What Does "Share" Mean in Email Marketing?
In the context of
Email Marketing, "share" refers to the action taken by recipients to distribute your email content to others. This can be done through various channels, such as social media platforms, forwarding the email to friends or colleagues, or sharing a link to the email on a website or blog. The goal is to increase the
reach and visibility of your email campaign beyond your initial subscriber list.
Why is Sharing Important?
Encouraging recipients to share your emails can significantly enhance your email marketing efforts. When an email is shared, it has the potential to reach a wider audience, thereby increasing the potential for higher
engagement rates and conversions. Additionally, shared emails often carry an implicit endorsement from the person sharing, which can add a layer of trust and credibility to your message.
How Can You Encourage Recipients to Share Your Emails?
Social Media Buttons: Include social media sharing buttons in your emails to make it easy for recipients to share your content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Forward to a Friend Option: Add a "Forward to a Friend" button or link in your email to encourage recipients to share the email directly through their email client.
Engaging Content: Create compelling and valuable content that recipients find worth sharing. This can include exclusive offers, insightful articles, or entertaining media.
Incentives: Offer incentives such as discounts, freebies, or entries into a contest for those who share the email with their network.
What Metrics Should You Track?
To measure the effectiveness of your email sharing strategy, track the following metrics: Email Forward Rate: The percentage of recipients who forward your email to others.
Social Share Rate: The percentage of recipients who share your email content on social media platforms.
Referral Traffic: The number of visitors to your website who arrive via shared email links.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of new subscribers or customers acquired through shared emails.
Best Practices for Shareable Emails
To maximize the shareability of your emails, consider these best practices: Mobile Optimization: Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly, as many users access emails on their smartphones.
Personalization: Personalize your emails to make them more relevant to each recipient, increasing the likelihood they will share the content.
Clear Call-to-Actions: Include clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage recipients to share your email.
Visual Appeal: Use high-quality images and a clean design to make your emails visually appealing and share-worthy.
Timely and Relevant Content: Send emails that are timely and relevant to current events or trends, making them more likely to be shared.
Examples of Successful Sharing Strategies
Many brands have successfully utilized sharing strategies to amplify their email marketing efforts. Here are a few examples: Dropbox: Dropbox used an email referral program to grow its user base. By offering additional storage space for every referred user who signed up, they encouraged sharing and significantly expanded their audience.
Starbucks: Starbucks often includes social sharing buttons in their promotional emails, making it easy for recipients to share limited-time offers and seasonal promotions on social media.
BuzzFeed: BuzzFeed creates highly shareable content, such as quizzes and listicles, and includes social sharing buttons in their emails. This strategy has helped them achieve a broad reach and high engagement rates.
Conclusion
Sharing in the context of email marketing is a powerful way to extend the reach of your campaigns and engage a broader audience. By implementing strategies that encourage recipients to share your emails, you can enhance your brand's visibility, build trust, and drive conversions. Remember to track relevant metrics and continually optimize your emails to maximize their shareability and overall effectiveness.