Tips for Better Email Marketing

And, it seems highly logical that email marketing will grow concurrent with the number of email users; in fact, 44% of consumers made a purchase as the result of an email marketing message last year. With numbers like that, why wouldn’t a business want to invest in email marketing?

But like everything in the marketing universe, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Here are some tips to writing successful email marketing messages; applying them can save you time, money and headache.

Remember: Timing is everything.

Sending promotional emails at the right time of day is key. Studies show that most email (on both smartphone and desktop platforms) is opened between 10am and 4pm. That is a wide window, fortunately. Basically, just don’t send them early in the morning when marketing messages are usually sent to trash – or in the evening, when they won’t get seen at all.

Don’t mess around.

Or, if you prefer: Get to the point. Tell readers what you want right away, rather than forcing them to read a long letter jam packed with statistics and anecdotes before getting to your call to action. A better email marketing message will be friendly and engaging, but will state upfront what the special, sale or promotion is. Of course, it will tell the customer what is in it for them; you don’t want to write a plea for their support. You’re a business, not a charity!

Keep Subject Lines Simple

One interesting study revealed that email subject headers with fewer than 10 characters had an open rate of 58%. That is a startling revelation for anyone who has composed a lengthy, two-sentence subject line. Keep the subject short and simple, and you are more likely to get the message opened.

Keep Email Marketing Metrics Simpler

When it comes to marketing, one of the biggest hindrances of small business owners is measuring ROI. Fortunately, email marketing messages are one of the easiest products to measure; just look at the click-through rate. According to Ascend2, that is the only real metric you need to determine if you are investing in email wisely. One of their surveys revealed that 61% of B2B marketers and 48% of B2C marketers found that measuring click-through rate was the most useful way to analyze the performance of an email campaign.

Use Visuals

Keeping it simple doesn’t have to mean a boring, all-text communication. As one expert recently observed, great emails are starting to look more like Facebook posts and Pinterest boards. You don’t want to be gawdy, of course – but you can certainly place your logo at the top of the message and include one or two immersive, eye-catching photos to go along with what you’re promoting.

Email is only going to become a more important marketing technique as the years go on, so it’s time to learn how to do it correctly. To speak with an Austin marketing firm that understands the best way to conduct an email marketing campaign, contact Crest Media for a free consultation.