We all know what we don’t like about email marketing – too many, too often, from companies we’re sure we’ve never shopped with or used before. Email marketing can and should be the opposite – targeted, specific, genuinely useful, and from a brand you already know and use (or want to!)
If you’re sending out emails and getting very little back, or you’ve avoided investing in email marketing because you’re not sure how to do it well, this is what you need to do more of.
Personalise and incentivise the subject line
The first obstacle is getting someone to open the email. Subject lines really matter, they tell your potential customer whether they should bother clicking or tapping or ignore it completely. It’s very easy to ignore so you have to work hard to grab their interest.
Most email marketing tools like MailChimp give you the option to add the recipient’s name to the subject line. This is helpful but it won’t cut it on its own. The subject line should pull out the main reason why someone should open the email, whether that’s an offer, an invitation, or a specific benefit.
Simplify calls to action
We don’t read every word of every email in our inbox, we usually skim them for things that matter most. If you want your list of customers to complete one specific action – signing up for something, buying, booking an event – they need to be guided through the email to that action in just a few seconds.
The more links, text, and instructions, the more confused your email recipient will be. A very obvious and clearly labelled button or link can be all you need.
Put your name on it
A recent A/B test showed emails sent from a specific person at HubSpot, rather than just ‘HubSpot’, had a higher open rate and click-through rate. Small businesses do personalisation like no one else, making this a really easy way to put your own stamp on every email you send. Even if you don’t want to put your name down as the sender, signing off the email with your own name can make your emails sound instantly more human and recognisable.
It looks good on every browser, device, and OS
We’re all navigating the world with different devices and screen sizes. What looks great on your desktop might be awkwardly formatted or cut off on someone else’s phone. That will guarantee instant disengagement. Email preview and testing tools are an easy way to check compatibility and see how your emails look in lots of different places. Always go through this stage before sending or your email marketing strategy will be wasted.
The dynamic tags and codes are accurate
Receiving an email addressed to <First Name> is not ideal. Neither is giving people a discount code that doesn’t work. It makes you the sender appear disinterested or like you don’t really know what you’re doing. That doesn’t win much trust and overshadows even the most carefully written, targeted email. Your email platform of choice should test these customisable elements automatically and flag any issues.
A few last things to check before you send:
- Do all the links work and go to the right place?
- Are your images high quality?
- Is the text readable against the background?
- Will it be blocked by any spam filters because you’ve used specific words?
- Is the content specific to the list of names you’re sending it to?
- Is there a clear ‘unsubscribe’ email for people that want to opt out?
- Spell check!
Done right, email marketing works really well. It’s all about how you do it, who you send it to, and what you expect from them when they open it.
Talk to your local digital marketing experts in Chorley
For helpful email and digital marketing strategies designed specifically for small businesses, speak to the Tall Zebra Designs team. We’ll help you get more from your marketing channels with tried and tested techniques. Get in touch today!
