Email marketing is one of the adequate ways to grow your business. However, it can be challenging to get started, especially if you need to know what works best for your brand. In this post, we’ll cover how to set up an effective email marketing strategy and how best practices should be followed when sending out emails as part of your overall online marketing strategy.
Use a strong subject line.
Use a strong subject line. The first thing users see when they open an email marketing tool is the subject line, so it is essential to ensure yours is clear and concise. If your audience needs help figuring out what you’re marketing or why they should buy from you, then emailing them is no point! Instead, you want readers who are curious enough about your product or service to click through (and hopefully buy).
For example: “Hey [name], I’m sending this message because we’re offering special discounts on our products today!” This offers some context for why someone would be interested in reading further—and, if all goes well, maybe even buying!
Be sure to use bullets and lists.
Bullets and lists are two of the most common tools for making emails read more easily. Bulleted lists break up content and make it easier to understand. At the same time, bulleted lists can also be used to group similar items. Lists can be used in all sorts of ways, from ensuring you include all your contact information at the top of your email (and then letting readers know which department they’re contacting) to grouping related topics so that they’re easier to find later on in the message.
X-Ray your email.
As you test your email, look for ways to communicate in a friendly tone. This will make it easier for readers to stay engaged and interested in the content you’re sending them.
For example:
Use a conversational style. Instead of writing in formal business language or jargon, use casual language and expressions that are easy for someone who doesn’t know what you do every day at work—or even if they do! For example: “I’m glad we could get together today.” Or “I hope this email marketing platform finds you well.”
Keep things short and sweet with bullet points rather than paragraphs (unless they’re more complex). Bullet points allow people to scan through your message quickly while retaining all the information necessary to understand what’s happening inside each section without reading through everything yourself firsthand (and even doing some research).
Include images and videos as much as possible.
Include images and videos as much as possible.
Use images that are relevant to your audience, visually appealing, and relevant to the subject of the email and the content of the email.
Ideas can also help set a tone for a brand or company. For example, if you’re sending out an email promoting your new product line at work, there’s no need for an image of them working on it—the logo is enough! Instead, try using photos of people using their products in real-life situations (i.e., not just standing next to them).
Personalize each message for your subscribers.
Personalizing your message is critical for success.
Use a first name in the subject line of your best email marketing platform. This will allow you to understand more about what stands out from other emails that use generic language and make it easier for readers to identify with you, which can lead to higher open rates and clickthroughs.
Consider using real names instead of fake ones, especially if you have a personal connection with the recipient—they may not know they’re being sent an email from someone they don’t know! If this is the case, include their name at the beginning of each message so they know who sent it (and can see if there are any links or attachments).
Ensure all recipients’ names are relevant—if someone doesn’t need something right now but might later down the road when something else comes up again, then maybe adding this person to our list for future reference wouldn’t hurt either…
Add a link back to your website in the body of your message.
Linking to your website, blog, social media pages, and newsletter signup page should be a no-brainer. But what about all the other great things you could be linking to? Here are some ideas:
Your product page (if applicable)
Contact us form on your site or email address
Blog posts that have been published recently (and where people can find them)
Track open rates and clickthroughs on each email.
Tracking open rates and clickthroughs on each email is a great way to see your emails’ performance. You can use tools like Radian6 or Litmus to monitor this data or manually track the numbers in your email marketing software (if you have one).
If you’re using an automated service like Hubspot’s Email Manager, ensure it has built-in functionality for tracking open rate and clickthrough rate so you don’t have to do it yourself!
Test new ideas regularly to determine their effectiveness.
Test new ideas regularly to determine their effectiveness. It’s essential to test your email marketing campaigns by sending them out to a small group of people who do not have any connection with the company. This way, you can get an idea of how each campaign performs in terms of clickthrough rates and open rates.
If you want to know more what makes someone click on an email or open one up, use Google Analytics data as part of your testing process!
Email marketing can work when you follow these best practices.
Use a friendly tone.
Be personal and conversational.
Use professional language in your subject lines, but remember to keep it warm! If you’re sending an email asking for feedback on your product or service, don’t call yourself “the best” in the subject line—that’s not going to help anyone understand what you’re doing or why they should respond (and if it does get them excited about reading more content from you, then good!). Instead of saying something like, “Dear [name], We want to hear what YOU think,” try something like, “I’m looking forward to hearing how we can improve our product line.” This way, people know right away that they’ll be getting something helpful from their response even though there may not be any specific directions asked for in this particular email (like asking them specifically what improvements would improve their experience).
Conclusion
Email marketing is a crucial part of any business’s marketing strategy. Still, you need to know what works and what doesn’t. By following the best practices outlined above, your email campaign will not only be more effective—but also much more fun!