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6 actionable tips to run email marketing campaigns that are truly effective

Email_Marketing

Now that casual conversations have moved to platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp; email has become restricted to business communication, paving the way for email marketing to boom. However, that’s not news for you. You’re no stranger to scores and scores of promotional messages from various sites (some you don’t even remember subscribing to).

As a marketer, this puts you in a tricky spot because you know the importance of effective email marketing but don’t want to be a part of the deluge of content that no one wants to read.

Being aware of the challenge, how do you then create an email marketing campaign that your customers:

  • pay attention to, open and read
  • actually appreciate

When you send marketing emails, it is critical to have a clear objective of what you’re trying to accomplish. Basis this you can structure your strategy and message accordingly. Here are six ways that guarantee success:

 

  1. Write a kickass subject line 

Your subject line can make or break your campaign. Keep them short, crisp and to the point. Try to highlight a specific benefit or a shocking statistic that makes your email enticing.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Personalize with the customer’s name
  • Build curiosity to open the email
  • Create suspense by building a story
  • Promise them a ‘bonus’ or an offer inside the email
  • Entice them with a sense of urgency

 

  1. Hook them with the first sentence

Your opening sentence is your key player. Emails that begin with “Hello Sir, Good day to you.” or, “Can we have five minutes of your time…” get ignored. Sentences that are vague, weak and do not grab attention in the first 3 seconds lose the game.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Begin with a question about their material / emotional / physical need
  • Start with an interesting fact or did-you-know
  • Talk about a benefit that they might be interested in
  • Make a feel-good promise
  • Give them something to laugh/smile about

 

  1. Beat the spam folder

One of the best ways to avoid this is to ensure that your recipients have opted for your email so you aren’t running afoul. Avoid using hyperbolic phrases such as  ACT NOW BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT!!!! and go easy on unnecessary exclamation marks. Poorly formatted HTML emails also dangle on a thin edge. For more comprehensive info on how spam filters work and how to avoid them, check out this guide by MailChimp.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Brand your email id with a domain name that makes you look professional and polished. An email coming from marketing@bestlaptop-dealstore.com will make it look spammy even if it’s not. On the other hand, an email such as derek@brilliant.store will create a credible impression instantly.
  • Keep your domain name short, memorable and pronounceable. Make it free of hyphens, numbers, abbreviations and misspellings.
  • Steer clear of copyrighted names in your domain name

 

  1. Make them mobile friendly

People are consuming most of the content on their smartphones. So if your email does not display correctly on your mobile device, chances are it’ll go straight to the bin.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Opt for a single-column design that works well with the vertical scroll.
  • Use big images and bold text.
  • Include plenty of white space for easy scanning.
  • Keep your subject lines short and your CTA buttons big.

 

  1. Have a clear CTA (Call-To-Action)

As a rule of thumb, stick to a single CTA directing users what to do next. More than one CTA in an email risks confusing the reader and makes them less likely to click altogether. Providing one clear CTA that leads to a landing page that matches the expectations you have created in your email will close the deal.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Make it action oriented
  • Keep the CTA button large with some color in it
  • Use maximum 4 words in the CTA
  • Include words such as my / yours
  • Keep some white space around the button
  • Place it in an intuitive spot in the email

 

  1. Test before you send

Before you hit the send button, make sure every element of your email is working properly and your final draft is fully functional. For more robust testing, check out Litmus, a tool that tests and provides screenshots of your email in dozens of different email tools.

Also, run an A/B test on your email to increase its effectiveness. You can use this strategy to test two options of each element of the email (such as CTA, subject line, headline, offer, body text, etc).

Here’s what you can do:

  • Select 5% of your entire email database for the A/B. Send Email A to one half of that 5% and Email B to the other half. Run the test simultaneously to keep all variables similar.
  • Monitor the open rate, the click-through rate and the conversion rate for each of the emails.
  • Use an email marketing platform such as Campaign Monitor or MailChimp to run your A/B test.

Effective email marketing ultimately comes down to giving your audience something that sticks with them. It involves a combination of good planning and analyzing data to make improvements to your campaigns, but the only way to learn and improve is to get out there and start emailing!

So, are you ready to make your next email marketing campaign effective? Let us know how it goes in the comments below.

Alisha Shibli is a Content Marketing Specialist at Radix, the registry behind some of the most successful new domain extensions, such as .TECH, .STORE, .ONLINE, .SITE, .WEBSITE, .PRESS, .HOST and .SPACE. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.