With so many different marketing channels available now, it’s easy to feel that email has no place in modern strategies. Many feel that email is outdated. It’s certainly been around for far longer than any of the dominant social media networks.
The fact remains that email is not dying and is, in fact, incredibly effective.
Over 102.6 trillion emails are sent annually with the number only projected to increase in the coming years. People are also far more attached to their email accounts than you may think, checking their inbox at least once if not multiple times throughout the day.
However, with users receiving 13 commercial emails per day on average, capturing their attention is more art than science. It’s the failure to properly leverage the audience that forms the misconception that email marketing is dying.
Marketers need to be a lot more diligent and crafty when it comes to email marketing compared to launching campaigns on social media networks. Use these 10 strategies to increase the chances of your email newsletter not being confined to the depths of your leads’ inbox.
#1 Get crafty with the subject lines
The subject line is what will make or break your email marketing efforts. Your lead will have dozens of unread emails that they’ll be skimming through. The subject line needs to not only catch their eye but also compel them to open the email.
There are countless studies on words for subject lines that boost email open rates. Similar studies can also be found on the words to not include in subject lines as they may reduce open rates or even worse, trigger spam filters.
#2 Keep it short
A lengthy email subject is going to get cut off. Remain mindful of character lengths and try to fit the subject within it. With the vast majority of emails being opened on mobile devices, your focus should be on limiting the subject lines to 17-24 characters.
Remember, iPhones show approximately 38 characters in portrait mode while Android devices show around 33 characters. Your hook may not deliver the intended objective if the recipient can’t even read it.
#3 Take a genuine tone
Don’t try to come off as an overly enthusiastic salesperson in the emails. Nobody appreciates that in a retail environment, either. Similarly, they’re not going to respond positively to being pushed hard for a sale through an email.
Keep in mind that you’re reaching to actual people, not machines. Keep a genuine and empathetic tone in your messaging, similar to what you’d not be offended by either.
#4 Send your email blasts at the right time
Before pressing send to light up your entire email list, think about whether it’s the right time to drop a line in their inbox. For example, if you have leads in different timezones, sending out emails to everyone at the same time would mean that a lot of people would get the email when they’re asleep.
By the time they check their inbox in the morning, your email would likely be buried under dozens of other emails they received throughout the night. This reduces open rates and makes your email marketing efforts ineffective.
#5 Don’t spam your leads with too many emails
Email drip marketing can be a very effective tool. A series of automated messages sent at appropriate intervals is a proven method of warming up leads and increasing the chances of them converting.
However, going overboard can very quickly cause you to be relegated to the spam folder. Nobody likes being drowned by emails from the same source several times a day. Space out the emails so that your leads don’t feel hounded.
#6 Scrub your email lists
Email lists can go stale. Perhaps most of them have unsubscribed to you or applied the spam filters. Others may no longer be interested in your brand. Sending emails to them isn’t going to serve any purpose. Don’t forget to scrub out your email list from time to time.
Remove those that have unsubscribed or otherwise show no interest in interacting with your brand.
#7 Segment your list
Segmentation of your email list helps you tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. There are many different ways that the single primary list can be segmented. You can split it up by demographic, gender, location, average spend, etc.
This will enable you to finetune your email marketing efforts, sending the most relevant messages that are laser targeted towards the appropriate audience.
#8 Add a personal touch
A study found that 68% of Americans decide whether they want to open an email or not based on the “from” name. By adding this personal touch, you can increase your email open rates significantly.
Instead of just the company name in the sender’s name, use your own or of those who manage your email marketing. For example, “Adam from ABC Brands” is a much better sender name instead of simply “ABC Brands”
#9 Focus on email design
Good email design will lead to drastically improved open rates. Messages that consistently feature high quality design will leave a mark on your leads. This will spark their natural curiosity and compel them to check out your emails.
Make sure that your emails are well structured, use appropriate color and fonts, provide valuable information and include dynamic content like GIFs or videos.
#10 Content is king
Content remains king and it plays an important part in the success of your email marketing efforts. Ensure that you’re using a copy that’s well written, easy to understand and doesn’t come off as too good to be true.
What you write in that email is ultimately going to decide whether or not that lead is going to convert. Pay special attention to what’s being written and how it’s put together.
Overhaul your email marketing efforts with these strategies
It’s right to expect a return on the significant investment that you’ll make on your email marketing campaigns. The changes of that actually being realized depend greatly upon how you approach the campaigns.
By utilizing these simple strategies, you can improve your email open rates as well as the chances of making your leads convert.