Email marketing is a form of direct marketing that sends targeted messages to your audience through their inbox. It’s a way to build a relationship with your subscribers, increase engagement, and generate sales or leads. Email is the perfect way to nurture your prospects, promote special offers and discounts, and highlight new products or services. Emails can be used in conjunction with other marketing initiatives like content marketing and social media campaigns.
The key to successful email marketing is a strong plan. You need to know what you want your email to achieve, whether that’s generating sales, moving people further down your marketing funnel, or simply creating awareness. Identifying the purpose of your email will help you decide on its tone, position, and wording. You should also decide who your audience is, what type of emails they want to receive, and what type of offers you will be making.
Your email subscribers are used to being bombarded with interruptions and pitches, so make sure your email is relevant to them. This includes your subject line, which needs to catch their attention and entice them to open it. A good rule of thumb is to use personal details about your audience, current events, or a unique offer to create a compelling subject line. Ensure that the email subject line is also in line with the content of your message to avoid misdirection.
Choosing the right email format is also important, as different formats work best for different purposes. For example, a welcome email is designed to introduce new customers to your business, while a newsletter provides a regular update and can feature special offers and discounts.
When it comes to your body copy, keep it short and sweet. People don’t read long emails, so get straight to the point. It’s better to focus on giving value and building rapport with your audience, than trying to sell right away. Some marketers follow the 70/30 rule, where 70% of your email should give value and 30% can sell, but every brand and audience is different, so test and optimize based on your results.
It’s also important to avoid using too many images and graphics in your email, as this can increase the load time of your email, which can turn off readers. Having too many images can also cause your emails to get flagged as spam, so be sure to test the email on various devices before sending it out.
Your email should always end with a clear call to action (CTA), which should be visible and prominently displayed at the top and bottom of your email. A well-placed CTA can significantly increase your email click-through rate, so don’t be afraid to be bold and use a high-contrast color scheme for your CTAs. Also, remember to include a URL where readers can go for more information if they’re interested in learning more about what you have to offer. Including multiple links can be confusing and distracting, so stick to one link per email.