Posted on Oct 30, 2017

Six Essential Tips to Improve Your Email Marketing Campaign

Email is a great way to touch base with your customers and to make them aware of your most compelling content and special offers. An effective email campaign can put your company in your readers’ minds, and help to generate sales and conversions. Using an Email management tool makes it easy to create a consistent email experience, and to track performance, such as click-throughs, from your email campaigns.

However, a truly effective email campaign requires more effort than simply blasting your list with the content you feel like sharing. Inboxes are filled with spam and email is a favorite tool for scammers. As a result, people are selective when using email and will quickly tune out if they believe your messages aren’t legitimate or relevant.

Fortunately, there are some simple tips you can follow to make your email campaigns more successful.

 

Build a High Quality  Email List

Your email campaign will only be as good as your email list. If you have a low quality list, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of your efforts are, the results are likely to be poor.  A high-quality email list is filled with people who will have use for your product or services, as well as the means to purchase them. Usually, they they signed up for your emails through a form on your website or elsewhere.

A low quality list, on the other hand, contains inactive or irrelevant emails. Readers might lack the income needed to make a purchase, or might not have use for your goods. Often, low-quality lists are purchased and the emails you send will be unsolicited, which is generally frowned upon. Buying lists can also get expensive. It’s best to skip low-quality lists and to focus on building a higher-quality, more targeted email list.

 

Get the Salutations Right

There are few worse ways to start an email than with “Dear Friend” or “Dear ma’am or sir”. This is an immediate sign that you don’t know who your readers are. You should always start by addressing people by name. In most cases, the reader’s first name is enough.

No, you don’t have to write out individual emails in order to plug in names. Email management tools make it easy to automatically plug people’s’ names in. How you actually do so can vary from tool to tool, but usually it’s quite straightforward. When you create sign-up forms for your email, just make sure you ask people for their names.

Why are names so important? First impressions are vital, especially when it comes to the World Wide Web. When it comes to an email, you only have a matter of seconds to make a good impression. By using a name, you start from a position of trust and familiarity.

 

Make Your Email Easy To Read

Most of your readers are going to glance over your email, rather than giving it a deep read. This means that you have to make your content easy to skim. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and headers/sub-headers. By doing so, readers will be able to quickly  find the information that is relevant to them.

You should also use the “inverted pyramid” writing method, putting the most important points, facts, and calls-to-action at the top of the email. Less important details, meanwhile, should be placed towards the bottom. This way, your readers are more likely to see the most important information.

 

Include Loud and Clear Calls-to-Action

Every email should include at least one Call-to-Action (CTA). You could ask someone to make a purchase, to attend an event, or to follow you on social media. At the very least, you should ask readers to visit your website or to perform some other simple task. CTAs help build relationships, generate conversions, and can be used to identify the most engaged members of your audience.

Following the inverted pyramid method, you should place some of your CTA’s near the top of your emails. It’s best to draw attention to them, for example by placing a few buttons in the email, or using underlined text. You can also repeat the call to action at the end of the email.

 

Test Your Emails To Find What Works

Many email management tools make it easy to test different aspects of your email. This includes the layout, subject lines, greetings, CTA’s, and the content itself. You should A/B test your emails frequently to find out which elements produce the best results.

Subject lines are especially important. A subject line that resonates with your readers can produce significantly more views and clicks. Testing CTAs are also vital. When you conduct tests, it’s best to test only one element at a time, or else you will struggle to pinpoint what is producing improved results.

 

Don’t Spam Subscribers

First, get permission to send emails. If you fail to do so, you can actually be in violation of various laws and rules. You should also make it easy to unsubscribe with every email containing an easy-to-find unsubscribe link. Yes, you might lose readers, but if you continuously email people who aren’t interested, you could damage your brand. You might even be reported for spamming.

Second, don’t send too many emails. Determining the right number of emails to send depends a lot on your subscribers and the type of information you are conveying.  If you’re sending out staff newsletters for your small business, once a month is probably enough. If you’re sending out business tips for small entrepreneurs, perhaps you can send one email per week. Finding the right balance can be tricky, but by analyzing data, such as open rates and clicks, you’ll be able to pin down what’s working, and what isn’t.

Email Offers a Great Engagement Tool When Done Right

Email is a great tool for small businesses, however it requires knowledge and effort. Fortunately, having read this article, you’re well on your way to acquiring the knowledge necessary to run a great email campaign. Now, you’ll have to put what you learned into practice. Remember to constantly examine your results. By doing so, you’ll find out what works best for your audience. Also, stay honest and try to add value to your readers. By adding value, you will build a solid, trusting relationship.

Comments