With social media all the rage, email marketing is often overlooked as a key element in your communication strategy. And yet, from the comfort of your prospect’s inbox, you can leverage this powerful tool to grow your brand, generate leads, and build your community.
Three-to-Five Astonishing Facts About Email
Studies show that 58% of Internet users check their email every time they go online. You know the loop—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, your favourite news site, inbox one, inbox two. The average adult spends up to five hours a day checking their email. That’s five hours a day when you have the opportunity to reach your customers. But to get in their heads, you need to compete with the other 121+ emails that are landing in their inboxes every day. Check out our guidelines on how to stand out:
Start with an Irresistible Subject Line
Your email subject line is often your first and last chance to capture your prospect’s attention. For almost half of recipients, the subject line is the deciding factor for whether they will bother to open your email. And if you come off as too salesy or pushy, they might send you straight to spam.
So, how do you get your subscribers to open your email? A few tips and examples:
- Lead with value—Offer your prospects something useful that they need: A free class to unclench your neck, Pain Reduction Gifts, Win my signature ukulele.
- Appeal to FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out—Throw in phrases like last chance, today only, this just in, don’t miss out…
- Inspire curiosity—Start with a cliff-hanger people won’t be able to resist clicking on: The wrong way to curb Omicron, Does a narcissist ever get burned by a victim? What to do when things fall apart. What (insert wildly famous celebrity) says about…
- Make them laugh—Infuse their inbox with some good cheer and lighthearted promises: Our cure for Dad jokes, Saving your relationship through deep cleans and tidying, Botox has nothing on this…
Be creative, but remain accessible. And when all else fails, aim for clarity. If your customer relationships are strong, Amy’s Hair Salon—Fall News will do just fine.
One last word on your subject line: You don’t want your content to spill beyond the allotted space, so keep your length down to seven-to-eight words and 30-40 characters.
Adapt Your Content to Your Buyer’s Persona
With its intimate format, an email newsletter offers the perfect opportunity to give your readers a VIP view of your business. It’s the chance to let your personality, writing skills, and sense of humour shine. Storytelling has become increasingly popular in email marketing campaigns. By taking your readers on a journey, you can develop your brand voice and build client loyalty. Striking the right tone will depend on your target audience and ideal customer profile.
As you learn more about the people on the other end of your mailing list, you can segment your newsletter campaigns to cater to their needs and interests. For example, you might divide your readers into different categories, like parents, child-free Gen Xers, or seniors. Or you could adapt your content based on where your prospects live, or where they are in the purchase tunnel.
Your target audience will also determine when to send your emails. While some marketers still swear by the classic midweek, midday philosophy, others find that engagement soars on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. The best way to figure out what works for you is to check your newsletter stats and see what mailing schedule is generating the most clicks and open rates.
Show Up for Birthdays and Special Occasions
It might seem cheesy, but a happy birthday email can go a long way toward strengthening customer loyalty. Plus, studies show that birthday emails with a call-to-action generate 3.42 times more profits than regular emails. Special occasions like birthdays and other holidays are a great time to make a connection and offer a promo if you can. With marketing automation tools, it’s easy to program targeted emails for specific contexts. So, every time a client enjoys a service, they’ll receive a thank you, along with a suggestion to leave a review. You can also send out welcome emails and opt-in subscription confirmations. Or, if you haven’t heard from someone for a while, make them feel seen with a “we miss you” email.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Attention is at a premium these days, so brevity is your best friend. Aim for 300 words or less. And for optimal readability, break up your text with catchy headings, photos, or even videos. Get your selfie game on, hire a pro, or discover the wonderful world of free image banks. (At Linkeo, we love Unsplash!)
Create a Call-to-Action
Once you have charmed your clients with your fabulous writing and images, it’s time to get them to act. Every email or newsletter needs a purpose, whether you’re hoping to fill your next webinar, clear out your Christmas inventory, or land more followers on Instagram. Your call-to-action should be clear and easy to click on. For best results, include links on colourful buttons with big letters and strong, decisive words like “Shop Now,” “Get 25% off,” “I’m ready,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.”
Learn More With Linkeo…
For email marketing that converts, Linkeo’s web experts would be happy to show you the way. Our community management team can refine your communication strategy to build up your brand with newsletters, social media, and more. Get in touch and let’s get started.
👏 Shoutout to Brett Jordan on Unsplash for the thumbnail photo!
