But in the head-long rush to incorporate the latest techniques into your digital marketing, there’s the real danger of forgetting the simple stuff. The essential ingredients it takes to create the perfect email marketing campaign.
Here’s are some of the essentials to help provide you with a checklist to make sure your tick all the (in)boxes.
How to turn an Inbox into a Winbox
The first, and arguably the most important point to get right, is to make sure your customer actually opens and reads your email. In the 2015 DMA Email Tracking Report, a whopping 63% of those questioned said they either read the subject line then deleted the email, or read the subject line and then ignored it.
Sobering stuff. That’s why we recommend you help your email stand out immediately by attaching a recognized, ‘friendly from’ name. Make it ‘personal.’ Your sales person’s name, for example. We recommend you at least insert your company name, as receiving an email from a company someone has already dealt with, greatly improves the odds of that person opening the email.
Subject lines
Very, very important. Make them snappy, eye-catching, short. Relevant. Announcing a flash sale? Inviting your customer to an exclusive preview? Offering them an exclusive discount? Don’t make them guess what it is you’re trying to tell them. Use powerful, emotive language to attract their attention.
Responsive templates
Mobile is fast becoming the major channel through which, and on which, your email will be opened. Ensuring your customer can read it, that they can tap the CTA button, for example, and that it takes them seamlessly to your landing page, is absolutely essential.
Content
We recommend you mix things up a bit, keep things fresh. After all, no one likes reading the same thing again and again. After all, no one likes reading the same thing again and again. See? Use a mixture of images and devices like bullet points to make your email content digestible and attractive.
CTA – Call to action
As mentioned previously, this has to be clear and precise, like your subject line. What do you want your customer to do? Buy? Watch? Download? Share? Tell them; don’t make them guess!
Make your CTA button clear, and easily accessible. Place it above the ‘fold’ of your email, near the top. Give it space – don’t bury it in the copy. And of course, make sure if someone’s opening your email on a mobile device, they can easily tap your CTA button, regardless of screen size.
Plain-text version of your email
HTML contains images and colours. A plain-text email, on the other hand, does exactly what it says on the tin: they contain only text – no colours, graphics or formatting. The one big advantage of a plain text email is that it will be openable and readable on every device, mobile or static. Vital, when you consider some people turn off HTML emails.
These suggestions are just a few of the many you’ll find in our cheatsheet ‘Back to basics: email marketing’. Download it for free now and get your email marketing campaign off to the very best start it can.
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