[section_dd][column_dd span=’12’][text_dd]Email marketing is a medium I hold near and dear to my heart. Without sounding too sentimental, it’s how I cut my teeth in digital marketing and to this day, there’s nothing I love more than working on an email campaign. From writing, to image placement, to list segmentation, and analyzing engagement rates, the whole process from start to finish moves me. So, I liked to share some tips I’ve learned along the way. Why? Because knowledge is power and there’s nothing like feeling confident in a solid email marketing campaign.
Make your from name an actual human
How many times have you received an email that is from a company or something to that effect? Everyday? Yeah – me, too. I was just scrolling through my personal Gmail and over 50% of my inbox was from either an info@ email address or company name. Regardless if you’re B2B or B2C, your intended target is an actual human being. Doesn’t it make sense for your email to be from a human? Here are a few examples (using StrataBlue) to use when you’re creating your from name and from email address:
Example 1:
To: John Doe [john.doe@gmail.com]
From: Clay Coomer [clay.coomer@stratablue.com]
Example 2:
To: Jane Doe [jane.doe@yahoo.com]
From: Clay at StrataBlue [info@stratablue.com]
Exmaple 3:
To: James Doe [james.doe@hotmail.com]
From: Clay with StrataBlue [marketing@stratablue.com]
Which of the 3 would you be most inclined to open if you saw pop up in your inbox? Examples 2 and 3 I used a different email address that doesn’t indicate it’s coming from an actual human. Personally, I would open example 1 simply because it appears to be the most humanistic. Of course it would depend on the subject line, though…
Use preview text to your advantage
In some email marketing software, you have the ability to customize your preview text. If you’re unfamiliar with preview text it’s the copy that immediately follows your from name and email address that is (in most cases) visible before a recipient even opens the email. Here are couple examples (highlighted in red): When you click to open the email, that highlighted text is not visible to the recipient. Here’s a tip to keep in mind every time you’re putting together an email; if you don’t have the option to input preview text, the first copy that will appear following the from email address will be the image title you assign to the image file. The reason it’s typically an image is because the first part of an email at the very top is normally a logo or banner image. If neither one are the case for your email, then the first copy to be seen will be the opening salutations of your email. It’s a subtle detail but one that can make or break your email. If the first copy seen in the preview does not make sense to the recipient, chances are, it’s not going to be opened.
Subject line is the most important element
There’s nothing more important than the subject line. The only way your email can be engaged with is if it’s opened. If the email is not opened, chances are, it has to do with the subject line. Yes, from name/email address and preview text are important – but if the subject line doesn’t intrigue the recipient, the email is shot. Most people will tell you to wait to come up with a subject line until last but I do it the opposite way; I create it first and will typically spend the most time on the subject line compared to all other elements of the email. Once you have a powerful subject line, the copy for the email will generally flow more naturally.
Make one primary call-to-action
It’s okay to add the occasional link within the body of your email copy (to your website and not external) but each email should have one singular goal tied to it with one primary CTA. Rather than the CTA be a hyperlink, I’ve found that best practice is to create a custom CTA graphic or button. The lead-in text prior to the CTA image or button is crucial. Using bullets will be your best friend and this is where your “so what, who cares” message should come into play. Why should the recipient click this CTA? What’s in it for them? What value will this add to his or her life? It’s important that these questions get answered to entice the recipient to click through to the landing page associated to the email. Because, as all email marketers know, open rates are great but clicks and high CTR are what we’re actually after.
Friendly, inviting, humanistic copy and writing style
Everyone has their own unique writing style and each company has a “voice” in which they speak to their audience. Let me make a suggestion: throw that crap away and turn the page. There’s a reason why email marketing has been negatively trending lately. Yes, ROI for email marketing is always elevated because of its low cost, but rarely do I come across an email that makes me stop and say, “wow, that’s a great email.” Things have become so mundane and robotic. Loosen up people and talk like a damn person! It’s easy to go through the motions with writing an email but I would encourage you to be a little more edgy with your style and write as if you’re talking to one of your friends.
Bonus tip: segment, segment, segment
Did I mention you should segment? Your email list, that is… This is where it’s super important to 1. know your target audience, and 2. have buyer personas already established. For example, if you’re a B2B email marketer, you’ll want to speak to a CMO differently compared to a CEO. They care about different things and that should be reflected in your writing style.
How can StrataBlue help you with email marketing?
As it turns out, we are pretty good at it! Our staff of social media account managers have been expertly trained to increase engagement rates for email marketing campaigns. Give us a call if you’re interested in learning more – Tyler Moore will be the one to handle your call, and, for what it’s worth, he’s pretty awesome to work with. Here’s his number: 317-207-0195. Or, if you’re shy like me, you can contact us by submitting an online form. Just click the button below and Tyler will follow up within 24 hours! [/text_dd][/column_dd][/section_dd]
