The core of your email strategy should always be focused on high quality content. You’ll need compelling content if your email marketing is to have the desired impact of providing value to your opt-in subscribers.
Here are some suggestions to keep in mind as you compose your next email.
1. Use a trustworthy From: line
The From: field of your email should inspire confidence and credibility. Use your own name and, if possible, your company name as well. Be clear and consistent, not deceptive.
2. Spend time on your Subject: line
Many people decide whether to open mail based only on the From: and Subject: lines. Make sure your subject line clearly and accurately summarizes the purpose of your message. Don’t oversell or be deceptive. Avoid spammy traits like all capital letters or exclamation points. Finally, keep in mind that shorter subject lines tend to correlate with higher open and click-through rates.
3. Set expectations
From the start of your letter, let people know why you are writing and how often they can expect to hear from you. Earn their trust by following through with what you say.
4. Write for the preview pane
Some email applications have a preview pane that skips over the header and only displays the first couple of lines of the mail. Use this space to summarize the purpose of your message and to convince people they need to open it and read more.
5. Add a reminder
People don’t always remember the places they’ve left their contact info. If they don’t recognize your name or company, they could label your message as spam. If that happens very often, the impact could be much greater than just losing one or two contacts. Avoid this situation by jogging the readers’ memory, reminding them where they signed up to hear from you.
6. Personalize your mail
Use your Email Manager’s personalization features to give messages a personal touch for each reader. This means going beyond simply using the recipient’s first name in the salutation. Use as much contact information as makes sense for your message. A good place to do this is when you are reminding them when they signed up (see previous tip).
7. Keep it short
People have plenty of other emails to read besides yours. Improve your chances of getting through to your reader by keeping your message concise and focused.
8. Include a call to action
Be very clear about what the reader should do to take advantage of your message. Make links easy to find and click. Don’t be afraid to repeat the call to action at both the beginning and end of your mail.
9. Encourage feedback
One way to engage your contacts is to ask them for feedback, either by reply email or by clicking through to the comments area of a blog post or topic on Facebook. In addition to keeping them involved, reader feedback lets you know if your message is getting through the way you want.
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