Have you ever attended an event or purchased a product online? Or receive information about a newsletter or product promotions?
A big part of many marketing strategies is the usage of email marketing. It has proved to be a very effective tool for keeping customers interested in your business and/or pushing them faster down the sales tunnel. Specifically, in 2013, email marketing had a return on investment (ROI) of 4,300%! It is also an effective communication tool as 91% of consumers check their email multiple times each day.
However, simply sending a basic email isn’t good enough. Having the ability to put together a concise, well-organized email that can effectively communicate with your customers is necessary.
Here are 11 items you should include in your emails:
- Clear Subject Lines. Keep your subject line short, enticing and to the point. A bulky subject line can throw off readers.
- Personalization. Be sure to start the email by greeting the recipient by name. Using their first name makes the email seem more personable, while using their last name gives off a more professional vibe. In this case, choosing which name to use depends on the type of business you are in. Also include the company name, location and your position within the company when relevant.
- Be Gracious. Thank the customer for their presence at your past event, for their purchase from your company, for their loyalty or for their interest in your company. Everyone loves grateful companies and here is an opportunity to grab your reader’s attention.
- Timing. In all media outlets, timing is key. There are certain time frames that work better than others in reaching users. For example, posting or sending emails between the hours of 9AM-5PM are usually not as effective because of typical working hours. Be sure to play around with various times in order to figure out what is best for your company. *TIP: Your social media insights and analytics are tools for learning when your target market is online.
- Visuals. An email full of text can be very dull to look at and can drive readers away. Add eye catching and relevant visuals where you can. They say that a picture is worth 1000 words, so make sure to take advantage of that. Don’t forget the importance of humor and amazement!
- Links. The recipient is probably aware of your website. However they may not be aware that you have Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages or even a blog! Add links to your email directing them to those other pages. Adding links to subscription or registration pages can also help customers click through to those landing pages and act accordingly. *TIP: Have your links open in new windows. This allows your reader to visit those pages while still having the original email open.
- Calls-to-Action. Providing a visually attention-grabbing CTA to those landing pages mentioned above gives your reader the option to do things such as register for a service or subscribe to your blog. By doing so, the customer can continue to engage with your company and discover other functionalities that your company may provide.
- Use of Different Font Sizes. Font sizes can keep your reader’s eyes focused on the text as well as create a sense of importance for some text; the bigger or bolder the text, the more important it is.
- Highlight a Promotion. Does your company have other promotional offers coming up or currently in progress? This is your chance to start to get them out there. Provide coupons, savings or upcoming sales events that your customer can get excited for.
- Sense of Urgency. Giving a date that these deals or promotions end gives the reader a sense of urgency to take action whilethey still can. By giving the reader a deadline, it gives them the mentality that they must act sooner rather than later. This prevents the reader from pushing the email aside and forgetting about your offer.
- Personalized Signature. Your signature is your chance to tell the reader who you are. Be sure to add your name, your job title at the company and any contact information you feel comfortable giving out. This is also a good time to add a visual as well as links to your other social media pages.
Grabbing your reader’s attention is key to promoting the rest of your email. If you lose your reader in the early stages of the email, it is likely the rest of your content will not be seen. Keep it simple. Don’t add unnecessary or bulky content that can push your readers away.
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