If you’ve ever used an email marketing campaign to highlight listings, solicit investors or stay in touch with your existing clients, you’re probably aware of how effective this type of commercial real estate marketing program can be. You’re probably also aware of how tricky it can be to get your campaign organized and out the door. The moving parts of lists, headlines, copy and graphics can be sizable challenges and can be frustrating at times. If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about any of those elements, Inc. The magazine has a refreshing, contemporary take on those as well as The Email Marketing Secret Nobody Talks About. Whether you’re tackling these elements yourself or relying on a virtual marketing department for help, attention to detail in these areas paired with a few performance boosting, complementary activities can make a big difference.

First things first though. Get prepared. Nothing breeds failure into an email campaign more quickly than chaos. There’s going to be a lot to think about, so formulate a clear plan of attack and delegate responsibilities. Managing the moving parts of your email campaigns is essential to be proactive and strategic about the email you’re about to send. In the end, this prep work will pay dividends in terms of generating opens, clicks, and qualified leads. Next, think about implementing some of these tactics to add some new life to your campaigns.

Pick a new time
When it comes to timing, there are a lot of conflicting opinions about when you should send emails. Nowadays though, companies have given employees more freedom and flexibility in their work days which can lead to unconventional hours. Adapt your email marketing strategies to this new norm. Try sending emails at varying times of day and on different days of the week to see which licit a response.

Get even more personal
Commercial real estate marketing and selling is about forging connections. Engage audiences with content that’s personalized and your chances of getting their attention will go up sharply. Everybody likes to see their name in lights, so to speak. Email tools that are available today can really illuminate your message by using data attributes specific to your targeted audience. This technology can take your email beyond just a personal salutation and tailor it based on region, company or some other identifiable characteristic of the recipient. You may also want to personalize your message based on where the prospective client is within your sales cycle, their decision making authority or even based on their personal interests, if you know them.

Test, Adjust, Repeat
Split-testing. A/B testing. Multivariate testing. They all refer to generally the same idea or method for conducting controlled, randomized experiments within your email marketing efforts. To simplify this concept, consider this; if an element in your email can be swapped for an alternate version, it is a candidate for testing. So, go ahead and split your list and try two different subject lines – which got a better response? Adjust as needed and then repeat. Next, you may want to try varying a call-to-action, images or whatever. Just make sure you always have a control version that doesn’t get changed.

Automate
Marketing automation software from companies like Hubspot is taking email marketing to a whole new level. If you’re not familiar with this or similar products, your commercial real estate marketing agency can help you get started. These services provide robust feature sets for creating, launching, tracking and following-up which, once in place, enable you leverage your customer contact lists to their fullest. An automated email marketing program will send ongoing, context-driven emails and speak directly to the needs and interests of your prospects and clients.

You’ve got a few more interesting things to think about now for getting the most out of your email campaigns. There’s no need to try and implement all of these at once. Try one at a time until you feel comfortable in its use. As you bring these online though, remember your work can’t stop there. Be sure to analyze statistics, track website hits and quickly follow-up on inbound inquiries. Of course, also always be true to the basics of great headlines, client-centric messages and including offerings that hold true value.