Odds are you’re receiving an email right this very minute. Blink and your inbox is full all over again. If anyone thinks email is no longer relevant, all you need to do is pull out some recent stats. Like the fact that email users are expected to reach 3 billion by the year 2020, and over 205 billion emails are sent every day. No wonder your inbox always seems to be full!
As a marketer, this is good and bad. Obviously, there is a huge amount of potential to reach a vast audience and woo them into customers — that’s good. However, the bad news is, everyone else is trying to do the exact same thing, and it’s easy to understand why.
At a whopping 4,000%, email marketing has the highest overall ROI than any other marketing technique. In other words, for every dollar you spend, you can expect $40 in return! Plus, email marketing has higher conversion rates than search and social media combined. Marketing potential? Heck yeah!
Here’s the thing, though: remember all those other companies vying for those customers? To stand out from the crowd, not end up as spam, and have people actually open your email and then click on something to take action, well that takes some work. Email marketing can do amazing things, but only if you do it right!
Check out these tips to help you launch an awesome email campaign with just as awesome results:
1. Start with a great subject line.
Yes, your subject line really matters. Don’t be tempted to write just any old thing and expect it to fly. There are research-backed facts behind what constitutes a good subject line, and by good we mean one that spurs people to open and read your email — you know, the first step to conversion.
2. Grab ‘em at the get-go.
Your very first sentence not only needs to grab attention, but it also must entice readers to continue on to the next sentence, and the one after that, and the one after that. Let them know right away the value of your information and how it benefits them so they’re interested enough to keep reading!
3. Talk directly to your audience.
Did you know that personalized emails are six times more likely to be opened and clicked through? Plugging in a contact name and using friendly, conversational terms are not enough, though. That first sentence we just talked about above? In order for it to do what it needs to do, it must resonate with the recipients and present a solution for a problem they have.
4. Segment your email lists.
This helps you do that direct talking thing. When you segment your list according to criteria that meets the exact audience you want to reach, you’re sending a targeted message to exactly the people who want it, avoiding irritating customers who don’t find the message relevant, and subsequently delete or worse, unsubscribe.
5. Use images (but not too many).
Images are important to give emails a boost, but you know what else is important? Not to go overboard! Too many images can overpower your message. Like so many things in life, moderation is key.
6. Keep mobile in mind.
88% of smartphone users check their email on their phones. Make sure your message is mobile-friendly so that it’s user-friendly too.
7. Present a clear and focused message, complete with a request for action.
Seriously, it’s important to let readers know exactly what you want from them, so come right out and say it. Make your call-to-action an easy to fill out form or quick download. Whatever you do, don’t make ‘em spend too much time or have to wait — unless, of course, you don’t mind them moving on to something else.
8. Track results.
In order to see if things are working well, you need to track results, analyze the situation, and make adjustments. Check open and click through rates, try different subject lines, do a little A/B testing. Eventually, you’ll figure out the perfect formula for the results you want.
Now you’re ready to send an email that stands out in a crowded inbox, reaches exactly who you want it to, and either nourishes an existing customer relationship or encourages a potential customer to act. Either one is as important as the other and email can do both. Just make sure you follow this checklist as well as the universal wise advice: think before you send.
For more tips to use email marketing like a pro, download our free guide, or give us a call in Muskegon, MI at 231-727-9778.
