Today, approximately 333.2 billion emails are sent per day, that’s more than 3.5 million emails per second! Emails are an integral part of any content marketing strategy and essential to keeping in contact and top-of-mind awareness with your customer base and building loyalty. But it all amounts to nothing if it gets lost and overlooked in the spam-verse. Here are some tips to increasing your open rates and making sure that your emails are read.
- Perfect your subject line
With so many emails vying for attention, it’s crucial to make your subject line stand out. Subject lines are like headlines; keep it short and punchy, and consider using numbers or question words to entice readers to click. And avoid spam triggers like “Cash,” “Quote,” and “Save.”
- Don’t neglect the preview text.
On certain email applications like iPhone Mail, Gmail, or Outlook, the first few lines of text from the body of the email will be displayed next to the subject line. Set your preview text to provide a short synopsis of the email. Keep your synopsis short and to-the-point – no more than 50 characters – so that your readers know what you’re offering at a glance.
- Use images
Eye catching visuals and interesting graphics can help to increase your click through rate. But it’s also important to remember that many businesses email servers restrict images which means your readers may not see them. Be sure to add alt text to your CTA image so recipients still know to click even if they cannot see the visual.
- Personalise your emails
Consumers who feel understood and connected with a brand are more likely to respond favourably to their marketing. Personalising your communication can increase your click-through rates and engagement. Address your subscribers by name and tailor your message to address their interests and needs.
- Many email tools allow you to use short-codes that will automatically replace placeholder copy with the recipient’s name once the email is sent out.
- Try mixing and matching your email content by location.
- And of course, be sure to segment your list by behaviour (e.g. recently subscribed, abandoned their shopping cart)
- Include atleast one Call to Action above the fold
As people’s time becomes increasingly limited, they are more likely to simply scan an email to see if it’s of any interest to them. That’s why you want to have a clear call-to-action (CTA) button that’s easy to spot for even the quickest of email scanners. A CTA button is critical to keep engagement up and letting your audience know what they should do next – to take an action that actually benefits them – and the growth of your business.
- Content Marketing is your best friend
Instead of always hard selling your product or service and risk your customer getting tired of seeing or hearing from you make sure to mix it up with relevant and interesting content. Content marketing means giving your customers’ appealing content that they value and enjoy reading. It should be related to your area of expertise but not necessarily always pushing a product. Think of content like tips, trends, how-to videos, etc. This will help to make sure they always want to open your emails and also keeps top of mind awareness.
- Ensure your emails are compliant with POPIA
Remember that all direct marketing communication (like emails) are governed under the Protection of Private Information Act (POPIA). Make sure that you’re on the right side of the law not just for legal reasons but also not to alienate your audience. Don’t have pre-ticked marketing consent boxes on your forms and ensure that every email has an unsubscribe option that genuinely works.
Need help with your email marketing strategy or content? Connect with us connect@clickeddigital.co.za
