How to do Email Marketing the Right Way & What Not to Do!

  • Marketing

Written by: Zoe Christodoulides

Never underestimate the importance of email marketing, done well. It can build brand loyalty, engage customers, generate leads and drive blog subscribers. But done poorly, your email campaign can actually have the reverse effect, driving customers away from your business and inundating them with information they care little about. So how to get it right? Here’s some sound advice by Action Digital.

 

1. Skip the hyperbole from the email subject line

Yes, you’ve got to draw people in and make them want to click on your email but the right kind of subject line for your email is crucial. Don’t offer false promises, and don’t over exaggerate anything but do make it short, encouraging and catchy. After all, you don’t just want people to click on the email, but you want them to click on the links inside the email which will take them to your site. Don’t disappoint them once they open it with little substance or little of what was promised in the subject line – remember customer trust is key!  And do use pre-headers; they supplement the subject line and it’s a great way to grab attention, especially on mobile.

 

2.Make sure you don’t send from a generic or ‘no reply’ email

Remember that people need to make a connection with you or they’ll not wish to interact with your company or your email. Make yourselves available, make sure your audience knows who you are and that they can reply to the email or ask a question. Offer them support if needed, and they are much more likely to form a bond with your brand.

 

3. Offer value to your customers, not irrelevant info

Make sure you are offering something your customer would be interested in. Sounds simple, but you’ve got to ensure that you’re not spamming them or trying to lure them into buying something with irrelevant info. Instead, focus on building a relationship with your customers, with content that will be of interest to them, like an informative and easy to read article surrounding the subject at hand.

 

4. Make your Call to Action (CTA) clear but don’t overwhelm the reader

Keep the email short, fun to read, simple and engaging. An email that is too long will tire the reader. And do remember that you are trying to generate leads and engage customers through your online marketing campaign so do make it clear where the reader is meant to click to get to the landing page with clear text links. But don’t make your email too overwhelming with too many CTAs as you’ll find many people will just click the ‘unsubscribe’ button.

 

5. Be consistent with your email campaign, but don’t send out too often

No one wants to be inundated with emails. And if you send an email out too often, chances are, those who receive it won’t even open it. Emails once a week are usually the most effective- you’re making sure that your company/brand is not forgotten, but you’re not inundating anyone. And do be sure to send at the right time. Send out a few test emails to see when your target audience is most active. Do more people open the emails in the morning when they first get to the office? Or are weekends more effective!

 

6. Segment your email list

This is something that is often forgotten about, and wrongly so. Not all customers are the same so don’t treat them as if they are. Sending out a quick survey asking age, profession, location, and preferences before your email campaign begins is a great idea, getting to know the audience of your business. If your business offers certain products, it’s good to know who is interested in what. If you provide a variety of services, there is no point, for example, sending emails out about pension plans to a group of teenagers.  Also have a look at purchase history, content downloads and what the specific users view on your site to increase relevancy. Know your audience, and you’ll be able to better connect with them!

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