It is not that easy coming up with a successful email campaign. You have to understand your audience, the type of email campaigns to run, and how to run them.
But even so, you can always come up with a winning email design, write better subject lines, email marketing schedule, and increase your conversion if you apply the right techniques.
And now that you may not have all the time to take a comprehensive email marketing course, I have taken the time to research, study, and test some of the winning techniques used by email marketers to drive sales and included them in the 28 email marketing tips below.
Read it to the last word.
Email Marketing Tips
TL;DR Summary
- Email marketing is still effective today, despite the competition businesses face.
- It is the best form of marketing for new businesses with limited budgets.
- To make email marketing successful, you must first define your audience and come up with a plan. This plan should include the number of emails to be sent, what will be included in each email, and when they will be sent.
- Once you have created your emails, it is important to test them before sending them out. This can be done by A/B testing different aspects of the email or by using tools like CoSchedule to score each subject line.
- Finally, once you have sent out your emails, it is important to measure and optimize the campaign based on metrics such as open rates and click-through rates.
- Tell me the origin of email marketing
- Does email marketing still work today?
- How do I get an email list?
- Types of email marketing campaigns
- 6 top tips to get you started with email marketing
- 8 Tips for Writing Better Email Subject Lines
- 7 email marketing Tips strategies to increase engagement
- 7 Email Copywriting Tips
- Topics & Questions
- Conclusion
Tell me the origin of email marketing
Well, email marketing began 42 years ago when Ray Tomlinson sent the first email. In 1978, Thuerk, a marketing manager at Digital Equipment Corps at that time, sent over 400 emails via Arpanet to users promoting DEC machines.
As a result, DEC generated over $13 million in sales from their email marketing efforts – and that’s how commercial email marketing was born. With the introduction of the internet and an increase in mobile devices, email marketing has continued to grow.
Does email marketing still work today?
Even as email marketing grows, you may be asking if email marketing is still effective today. I know this might be the case since businesses have a lot of competition. However, you will be surprised that email marketing is more effective now than ever.
In fact, it is the best form of marketing if you are a new business with a limited marketing budget. From research, it has the highest return on investment compared to other forms of marketing. But as more businesses join in, you will need to be unique to outshine your competitors.
These tips will act as a guide whenever you are setting up your email marketing strategy.
How do I get an email list?
I know there are shortcuts to this, but don’t take them. Some people have made it a business to harvest email addresses from the web and sell them depending on the number of addresses and niche.
You can only build an engaged list over time by giving value in return. That includes creating opt-in forms to convert website traffic, offering value-packed lead magnets in exchange, creating compelling emails to engage and convert subscribers, and continuously improving the customer journey and experience.
Types of email marketing campaigns
Different email marketing campaigns can be run depending on your promotional offer.
Here are some of them:
These are some of the common email marketing campaigns. Remember, you can combine them. For example, you can run a welcome and a lead-nurturing campaign simultaneously.
6 top tips to get you started with email marketing
Before going into specific strategies to create winning emails, let’s discuss how you can get started with email marketing tips.
Here are some tips:
Define your audience
If you don’t understand your audience, you will most likely not get significant conversion rates. There is a lot to learn from your audience. Remember, they have varied purchase behavior, interests, and hobbies. They also read emails in different time zones.
With all these in place, you can segment your subscribers and target each segment based on a particular interest. Using a tool like OptinMonster, you can further study your audience and draw valuable insights based on their interactions with your content.
Come up with a plan
Once you know who you are targeting, the next step is always developing a winning plan. You should know the number of emails to convert a certain segment of email subscribers, how to create those emails, and when to send them.
You can even use a data flow diagram to illustrate the customer journey from when they sign-up to when they convert to a sale. It is by having that flow that you can be able to draft winning email copy, which can compel your subscribers to take action.
A plan should also include the sending frequency and the goal of any particular email. When the audience is still new, you ought to increase the frequency to beat the competitors. That doesn’t mean that you can send more than two emails daily. Two in a day are okay.
Create your emails
You can now design your emails to target each segment of your subscribers. There are two ways to do that; you can go the easier way of using templates or begin it from scratch. As you learned earlier, there are different email marketing campaigns. Each of them has a particular design.
I would advise you to go with a template since it can save time and delivers more results. An email marketing service, such as GetResponse, has thousands of templates depending on your niche. Alternatively, you can code your template to meet the design you want for your emails.
Undertake A/B testing
Most recent email marketing tools allow you to undertake A/B testing. Some tools call it split testing. It is essentially testing different aspects of your emails to gauge one that gives the best opens, clicks, and sales. You can test different subject line versions, copy, and call-to-action buttons.
You can also decide to test the email design and its responsiveness to different devices. If you have co-workers, send it to them and gauge the design that will deem to give the best results. The testing phase is essential. So, don’t overlook it.
Leverage automation
You can automate all the stages you highlighted in the planning stage. Yes, from the sign-up stage to fulfillment. That’s the beauty of email marketing tips. Once you click the start button, it can collect email addresses, engage, and convert leads on autopilot.
Apart from saving time, money, and eliminating human errors, automation can enable you to focus more on fulfillment and hence a more satisfied customer. Good customer service can also increase the overall customer lifetime value.
There are email marketing tools with this feature depending on the pricing package. Even though they employ different automation rules, most of them allow basic automation, such as auto-responders and automated email sequences.
Measure and optimize
Now that the emails are up and running, how will you know whether you are succeeding? Well, there are a few things to track and measure:
These are just some of the metrics you can use to determine the performance of your campaign. You can further collect and analyze customer data if your website has an analytics tool.
8 Tips for Writing Better Email Subject Lines
You may not know this, but about 33% of your subscribers open the emails you send them based on subject lines. That means you should have the upper hand in crafting winning subject lines if you want successful email marketing campaigns.
Use power words
The first tip is to always learn to use power words in your subject lines. There are a ton of these words. And if used well, they have the power to increase open rates.
Words such as;
Are powerful when used in subject lines. They target the receiver’s emotions and are more likely to encourage them to open an email.
Personalize each line
It should always be about the receiver, not you, the sender. That means the better you are at personalizing each line, the easier it is for the receiver to get compelled to click on it. There are certain techniques to this.
The best is to always include the receiver’s name. It would appear more targeted and not generalized as many emails in the receiver’s inbox.
These two are great subject lines, but the first one will always have more opens than the second one because it is personalized to that specific receiver.
Include a number
From research, subject lines that include a number are deemed to perform better than lines that don’t have it. In fact, the open rate of subject lines with numbers can be as high as 53%, while those without can be 51%.
And if you don’t have a number, use a statistic from research online. But why are numbers effective in improving the open rates?
Here are a few reasons:
Use CoSchedule to test
To ensure you send the best email subject line to your recipient, use tools like CoSchedule to test and optimize each word and sentence to ascertain the best line. The tool allows you to input various subject lines and give a score based on how compelling each line is.
CoSchedule is just one of them. There are more tools online that will help you craft winning subject lines by giving a score to each based on several factors.
Undertake A/B testing on a subject line
Test your subject line to ensure they are compelling enough to drive action. Not all your lines are deemed to perform well, but if you have two or three of them that you can test with your audience, you are good to go.
Most email marketing tools nowadays have this feature. They allow you to test the subject line, email copy, and sometimes the call-to-action button of your emails.
Use emojis
Emojis are most often associated with texting alone. However, it can be used in emails, too. In fact, emojis have been known to improve email open rates.
Use them sparingly, though, since you also want to appear professional. Just balance the two. One or two emojis in an email are good to go. In addition, understand the types of emojis to use. If it’s a freebie, use a gift emoji.
You can use them to express emotions. If you are excited about an offer, use one or two emojis to express that emotion. Emojis can be more compelling than mere words if used well.
Create a curiosity gap
Leverage curiosity to increase your open rates. Curiosity can easily drive action if used well. Know the beginning and the end of an interest in the reader’s mind and leave out some crucial information. It is like leading the subscriber down a discovery path.
If the receiver receives that subject line, he will be compelled to find out what he can do to avoid losing his income. That is just one of the statements. If you become creative and think about particular interests, you can easily come up with a more compelling curiosity-driven subject line.
Use a person’s name as the sender
It is also among the best techniques to use in your subject line. Think about it – which email would you trust between one sent using the brand name and one sent using a person’s name as an email extension? I bet the latter is more convincing.
So, instead of inputting your brand’s name in the address, use your name or the employee’s name instead. It’s more friendly and convincing to the sender knowing they are talking to a real person and not auto-generated emails.
Some email service providers even allow you to input the sender’s name and brand as the sender’s address. That can help a lot.
7 email marketing Tips strategies to increase engagement
Apart from merely opening and reading, you will want your subscribers to engage with your emails. That can be clicking on your links and replying to you whenever they have questions. What can lead them to that?
Well, here are several tips to follow when creating your email campaigns to increase engagement rates.
Add social sharing buttons
The best way to improve your email engagement rates is to include social sharing buttons. Note that share buttons are different from a like or follow button.
If you are looking for new subscribers, a follow button could work. However, a share button can increase your engagement rates and get you new subscribers, as well.
To do that, choose templates that have this feature already. It should have the subscriber and unsubscribe link. Actually, most modern templates have it. You just need to edit the URL in each template and write the email copy before sending. You can include at least three top social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Optimize for mobile
From research, 85% of email users now access their emails via mobile. They do that because mobile devices are portable. They can check their emails at their desk, during lunchtime, and even on the bus in the evening.
If you haven’t optimized emails for mobile, then you are missing out on engagement with subscribers. You can choose to use mobile-optimized templates as well. Most email marketing tools have them.
Don’t buy an email list
I know there is always an option to purchase a list of email addresses scraped from the net. Some marketers might advise you to follow that shortcut and build your email list fast, but it may not work out how you expect it to. In fact, it might lead you to getting banned from using some email marketing tools.
The practice doesn’t obey GDPR and goes against the fact that you are sending emails to people without their consent. If that happens, your emails will likely land in the spam folder. The end result is you are paying for an email marketing tool, spending time creating emails, and barely making sales.
Avoid background images
I know you would want to make your emails visually attractive and readable, but it shouldn’t be adding a background image. Besides being somehow unprofessional, it can also make your emails bulky and reduce the loading time.
Some email clients don’t recognize background images. Email clients, such as Outlook can’t interpret a background image, destroying your email design. If you want to improve the readability of your emails, add a simple background image, and include your brand colors in the sender’s address.
‘Clean up’ your email list occasionally
You shouldn’t be having inactive subscribers. Think about it – each email marketing tool has a pricing plan. Each plan comes with the maximum number of emails you can send monthly. Others might have the unlimited option, but most low-tier plans have a limited number.
Cleaning up your list will help you eliminate inactive subscribers and pave the way for new ones who can engage with your emails and purchase your offers. The automation feature can sometimes help you weed them out by initiating an email sequence that will attempt to gauge their interest before removing them from your list.
Have an auto-responder on standby
When a new web visitor opts into your email list, your brand is top of mind for them at that time. That means you should take advantage of that and send them offers. It could be something like booking a call, downloading an e-book, or registering for another free training.
An auto-responder can do the trick. It can send the new subscriber a welcome email, including discounted offers. It is easy to gauge the customer’s behavior by tracking their actions just when they opt into your email list.
Test emails before sending them
After planning, designing, and crafting emails, don’t send them just yet. It would be better to test emails and gauge their readability first. Some tools will allow you to do that and give a score based on how they are optimized for your audience.
Undertake A/B testing to find out the best subject line, email copy, and call-to-action buttons. You can also send it to your co-workers and ask for their feedback. Don’t ignore these small tweaks because they greatly affect your campaign.
7 Email Copywriting Tips
If you want to develop a winning email marketing campaign, there are a few tips to follow. Here are some of them:
Offer value
There has to be value in your emails. Otherwise, what’s the point of sending them? By adding value to your audience, you can develop a relationship based on trust. Business trust is essential in sales and business growth.
Apart from creating high-quality content, aim to educate, inform, and inspire your audience to take action in the direction that can add value to their lives. You can create an email course, several e-books, or shoot YouTube videos and promote them to your subscribers.
Develop a unique voice
You will need a unique voice to stand out from your subscriber’s inbox. Your subscribers get a lot of generic email messages. If you come up with a unique voice, it would be easier to get opens, leads, and conversions from your subscribers.
Most email marketers employ a passionate voice. To do that, you have to use strong verbs and passive voice. A passionate voice can help drive action by spurring hope and triggering the desire of your defined audience.
Streamline your marketing message
This can be a challenge if you haven’t taken the time to plan out your email strategy. Your email message and tone need to be streamlined to increase conversion rates. You can’t be talking about one thing in your emails and another on your landing page.
If you are targeting a particular emotion on your sign-up form, let it be the same message on your emails and landing page. There are words that you can use for this. The color theme, logo, fonts, and other essential elements can build up a streamlined marketing message.
Sell emotions
Most email marketers sell the features of the products and not the benefits. If you do the same, then you might not get an increase in conversions. Customers are not interested in the product’s features but in what it can do for them. Focus on that.
Here are some examples;
See?
Those two sentences are different because one sells a feature while the other sells an emotion, which most buyers can relate to.
Make it concise
People don’t like long emails. They don’t have the whole day to read an email. It’s not like you are expounding on something. There should be a difference between a marketing email and a long-form blog post. In fact, an email is meant to send subscribers to a website; where they will learn more about your offers.
Begin with the subject line. If you are a fan of long subject lines, try reducing them to at most 25 characters. It should be something concise. You shouldn’t have long paragraphs, either. Ensure they are short and direct to the point.
Tweak that template
Most email marketing tools nowadays have templates to help you in the email design stage. However, instead of going with a generic template, try and customize it to fit your branding needs. The color, text, font type, and size have to match with what’s on your website.
The problem with using a generic template is that your competitors might also be using it. That means if you want to appear unique and command attention, you should either tweak that template or code your own from scratch.
Include a compelling CTA
Your email should have a call-to-action button. You can insert it in the middle or bottom before the sender’s address.
I know most email marketers like to include one call-to-action, but sometimes two are also okay. If your emails are a little longer, have more than one call to action. Ensure it is bold and compelling. Merely having a link is not enough if you are to increase conversions.
Topics & Questions
Conclusion
So, if you’re looking for some email marketing tips that will help increase your sales and conversions in the digital marketing space, look no further.
These 28 techniques have been proven to work time and again by savvy email marketers, so start using them today and see how they can help improve your bottom line.
And don’t forget – if you need help getting started, sign up with Getresponse.
Sign up for a free 30-day trial today and see how we can help get your business soaring!
