We all receive them and we all send them. Some more than others, but for the most they are an integral part of conducting business on a daily basis. What are they? Emails! Emails are meant to engage, excite or inspire your current and potential clients but can have the opposite effect of what you were aiming for if you don’t follow some simple rules.
Creating an effective email marketing campaign is not always an easy task. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that may help take some of the uneasiness out of launching your own campaign and making your efforts successful.
1. Create an intriguing, action-oriented email subject
Remember that the email subject in your email marketing campaign is the first thing a reader sees. A bad subject line could get your emails caught by spam filters, not opened, or get people to unsubscribe from your list. So make it memorable and something interesting that would inspire someone to open it.
2. Make sure your graphics are eye-catching
So your tempting subject line lured a potential lead to open the email. Do not lose this sale by incorporating dull or irrelevant graphics. Text is of course, very important. But text heavy emails, with no graphics tend to scream “boring.” People want snippets of information set in an attractive backdrop. Try using bullet points with useful and interesting information to make your emails more scannable. That way your potential client can quickly spot what you are offering and make a decision if they want to keep reading.
3. SPAM-FREE
Some basic rules: Don’t be misleading. Your email’s from and subject line must be accurate. And it is imperative you do not use spam-linked words in the subject line. Don’t write “free” or use a lot of exclamation points. Spam filters are programmed to pick these types of words up and your customers won’t like it either. Be honest about who you are and try to offer something of value.
4. Use A Call to Action
An effective newsletter provides a call to action like a specific or relevant offer or a link to some useful information. Calls to action arouse interest in your product or service. They also allow for you to have a built-in purpose for sending the email.
5. Avoid Sending Emails at Certain Times
It’s Monday morning and the average working person has just arrived at their job. They turn on their computer and there pops up 50 new messages. Chances are if you have sent an email campaign over the weekend it is getting deleted on Monday. The scenario is the same for Friday afternoon. People are getting antsy for the weekend and aren’t really going to be excited about your business newsletter, or possibly won’t even be around to read it. The best times are Tuesday and Wednesday mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
6. No Frivolous Emails
To ensure your email campaigns are opened and effective, pay close attention to what information you are sharing in your emails. If you send out unnecessary information you are going to lose the interest of your recipient. You will also lose their interest if you send them too frequently. You need to have consistent messaging with a direction. Your sales and marketing message should be aligned with your campaign’s message and you should have a plan for distributing your content. Your email campaign should be written for your target audience. If you are targeting different industries you may even want to have a separate campaign for each industry.
7. Actually Send it!
To get people to respond to your email marketing and specials, you have to make it a priority. Sure other things come up but this shouldn’t be ignored. Get it crossed off your to do list and you will see how easy, cost-effective, and powerful email marketing can be for your business.
Nothing in life is a guarantee. But using these seven steps gives your email campaign a better chance of getting opened therefore leading to sales for your company.
~ Bethany Howell
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