Think about how many times you use email in your own life. How many times a day you hear that ding from your phone? Let’s face it, email is a big part of our lives. Email marketing, when done correctly, can be like having your very own money tree. Chris Combemale, CEO of the Data and Marketing Association once said, “email stands as one of the most effective ways to reach target audiences,” because it takes an integrated approach and it brings the right message to the right audience.
In 2015 the Data and Marketing Association reported that email marketing had an average ROI (return on investment) of around $40 for every $1 spent, and that “one in five companies reported an ROI of over 70:1.”
A technology research firm, Radicati Group, estimated that between three and four billion people use email, so it’s safe to say that email is a popular means of communication. The firm also averaged the amount of daily sent emails to about 280 billion. Out of 280 billion, the majority were business related.
So How Do You Stand Out?
So how do you stand out amongst those billions of emails? Right out of the gate, make sure your subject line is killer! Keep in mind that people open your email if they think they will benefit, if they’re worried that they are missing out, or if you present some compelling evidence why they should engage with it. Try to generate a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) in your audience so they are more likely to read your email. After you’ve perfected the subject line, move on to developing an engaging preview text! If your preview text included instructions on how to view the email or un-clickable links to your social media, you are wasting your time. The purpose of the preview text is to give your clients a sneak peek into the email body, so you should keep that in mind when crafting it. For more tips, check out optinmonster.com!
How Do You Write a Strong Email That Drives Action?
Your first priority is to get your email read, so start by writing from a familiar name. The “from” or sender name is one of the most eye-catching components in your subscriber’s inbox. Almost 70% of readers decide to read the email based on the sender name.
We already covered how to construct a compelling subject line and preheader, now let’s focus on the pièce de résistance: your email body. Good writing isn’t about using any specific “magic” words. If you can get your audience to understand your offerings and the benefits you bring them in the simplest way possible, people will purchase your services.
The final step is optimizing your buttons. The trick is to use the button to emphasize the benefits you promised your subscriber in the rest of the email. Make the buttons specific to the focused content instead of generic. For more in-depth tips, check out Campaign Monitor‘s webpage on constructing enticing emails!
Why email marketing?
Email marketing is a personal way of reaching your target clients. Email can be tailored to your clients’ actions so that every announcement is relevant to their interest. There is a wide range of topics you are able to cover through email marketing like changes within your company, accomplishments, and client feedback requests. Still hesitant about it? Here are six reasons why you can’t afford to ignore email marketing:
- Email marketing has the highest rate of customer acquisition among online platforms.
- Email marketing generates about $40 in ROI for every $1 spent.
- It’s personal and customizable; unlike social media which is composed with a large audience in mind and therefore less individualized, email allows you to personalize your messages making you seem more authentic and your message more organic.
- Email is action oriented and “transactional by nature” which is how it drives sales and directs traffic to your website.
- One of the most appealing aspects of email marketing is that it is completely measurable! Using email marketing software allows you to track who opened your emails, which links they clicked, and how many people unsubscribed.
- Email is also completely optimized for mobile phones, so people can check it anywhere at any time. This means there are greater chances that your email gets noticed faster because there are more opportunities for people to check for it!
What Emails Should You Send Out?
The site tutsplus.com explains some of the most important emails to include in your campaign. Here are a few to give you an idea:
- Engagement emails
- Welcome emails
- Tutorials and Tips
- Customer stories
- Brand Stories
- Re-engagement emails
How Often Do You Send Emails Out?
On average once a month is a good goal, however it depends on the content of your emails.
- Emails you should send once a week (for a short time): building up to a big even or limited time offer.
- Every two weeks: if it’s relevant, informative, and helpful and not “sales-y” especially if it is a hot topic. Examples would be Happy Birthday, Congratulations, and Happy Holidays emails.
- Restrict promotions to once a month AT MOST!
Obviously, there are a lot of steps to producing a successful email marketing campaign, and it can get overwhelming! At ASNOA we offer marketing assistance as part of our member service! So you don’t have to worry about all of these important aspects to producing effective email marketing campaigns. We do it all for you!