The consensus on email marketing has gone back and forth over the years when it comes to reliable ways to get in front of your audience. An abundance of marketing emails, lists you don't even remember signing up for, and spam emails have all contributed to what makes authentic opt-in messaging difficult— yet rewarding. Your email list is one of your most valuable sources of revenue if you know how to use it correctly, luckily there are a base set of rules and practices your business can stick with to try and stand out.
According to Mailchimp, the average opening rate for marketing emails is 35-45%. With less than half of a shot of even getting your email opened, what does that mean for marketers? Send more emails? Send less? Abandon email marketing altogether? Start putting messages in bottles and letting them drift out to sea? The answer: consistency and authenticity. If you can authentically send emails to an audience that actually opted into getting them at that rate, you're doing better than most. Here are a few great tips to stick to in the email marketing sphere:
1. Creating a Good Email List
The first step to increasing your email marketing effectiveness is to make sure your email list is targeting the correct audience. A great contact list isn't made overnight. Some ways to curate a good emailing list are to create opt-in forms on your website, posting on social media encouraging your followers to subscribe, and including opt-ins to part of your client onboarding/sales process. Once you have developed an email list that you know is expecting to hear from you, then it'll be time to send your first email. Until then, work on building up a list that actually cares – not a list you purchased online…
2. Short Subject Lines
Your subject line is the first thing that your subscribers see when they receive your email; it can be the make-or-break factor on whether your audience decides to open your email or not. What typically draws your subscribers is not usually what you want them to know or click on. It's usually a short and eye-catching phrase that makes them curious…makes them want more!
Example:
Instead of saying: "Open this email to see the great deals we have going on until midnight"Try using: "Unlock great deals, sale ends at MIDNIGHT"
3. Personalization
A great way to keep your subscribers interested is making them feel like the content they are receiving is tailored to their specific needs. This is a key step in making your audience feel like these emails are intentional and something worth opening. Email personalization can contribute to an increase in open rates, customer engagement, and ultimately what we all want: money. Small things like sending with personalized name fields, or even company name, can be a small detail that goes a long way in this form of marketing.
4. Promotions
With email personalization we know people like to feel special, and what better way to do that than making your audience feel like they can gain something exclusive by being a part of your email list.
Anything from promotions or sales, to "insider" or "expert" knowledge in an email will entice your subscribers to open their emails. A few examples of this include:
- Product discounts
- Early access to products
- Invite only event registration
- Customer appreciation promotions
By experimenting with different types of promotions on your emails, you get the opportunity to drive audience engagement with your business online that you wouldn't always be guaranteed with the general public.
5. Send Emails at the Optimal Time
An often overlooked aspect when it comes to email marketing is narrowing down the time you should send to your subscribers. In order to get the most out of your emails, you need to know when your audience is most likely to open them. The last thing you want is for your emails to get lost in your audience's inbox amongst their day-to-day communications. Over time, email marketing platforms can give you insights on how likely your list will be to open at your scheduled send times. You can also account for things such as industry specific down time of the day, and popular times for your website as well.
What are the next steps?
Now that you know some of the basics on how to build up your email marketing it is time to send your first email! Not feeling confident on your email marketing strategy just yet? We are here to help! Contact us for a consultation and we will take a look at your current email marketing plan and let you know where you might be needing a boost!