding is crucial because it essentially turns your recipients into ambassadors for your brand. When a recipient forwards your email, it acts as a form of social proof, adding credibility to your message. This can lead to higher
engagement rates, increased brand awareness, and potentially more conversions.
1. Create Shareable Content: Ensure that your content is valuable, engaging, and easy to share. Content that solves problems, offers unique insights, or delivers exclusive deals is more likely to be forwarded.
2.
Include Social Sharing Buttons: Make it easy for recipients to forward your emails by including
social sharing buttons within the email. This minimizes the effort required to share your content.
3. Incentivize Forwarding: Offer incentives for forwarding, such as discounts, free resources, or entries into a sweepstake. This provides a tangible reward for sharing your content.
Best Practices for Email Forwarding
1. Personalize the Message: Personalized emails are more likely to be forwarded. Use the recipient's name and tailor the content to their preferences to increase the chance of them sharing it.
2.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure that your emails are
mobile-friendly. Many people check their emails on their phones, and an email that's hard to read or interact with on a mobile device is less likely to be forwarded.
3. Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Include clear and compelling CTAs that encourage forwarding. Phrases like "Share this deal with a friend" or "Forward this email to someone who would love this" can prompt action.
Tracking Email Forwards
To measure the effectiveness of your email forwarding strategy, use tracking tools. Most
email marketing platforms offer analytics that can help you track forwards. Look at metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and the number of forwards to gauge engagement.
Challenges and Solutions
1.
Spam Filters: Emails that are forwarded multiple times can sometimes be flagged as spam. To mitigate this, ensure your emails comply with
spam regulations and use a reputable email service provider.
2. Email Fatigue: If recipients feel overwhelmed by too many emails, they are less likely to forward them. Maintain a balanced frequency and ensure your content is consistently high-quality to avoid email fatigue.
3. Loss of Formatting: Sometimes, forwarded emails can lose their original formatting, making them hard to read. Use simple, clean designs and test your emails by forwarding them to yourself to see how they appear.
Legal Considerations
Ensure that your email forwarding options comply with
GDPR and other relevant data protection laws. Make sure recipients have consented to receive forwarded emails and provide clear options for them to opt-out if they choose.
Conclusion
Email forwarding can be a powerful tool in your email marketing arsenal, expanding your reach and increasing engagement. By creating valuable content, making it easy to share, and using best practices, you can encourage recipients to forward your emails and amplify your marketing efforts. Tracking and addressing challenges will ensure that your email forwarding strategy is both effective and compliant.