The Email Engagement Challenge
Email marketing is an extremely valuable tactic for online marketers, and it’s only getting better: according to research firm eConsultancy, revenue from email marketing went up 28% in a single year. The companies who are sending effective messages that build email engagement are finding new prospects and nurturing existing ones down the sales funnel.
However, it does require some skill to execute effectively: do things the wrong way and not only will people start to unsubscribe from your list, your messages will quickly end up in the trash, right along with your company’s reputation in the eyes of your email recipients!
To make sure you are approaching this strategy in a way that increases click-throughs and conversions, implement these three easy tips into your email strategy:
1. Use a conversational tone in your subjects
“Open this now!” “Click for savings!” “Hot values inside!” Many well-meaning marketers have used terms like these in an effort to build value for prospects. Unfortunately, phrases like these are excessively salesy: you might as well announce, “this message is to sell you something.” Instead of subject lines like these, be conversational: ask a question or offer an interesting fact to your reader. Don’t be afraid to use slang or contractions too, depending on your industry and recipients. A more informal voice is often effective for building a relationship with your prospects.
2. Stop writing so much
Your messages do need to provide value, which will require some content. The mistake that most marketers make is taking this concept too far and packing their messages with too many words, pictures, or videos. Even if you have a ton of great information to offer on a single topic, focus your messages on one specific offer, story or idea: this will help you more effectively capture the attention of your audience. If you think you might be including too much content, try cutting down on the amount of words in your email messages by 10%: it’s likely that you’ll get a better response and more engagement from your readers.
3. Try a new CTA
In a recent blog post published at the Marketing Land blog, thought leader Daniel Faggella writes that varying up your calls to action can drastically improve your email marketing ROI. For example, do you always end your email messages by asking people to visit your web site? Try switching it up and offering a resource like a case study or white paper. Do you always provide a phone number? Try an email address instead. Make sure to keep track of which CTAs work best so that you can create a rotation of several different kinds that will help you improve click throughs and increase engagement.
Using these three quick tips combined with other best practices, you will see a significant increase in email engagement. Take the time to constantly tweak your campaign to determine which tactics are right for you and you can unlock the tremendous potential that email marketing holds for businesses.
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