When used correctly, email marketing campaigns are an effective tool to increase conversions and build positive relationships with your customers. People who buy products or use services marketed in email spend on average 138% more than those who do not receive emails, so getting your email campaign right can deliver excellent return on investment. Here are the top tips to make your venture into email marketing a success.
Invest Time in the Subject Line
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a well designed email alone is enough to get results. The subject line of your email will govern whether or not the recipient opens it in the first place. Creating a short, engaging subject can dramatically increase your open rates, so it is important to spend time crafting the perfect line. We recommend limiting your subject line to around seven words, using a familiar sender name and making it personal.
Segment your Mailing List
If you have a large volume of customers, the content of your email is not going to be relevant to all of them. It is a good idea to tailor your messages to your customers’ interests, and make your emails relevant to the various groups of people with whom you interact. For example, an online retailer might find it useful to set up an email campaign targeting those who abandoned their shopping basket before purchasing, and divide this group according to the value of their basket and their previous shopping habits to encourage them to return to the site and make a purchase.
Offer Value to your Customers
You might have a really well designed email with thoughtful content, but if it doesn’t offer value to your customers they are unlikely to convert. A clear and concise statement in your email which highlights how your services bring benefit to your customers can encourage them to click through to your website. A good value proposition explains to the reader what the benefit of your product or service is, why they should care about it and why they should take action.
Define your Campaign Goals
It might seem obvious to identify what you hope to achieve with your email marketing campaign, but many companies send emails with goals which are not specific enough. Too many calls to action in one email can confuse your readers, and leave them less likely to follow a link through to your website. Having focused aims and relevant calls to action can increase clicks by over 300%.
Pay Attention to your Email Length
Even if your email didn’t look too lengthy when you composed it on a desktop screen, the same volume of text can seem overwhelming on a mobile device. The majority of people check emails on a smartphone or tablet, meaning that long emails can become unreadable, and reduce the number of clicks to your website. Emails which are short, targeted, visually appealing and engaging are more likely to resonate with your audience and encourage them to click.
Send Emails at the Right Time
If you aren’t sending your emails out at the right time, you could be missing out on crucial conversions. This requires both continuous testing and a touch of common sense; if you send out your emails at midnight, they are unlikely to get opened. One study suggested that sending emails in the morning rather than the afternoon increases revenue gained by 14%, but it is all about finding out what works for your business. If your emails are not getting opened, test out different times until you find the most effective time for you.
Focus on Engaging your Audience
Email campaigns often focus heavily on sales, but providing something of value to your customers is just as important. If your subscribers feel they are constantly being sold to, they are likely to remove themselves from your mailing list. A well thought out email campaign will contain content which is meaningful to your customers, engaging them, entertaining them, and keeping them curious about your company.
In a world where we receive countless emails per day, it is important to make sure you tick all the email marketing boxes to avoid your message hitting that dreaded ‘trash’ folder. For more tips and advice about running a successful email marketing campaign, get in touch with our email marketing specialists.
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