Get the most out of your email strategy
If you’ve just started leveraging email marketing as a communication, that’s awesome! Emails are a great way to communicate directly with your audience and let them know about all the exciting things going on at your company.
The success of email marketing campaigns are measured through their open rates. While the industry average is a 22% open rate, tracking your own data will provide more relevant and realistic goals to set for your campaigns. This will help you accurately predict and set expectations for your email strategy going forward.
1. Mobile-First Writing and Layout
Did you know that 81% of all emails are opened and read on mobile devices? If your content isn’t formatted for mobile—text too long, graphics too big or not scalable— your message gets lost in translation and your audience won’t have a pleasant experience
Here are a few things to keep in mind when formatting for mobile:
- keep your subject line to 90 characters or less
- format your images under 600px wide
- write engaging pre-header text for mobile view
- always check the mobile preview
In the email itself, make sure your design looks good even without images in case of different display settings, that the fonts are large and legible, and that CTA buttons are clear and stand out from the text. None of these substitute high-quality content, but they will make your writing shine.
2. Refine Your Subject Line
90 characters may not seem like a lot of room to play with, but if you want your subject lines to pack a punch, you’ll have to get creative. You want to hook your reader, get them to open the email in the first place. Here are a few key elements to watch out for when crafting your eye-catching subject line:
Do not include emojis
A study found that using emojis generates negative reactions in users and actually decreases the likelihood that they’ll even open the emails. If you want to infuse playfulness into your email subject lines, experiment with language and tone. Tap into your audience’s curiosity, their interest, their humor.
Avoid sales-y words that will land you on a spam list
Certain words will send your emails straight to spam, and so should be avoided. These include very pushy or sales-driven language like:
- clearance
- discount
- sales
- flash sale
- hurry
Be sure to check out this list of words to avoid based on industry.
Adopt a personalized touch
In email marketing, just as in all digital strategy, the personal touch is everything. Using personalized language, even in simple words such as “I,” “we,” and “you,” can start to build trust from the subject line. A great way to approach this is to imagine you’re only writing to one person. How would you speak to one of your customers if you were face to face?
3. The Power of Segmentation
When you segment your email lists, you ensure that your emails are reaching exactly who they need to. Segmented email lists send tailored content to your audience that answers their questions and get them excited about what your team has to offer them.
Segmenting your email list by the verticals you’re targeting can also help your email open rate by making sure you’re sending your audience the content they want rather than general newsletters.
4. Timing is (Almost) Everything
You’ve created some great content, you’ve tailored your subject line, you’re ready to hit send. But when?
As with the industry average open rate, there are industry “best send times” that tend to produce the best results. Typically, aim for 10 AM after people have arrived at work or around 1 PM when they’re on their lunch break. However, you’ll want to experiment with days and times that work best for you.
The beauty of email marketing is that it’s very conducive to A/B testing. Try out different days of the week, times, styles, and formats for your emails to find what works best for your company and your audience.
5. Have a Conversation
The most important thing to keep in mind while crafting your email marketing strategy and boosting your open rate is that people love authentic communication. No one wants to feel like just another email in a list, so how can you build that connection?
- make sure you have a personalized intro
- include the recipient’s name in the subject line
- infuse your writing with humor if appropriate
- write like a person
That last point is especially important. Your writing should sound like it comes from you—or whatever voice you’ve identified for your brand. It should sound conversational and authentic, and most importantly, like you’re talking directly to whoever is reading your email. Not to a group, not to a faceless crowd, but to one person. This helps build a real connection, and stops your audience from feeling like you’re just selling to them.
