Gyles SewardEmail reaches a whopping 2.9 billion people, which is why sending email is an important part of your online marketing strategy. However, you want to make sure that when you are sending them, they are getting opened, read and not just redirected to the recycle bin.
We all have to cope with a great deal of email these days, so here are eight easy ways to make sure your emails don’t get lumped in with all of the spam out there.
Subject matters
The first thing people will see of your email is the subject line; this is the point where many people decide whether or not to open the message. It follows that the subject needs to inspire curiosity. Keep it brief but try to convey a sense of urgency or excitement, and ultimately, value to the recipient.
Spam, spam, spam
Spam filters look for certain keywords so avoid using them where possible, particularly in the subject line. Nasty little phrases such as ‘100% Free’ and ‘As seen on’ set alarm bells ringing, as will too many adjectives. Beware of hyperbole and AVOID USING ALL CAPS at all costs.
Here is a useful list of words that get picked up by the spam filter.
Be valuable
Everyone wants to know ‘what’s in this for me?’ so ensure your content gives something of value to the people you are sending it to. State clearly what they have to gain from your email and the products or services that it offers.
Help them to help you
Including social media share buttons can help your contacts do your job for you. If someone likes what you are offering, they will often want to share it with their friends, who otherwise you may not have reached.
Get mobile
Remember that people open their emails on all kinds of devices these days, so be sure your content is easy to read no matter how it is being viewed.
Be easy on the eye
Use bullet points and occasional images to break up large sections of text. Remember that if your email looks boring, people are less likely to read it.
Customer Relationship Management
Good CRM makes it easier not only to implement all of the above, but to track your results. You will be able to see who opened your email and who clicked your links. You can also use CRM to see how differing approaches to email perform, enabling your future communications to be as successful as possible.
Call to Action
Always ensure that it is clear to people what action they can now take. Make links attractive and easy to follow and leave people in no doubt as to what they should do next.
Email is a cheap and easy way to reach people so think carefully about how you can go about getting a high click-through rate to make sure you are getting the best results possible. Good luck!
[Phto Credit: Antti T. Nissinen]
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