Email marketing can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if you put lots of time into crafting your emails but have low open rates. (Or worse—you keep getting reported as spam!) The good news is there are strategies you can employ and quick steps you can take to give your emails a better chance at reaching your audience. Here are four ideas you can use today.
1) Draw from your own experience as a client or consumer to inform your email marketing.
Think about the emails you receive throughout the week. Which ones do you open? Which ones do you delete without reading? Why do you choose to stay on any business’s mailing list? Use your answers to these questions to inform the way you conduct email marketing.
For example, if you automatically delete emails from a big box retailer because they send too many, be mindful of the number of emails you send to your mailing list. Be specific and helpful with the items you include in your emails.
2) Feature essential copy only—large text blocks are often ignored.
Whether your contacts are reading on a computer, tablet, or cell phone, the reality is that large blocks of content are off-putting. Long emails are often deleted before they’re read. If you’re tempted to send many paragraphs to your email list, send everything to a colleague first. Instruct them to help you simplify. Stick with the essentials. Add subheadings or bullet points wherever you can. This makes it easier for others to grab important information even if they don’t have time to read everything.
3) Look for creative or eye-catching ways to break up your information: GIFs, quality graphics, etc.
Even if you aren’t a designer, there are many great online resources today that can help you put together an attractive graphic or even a GIF to make your content more engaging. Of course, if you’d rather work with a professional designer to help you build a cohesive look, that’s always an option! Juice partners with a variety of clients in this way. We would be happy to have a conversation with you so you can determine if we would be good partners for you.
4) Practice good email etiquette.
These days, email addresses are extremely valuable. People don’t give them out without expecting something worthwhile in return. If a contact has trusted you with their information, be sure you’re not sharing it with others. Or, worse, don’t sign a contact up for your email list simply because you have their email address. Give them the opportunity to opt in for themselves by sending them a signup link instead. Keep current email regulations and your platform’s requirements in mind as you build your list of contacts.
Email marketing is a bit of an art form. Sometimes you have to try something different to see how your clients respond. Follow these four suggestions to get your email marketing off to a great start.
If you have questions about email marketing and whether or not it would be a good element to add to your marketing strategy, give us a call at 727-386-8611. We’d love to help you evaluate the options available to you.