There is hardly any other marketing discipline that marketers talk about as little as they do about email marketing. Classic newsletters or individual automation can not only increase sales significantly. Compared to other forms of advertising, email marketing is also highly cost-effective and – above all – scalable. To get you started, here are six tips for excellent marketing emails.
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Build A Compelling Subject Line
Of all content elements in email marketing, the subject line is the element that you have to spend most of your time in. It decides whether the recipient reads the email at all, and thus, there is a chance that your message will get through. Every fourth email is opened on average. The rest ends up in the trash, unread.
It has been proven that the length of the subject line significantly influences the opening rates is nonsense. Studies have found minor differences in the opening rates – seven words seem to be ideal according to these studies – but ultimately, it is not the length that determines the success but the choice of words. Only for the mobile display, you should test whether the subject line is displayed sensibly.
A clever choice of words and convincing texting is much more important than the length of the line. Motivate instead of informing. You can achieve this goal through shortage (“Only 5 hours left ”) or relevance (“New special for you, FIRST NAME”). The last example shows you another trick: personalization. Individual subject lines and direct addressing of the customer create relevance and urgency in email marketing. Instead of “Happy Birthday”, use “We have a present for you, FIRST NAME”. That works a lot better!
Don’t Forget The Preheader And Sender
In addition to the subject line, users see two other elements before opening the email: the preheader and the sender. In email marketing, you can and should use this space to demonstrate added value and trust, thus increasing opening rates.
The first lines of the text are in the preheader. Many email programs still show these in the email preview. Use this space to communicate the benefits of email. For example, you can further specify the added value from the subject line or outline other topics in your marketing email.
It would be best if you also determined the sender individually. People prefer to read people’s news. Instead of the company name, use employees who appear by their first name. That looks a lot more familiar!
Convince With Your Storytelling
If the user has tapped the subject line, the email marketing is not over yet. Now the content has to be convincing! Pure sales content is rarely successful here. As everywhere in marketing, the added value of your email counts. 90 percent of the text should be relevant and exciting for the reader, the remaining 10 percent you can use for your products and message.
Good copywriting can be reduced to a formula created by copywriter Kevin Rogers: ISDR. The abbreviation stands for identity, struggle, discovery, and result. So these elements must be found in your text:
- Identity: Make sure that the reader can identify with the text and the main character of the email body. In plain English, this means that the email sender ideally has the same characteristics as the reader. Often, it is enough if you give your email marketing a personality through a personal sender.
- Struggle: Introduce the problem you want to solve with the email. Example: You have a platform through which people can connect to learn musical instruments. First, make it clear through a personal story that it takes a lot of time and effort to master an agent on your own.
- Discovery: Here, you indirectly include your offer for the first time. Tell the reader how you solved the problem. However, for the time being, stay general and focus on the solution and not the product. Example: Tell them that you have had the experience of learning instruments much better and faster with a mentor.
- Result: Now, you describe how you can solve the problem with your product. Using the example: You offer a platform through which everyone can find their mentor without registering at an expensive music school.
Formulate A Clear CTA
Every single email in email marketing needs a goal. You make this goal clear in the call to action, the CTA (call-to-action). After all, the recipients should not simply skim through your newsletter and close it again but also become active. When designing the CTA, it is essential to ensure that it is formulated briefly and clearly. You can do this with functional language. You can also reinforce the effect with high-contrast colors, urgencies (“only a few hours left”), and communication of advantages in the area around the CTA.
Where the CTA is placed is up to you. It is advisable to put it in the upper third. So it is in the field of vision of the recipient. In any case, you should only ever use one CTA. One speaks here of the choice paradox: If a visitor is afraid of making a wrong decision because of several options, he would instead not make a decision.
Test All Elements
Do emojis work in the subject line? Should the CTA be below or above the picture? Nothing works in email marketing today without testing. Even if you’re sure a subject line will work, you have yet to prove it. Experience shows that our gut feeling is very deceptive. Only intensive A / B testing can help determine the best possible version of your elements.
Most email marketing tools have built-in testing capabilities. The tests usually work like this: You send two (or more) versions of an email to 10 percent of your mailing list. According to open rates and clicks, the more successful version is then sent out to the rest of the mailing list. The split enables you to achieve the best campaign results in the short term. In a long time, this will give you an understanding of good subject lines and CTAs.
Segment Your Mailing List
Everyone knows that it makes no sense to stand on stage at a rock festival with a Beethoven symphony orchestra – it is just as senseless permanently to send a newsletter or automated emails to the entire mailing list. Therefore, you should segment your distribution list.
Your email marketing is based on data. You can use this to create segments and to use your mailing list much more efficiently. In addition to personal data such as date of birth or gender, email marketing tools often provide usage data. See who opened your past emails. You can also use usage data from your shop or website. Which products have the subscriber already bought in the shop? How often does a user buy? What articles did he look at?
These segments can then be used individually in email marketing. This increases the opening rates and strengthens customer loyalty, and prevents users from annoying logging out. The best way to do this is through automated emails, which you use in e-commerce, for example, to win back customers or to reward them for their loyalty.
You see: if implemented correctly, email marketing allows you to build long-term and sustainable customer relationships and to fill them with relevant content over and over again. You thereby increase the repurchase rates and manage to generate trust and presence. I would be happy to help you set up your mailing list and give you essential tips on how to get started in email marketing in the best possible way.
Also Read: What Is The Conversion Rate & How To Increase It By Using Content Marketing?