Email marketing has for a long time been one of the most popular tools in the business. Unlike forms such as social media, you can definitively measure how many people your message is going to, being seen by, and working on. But the average person now receives 111 consumer emails per day – that’s not even taking in to account the business ones they have to deal with as well! So how can you make sure yours gets seen?
Above all, the subject line is possibly the most important thing. Your email might be jammed full of exciting content but if the subject line doesn’t entice the viewer then they simply won’t bother opening it. Try using questions or clickbait ideas such as ‘you won’t believe this’ or ‘we’re letting you in on a secret’.
Once you’ve interested your consumer enough to open the email, you need to consider what’s going in it. The first thing you need to decide is what action you’re hoping they take. Do you want them to buy something? To subscribe? To visit your website? Whatever your goal, it needs to be very clear with a call to action button that ideally appears without the user having to scroll.
In order to create something that excites your audience, you should also consider the content. Try to avoid anything too wordy; if it’s an article you want them to read then host this on your website or blog and then just include the link in the email. Use engaging images like GIFs and make sure that everything is high quality but fully optimised (especially for mobile). If your email doesn’t load fast enough then it will quickly be deleted.
Another successful email marketing tool is personalisation. If the consumer feels that they’re being spoken to as a person, rather than an audience, then they’re far more likely to engage with your brand. You could do this by including their name in the subject line or by showing them products similar to those they’ve viewed or bought from you before. If you show that you’re paying attention, then they’re far more likely to as well.
Once you’ve designed your email template then you just need to get your process down to a tee. Segment your lists instead of sending one blanket email to better reach those at different stages in the sales pipeline (someone who has visited your website once should not be seeing the same email as a regular purchaser). Also consider the frequency and timing of your emails. Don’t spam people with your messages and try to send them at times when people will be going on their phone or computer (first thing in the morning and lunchtime are good choices).
