Is email marketing still effective? Yes! In the U.S., over 90% of adults online are using email. Emails are still seen as a professional method of outreach. We have all received generic emails that don’t address our needs but when someone takes the time to send a well thought out message that is when readers take notice and take action.
If someone has given you their email address you have permission to contact them. That said, you don’t want to overdo it or send poor emails that recipients quickly unsubscribe from. People expect offers, information and contact from businesses via email and if you offer promotions or helpful information you should see a higher click-through rate.
Just like anything else, email marketing requires discipline and a strategy in order to get positive results.
Here are some of the basic steps to consider when creating email marketing campaigns.
Define Your Goals
Before you create your email decide what goals you would like to achieve with your message.
Primary goals to consider:
- Getting the reader to click on a link
- Making a sale
- Having the reader to fill out a form
- Getting the reader to request more information
- Getting the reader to join your social networks
A secondary goal may be to have the reader share your content.
List Segmenting
Segmenting your email marketing lists helps you achieve better open and click rates. By narrowing your focus and sending messages to targeted groups within your lists, your recipients will find your campaigns more relevant, relevant campaigns get better results.If your list is segmented, write content that is appealing to the specific audience. Segmented campaigns have a 14.31% higher open rate than non-segmented campaigns.
You want a relevant mailing list that will:
- Increase open rates
- Increase click-through rates
- Increase conversions
- Decrease unsubscribes
- Avoid spam filters
- Increase brand loyalty
Email Content
Choose the best type of content to achieve your goals:
- How-to article
- List article
- Tips article
- Video
- Product review
If you are trying to get your recipients to make a purchase, you may want to send a series of emails.
Have a compelling subject line
- Include a benefit in the subject
- Arouse the recipient’s curiosity
- Target your subject line to the audience
Start your email content with a great opener:
- Tell a story – great for evoking emotion
- Origin stories
- Vision stories
- Case studies
- Why stories
- Share facts or statistics
- Address the reader’s problems
- Begin with a question
Readers want to know what’s in it for them when they read your email and you want to make it clear what you want them to do with a strong call to action.
Make your content simple to read and remove any excess content or adjectives.
Add examples, images, tips to create value.
Proofread
Check the tone of your message. Just reading it may sound fine in your head but it may come off differently to the reader. Imagine that you received the email and make sure nothing comes off as negative. A good trick is to read the message out loud.
Is it a clear message? Make sure your message will be understood by ensuring there are enough details for the reader. On the flipside, don’t overdo it with too much text. Sometimes just a summary will do.
Watch out for wordiness. Streamline your text and remove any filler words. Replace adverbs with strong verbs, instead of incredibly happy use overjoyed. Watch for metaphors or other figures of speech that are overused. Don’t use a passive voice where you can use the active.
If your email service provider doesn’t have tools for link tracking, then use a unique link for each email campaign to track reader actions.
Before You Hit Send
If you have time, hold off sending the email and let it sit so you can return to it with a clear mind and proofread it again.
Send yourself a test message so you can check the layout, images, etc on mobile and desktop.
Test all the links included in the email.
Be sure to include links to your social media profiles
Make your email CAN-SPAM compliant, ensure the unsubscribe links are easy to find.
Conclusion
Emails are an effective way to communicate with your customers and subscribers, but they only have an impact if the recipient clicks and opens the message. Tailor messages to your audience’s needs, make the message something they want to read. If you are mindful to your reader and provide good content the actions will follow.
If you would like help with your next email marketing campaign contact Blue Anchor Digital.
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