M Frizzi

SEO and Online Marketing Advice: 7 Tips to Improve Email Marketing Effectiveness

 In a world of cluttered email inboxes, promotional material has become an even harder sell through the email medium. This article highlights seven top tips for increasing your email marketing efficiency.

It is certainly safe to say that emails make up a large portion of the way we communicate today. On a daily basis I personally receive in excess of forty emails. Many of these pertain to the business of my day, though some are from friends, and of course a portion are from my online subscriptions. With such a barrage of material on my digital doorstep every day, it would seem difficult for an email marketer to penetrate through the clutter, and indeed it is. But as a consumer and marketer myself I have devised a few techniques that should help you stand out and ultimately boost your conversion rates.

1)   Relevancy – This is straightforward, but crucial to the email’s conversion. Know before you send your email what you aim to achieve, and identify which consumers should be targeted. A consumer who receives a relevant email will likely open it. Some relevant factors are: name recognition, organization affiliations, and requested content.

2)   Meaningful Contact Name – Users will scan the ‘From’ column to identify important emails. As soon as that user comes across ‘info@coolcompany.org’ the likelihood of that email being read will dramatically decrease. Instead if it was listed from ‘jameshorner@coolcompany.org’ the email takes on a human form. Personalization is key and immediately presents a more appealing prospect.

3)   Subject Line Content – Keep your subject line at around 60 characters. Yes, more characters improves relevancy, but users respond better to shorter subject lines. Also, at over 60 characters, you run the risk of your subject line being clipped by the reader’s email client. Therefore, it is a balance that one must strike. In terms of content – make sure the first few words say what needs to be said, and are as direct as possible.

4)   Utilize the Email Space – Emails differ from direct mail in so many ways - exploit this and use the benefits of the medium. Make sure there are interactive links to related material and that there are amusing or interesting videos embedded within. This will extend the amount of time a user interacts with your email, and increase the likelihood of the email being shared.

5)   Keep Them In the Loop – Use your company’s progress as an opportunity to engage in conversation. Communicate what is going on. Use visuals that show that, with their help a goal can be reached - or having already received their help, show what has been achieved.

6)   Know Your Calendar – Be aware of the holiday seasons, and know what sort of mindset you consumer may be in. If it is a ‘Gift’ day, take advantage. How could Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day relate to your company’s goal? Or even if there is no direct correlation, a simple mention of the holiday in your subject line makes your email all the more relevant.

7)   Strike at the Right Time – Never send your emails over the weekend - they are rarely checked at this time, and will have little resonance. Also try to avoid sending your emails on Mondays or Fridays. At the start of the week, users will have a backlog of emails and, as such, marketing mail will be at the bottom of their priority list. On a Friday, most users will be checking out for the weekend. Thus the optimal time for a marketing email is midweek.

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