In our previous two blog posts we have introduced you to the power of email marketing, and how to create a campaign within Mailchimp. This time we look at the subject line and how to get people clicking on your email.
So, how do you get someone to open your email?
Well, Mailchimp have a great article about the best practices for email subject lines which you can read here: http://bit.ly/1uYIbz5, but to summarise…
- Avoid sales or overused words
- Include localisation
- Use different subject lines
- Keep subject lines short
- Tone down promotional emails
Remember to keep your subject line short – a typical inbox reveals about 60 characters of an email’s subject line, while a mobile phone shows just 25-30 characters, so get right to the point!
Always personalize with the recipient’s or company name so it isn’t seen as spam.
It is a good idea to create a sense of urgency within your email by limiting timeframe, for example register today or limited space available.
Asking questions within your subject header can help promote opens, as ultimately the aim is to attract the audiences' curiosity enough to make them want to click.
People love a list, as it seems to make the content easier to digest - so a header such as 3 Tools to Simplify Your Marketing for example works really well.
Always remember that the recipient is human. Speak to them as if they are the only person receiving that email. Trends for 2016 with regards to e-marketing are very focused on further personalisation of emails, so you are in a very competitive market. Bigger brands have a bigger budget and more effective techniques, so it is vital that you do as much as you can to keep up. Automated emails are an important way of keeping connected to your customer, and building trust, for more information on this please have a look at this great post: http://bit.ly/1SXNRbY
What not to do
The biggest mistakes that a lot of people make when approaching their e-marketing, can be anything from not targeting their customers correctly, to sending a confusing message. The top 5 biggest errors, so you know what to avoid, are;
- Failing to use responsive design
- Violating email marketing platforms’ terms of service
- Purchasing mailing lists without vetteing the seller
- Using an out of date mailing list
- Ignoring campaign reports
And also hitting send in a rush! Always, always check and double check before you send!
Top Tips
It is important to bear in mind everything that we have spoken about, but to summarise:
- Use your content marketing plan
- Personalise your content
- Have a snappy subject line
- Keep it simple; 2-3 stories within your newsletter is enough, you can link to longer articles within your newsletter so your audience can choose what they want to read
- Use great photos
- Experiment with time and techniques
- Segmentation;target your audience right
And like all your online activity – aim to inform, educate, entertain and inspire!
Good luck! Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
Further reading sources: http://bit.ly/1QsYrH0 http://bit.ly/1KRxgyw