Don't Read This Blog
Just kidding. Please read it. But did we get your attention with the title? Did you even feel a little rebellious as you continued to read? That’s good, because it’s exactly what we want to talk about today. Not being rebellious, per se (but more power to you), but about the ways we catch client’s attention through a well-crafted email. Whether it’s a memorable subject line or a particularly engaging call to action, we know the value of a well-written email campaign -- and we’re passing the savings onto you! Without further ado, please enjoy our favorite tips for creating an email worth opening.
Change the subject
You probably get at least a dozen marketing emails each day (if not each hour!), but how many do you open? If it’s the same email from the same stores offering the same services every day, you are much less likely to open the emails -- you don’t need to, because you already know what it’s going to say. You make the decision to save or delete the email based on the subject line alone. Which brings us to our first tip: choose subject lines that are interesting, unusual, or just plain weird.
This is not an opportunity to write random email subject lines that have nothing to do with your business -- wishing your cat a happy birthday before moving onto your top three marketing tips will just leave your readers confused. But getting creative with a subject line for an email that discusses your top three marketing tips will not only increase the odds that a client will open it -- it might actually get them to want to learn more.
Remember: a good email subject line will interest your readers, entice them with its unique and memorable offerings, and encourage readers to want to know more.
KISS
You’ve probably heard the acronym K.I.S.S., which stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. While we never advise that you call anyone stupid, the general concept is a great one to abide by for your next marketing email campaign. Remember how we talked about how our inboxes are constantly filled with marketing emails? Reading those gets tiresome -- even the ones we like. Your best bet for a successful email is to make your point quickly without asking your readers to scroll through five paragraphs.
Some concepts are hard to boil down to just a few sentences; we totally understand that. If you want to email your clients about a service or offering that you feel needs more explanation, you can still keep the email simple while directing them to your website to learn more information. P.T. Barnum is credited with saying “Always leave them wanting more,” and while he probably didn’t send a lot of emails, he did stumble onto a great marketing idea. Give your readers a taste of what you’re offering and invite them to learn as much as they can.
Link like your life depends on it
Okay, your life doesn’t really depend on you linking relevant content in your emails. But your business might. Emails are a great opportunity to not only educate your clients on some of your services, but also give them the chance to check out more of what you do. This means providing links through your emails to make it easy and simple (see above) for your clients to click through.
For instance, if you’re inviting readers to check out your Instagram, go ahead and link to your profile. If you want them to know the latest news about your business, offer a link to your blog posts and updates. You get the picture. Be sure to double check and test each link to ensure that it goes to the right place -- the last thing you want is to invite someone to check out your Twitter feed, only to have them go to your favorite Dungeons and Dragons discussion boards. A well-placed link can garner a lot of traffic, so choose wisely. Don’t add a link to every other word, but add enough to pique the interest of a variety of your readers.
Creating an email campaign is easy! Fine; it’s not. But it doesn’t have to be hard, either. Dedicate some time this week to come up with a few great subject lines, ideas for simple content, and ways you can connect your readers to your business. Before you know it, your emails will be the talk of the digital town.