Email marketing can be quite an effective marketing tool, but works best if value exchange is involved with the customer. Remember three things: limit the number of emails sent to avoid being viewed as spam, compile interesting content, and most importantly, piece it together with an even stronger subject line.
Similar to boosted posts, ask yourself if the content in the email is beneficial to the customer or not. Email platforms allow you to view the number of open rates and the number of clicks so you can measure what’s working and what’s not.
Subject lines:
Subject lines are one of the most important aspects in developing your email, it’s that initial step in getting your actual message opened. Approximately 33 percent of email recipients will decide to open an email or not based on the subject line alone.
To effectively garner open rates, post a subject with an offer that your customer will find appealing and beneficial as they see it. Try to steer clear of using terms that could end up in spam mail such as “free,” “reminder” or aggressively urgent messages like “act fast!” and “hurry now!” If you are giving something away in the form of a contest, such as a venue giving away a pair of concert tickets, phrase your subject in the form of a question, frame curiosity for the consumer, or provide a short and sweet message of what the offer is up front.
Avoid writing your subject as a sales pitch to divert from the mistake of sounding too pushy. You’ve already hooked the consumer as they willingly subscribed to your emails. So instead, offer something that feels helpful to your customers. Write it in a way that would make someone want to see the inside content without feeling like they’re wasting time to your list. The more customers feel pushed, the more they will delete the email before it’s even opened. Thus, possibly diverting one’s attention to the unpleasant “unsubscribe” link.
Test your subject line and track your open rates to see what entices your customer most. A final point to remember about subject lines is to personalize them with a first name. Most email platforms, such as MailChimp, allow this customizable option in bulk when sending out a mass email. With the check of a box, you’ve automatically added the recipient’s name as they individually receive the email.
Be the consumer:
Pay attention to what your customers truly want. The more you understand your customer, the better you can reach them through email marketing. Use social media as a tool to leverage your most requested products or services. Once you figure the top sought after product or service, decide on how you want to offer it. Once an official offer is decided upon, be transparent and include the specific product/service in your subject line. From here, your email has a higher chance of being opened compared to a product/service that feels mundane or useless to your consumer. If you view it as something that’s overused or easily attainable without the excitement of winning it, chances are so will your customer.
Research:
Arguably the most important detail to compile all of the information needed to compose your email and subject line. Research what your customer finds most appealing and piggyback off of that as your offer. Look to social media as a simple and helpful tool to view real-time what your consumers are talking about. Never flood too many offers at once or condition your customer into thinking that’s all you do as a business. You want to keep your email marketing campaign consistent, but never overdone. Find that middle mark that keeps your costumers satisfied and coming back and the business will follow.
When to send:
From a mobile device, the highest open rates occur between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., as well as 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.