There’s a reason email marketing is still one of the most effective channels for reaching customers. Quite simply, email allows you to cultivate a following and manage your subscribers’ relationship with your brand. It also provides an opportunity to guide followers through a customer journey.
That doesn’t mean every email marketing campaign is equally effective. For the best results, keep the following tips in mind. Along with best practices like segmenting lists and using a verified email list, They’ll help you plan a campaign that illustrates why email is so valuable to a marketer.
Have a Goal
Don’t send random emails with the vague goal of “engaging with followers” or “spreading brand awareness.” Set concrete goals for every campaign. This makes it easier to determine if your strategy is effective. For instance, if you’ve recently launched a new product, you might design an email campaign to boost sales of that product. Having that clear goal allows you to monitor your campaign’s performance with greater accuracy.
Choose Metrics
A goal improves your ability to track your progress because it tells you which metrics you need to focus on when evaluating a strategy. In the above example, you would want to track how often your followers opened emails about the product you’re trying to sell, and how often those readers clicked the call-to-action and made a purchase.
The metrics worth tracking for one campaign may not be the same for another campaign. Carefully decide which you’ll focus on before putting your strategy into action.
Be Honest
A strong subject line plays a major role in an email’s success. In fact, 35% of people say they decide to open an email solely based on its subject line.
That said, while it’s important to craft a headline that gets clicks, it’s also important to honestly represent the content of the email. Don’t trick your subscribers with a subject line that promises content the message doesn’t deliver. You’ll develop stronger relationships with your followers in the long run if you’re honest.
Pay Attention to the First Few Lines of Text
A subject line is important because it lets a follower know what an email is about. However, so do the first few lines of text, some of which is often displayed when a follower sees your emails in their inbox. Make a point of using this space to add any extra content you believe will give your followers a good reason to open an email.
Focus on Editing
The average person will stop reading an email after a little more than 11 seconds. This is to be expected. There are plenty of distractions on the internet, and keeping a reader’s attention isn’t easy.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to ensure all content in an email is valuable and engaging. Before sending out a message, edit it thoroughly to remove filler material.
Keep it Organized
Organizing your email content has always been crucial. However, it’s even more essential now that most people check their email via mobile devices.
Make sure your content is organized to appear clearly on a small mobile screen. Avoid long paragraphs, use formatting elements (such as headers) to make content scannable, and include images/videos to break up the monotony.
Most importantly, continue to track your performance. These tips will help you design a strong campaign, but it’s still necessary to monitor your progress. By remembering these points and experimenting with different strategies, you’ll leverage this powerful channel to its full potential.