Email marketing is still a useful tool for most businesses. All you have to do is know how to get your messages read and acted on rather than just deleted or marked it as spam.
The first step to this is to understand that there’s a fine line between effective email marketing and spam. If you email too often or don’t give your readers a valuable reason to read, you’ll annoy them and leave them wanting nothing to do with you.
Also, if you email too infrequently, you’ll have the opposite problem. People who were once interested in your business will forget who you are or why they were first.
Balance is important. You need to balance your frequency of emailing and the mix of promotional and informational content. If every message you send is an advertisement, your readers will unsubscribe in droves. The right mix some marketers find is about 25% promotional and 75% informational.
So let’s talk about how to do email marketing the right way:
1. Make the Subject Line Count
The subject line is a lot like the headline in a newspaper. It needs to be clear and catchy, but not hype-filled or misleading.
2. Avoid Long, Wordy Messages
People are too busy to read long paragraphs. Write your emails, so they’re easy to skim, scan, and scroll through. Subheads and bullets help with this.
3. Include a Call to Action
Decide what you want your reader to do next. Do you want them to buy something? Click something? Download something? Call you? Come into your location? They won’t automatically do it; you have to tell them and give them a reason to do it. Don’t give them a long list of actions to take. Make it simple or ask them to do ONE thing.
4. Identify Yourself
We tend to open emails if we recognize the sender and trust that reading their message will be worth our time and attention. The “from” field of an email may be more important than the subject line now, especially for your existing customers.
Be sure to include your contact information in plain sight within your email message as well. Include phone numbers, website address, and your business’ physical address.
5. Get Someone Else to Write for You
Writing may not be your strength – or the best use of your time. Many business owners hire ghostwriters to create their email messages for them. It’s worth the investment to have well-written, professional emails reaching your customers and prospects.
6. Edit, Proofread and Do It Again
If you decide to write your messages, remember that spelling errors and incorrect grammar can land your messages right in the trash bin. Make sure your content is perfect and professional.
There’s a lot that goes into a successful email marketing strategy – and you can learn more by taking a course or reading up on the topic online. Many business owners often decide to hand off this task to a marketing partner rather than spending the time and energy involved in doing it effectively.
