5 top tips to NAIL your next email campaign

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In the world of digital content, and your integrated marketing campaign, there’s a very special place for a carefully crafted email campaign.

Used in the right way, an email can achieve any number of goals. It can help generate sales, position you as a thought-leader in your industry, foster a feeling of connection between you and your customers or simply drive traffic to your website or social media platforms.

We’ve sent and received plenty of email campaigns in our time, so we’ve seen the very, very good, the mediocre and on occasion, the truly awful.

With all this knowledge and experience in mind, we’re sharing five of our best top tips to help you get great results from your next email campaign. Don’t press send until you’ve read to the end!

1. WRITE AS THOUGH YOU’RE SPEAKING TO ONE PERSON

Think about which emails you love to receive. Is it a carefully written note from a friend? Or a pushy sales message from a company you’ve never heard of?

Of course, it’s something more personal. Email communication is a one-to-one medium, you are literally speaking to one recipient at a time, so write your email to reflect that personal connection and your message will feel more genuine.

Think about who your ideal customer is, what their needs are and why they buy from you. Then craft your messages to satisfy their need – no customer wants to feel like a number on your subscriber list. Make them feel like your one and only.

How?

• Use personal words like ‘you’ and ‘your’ to draw the reader in
• Avoid impersonal terms such as ‘subscribers’ they can alienate a reader and make them feel like a number on a list, instead of a person
• Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through, include words you use when speaking to create a genuine tone of voice

2. INCLUDE YOUR VERY BEST CONTENT

There’s no point sending an email campaign for the sake of it, your readers will see straight through thin content and hit ‘delete’ without taking anything in.

Share the most popular blog posts from your archives, new insight on some industry gossip, some inspiring information about a development in your industry or a look behind the scenes of your working environment – all these have real depth, and more to offer than a quick sale.

But don’t bombard the reader with a 1,000-word email – keep it short and to the point with a link to click through for more information. That way your readers can scan the email and digest the information, clicking through to the blog post or article that resonates with them most.

How?

• Wait until you have something great to say. Why not consider an email once a month, or even quarterly if it will stop you sending ‘filler’ content every week or two?
• Stay informed about the developments in your industry, your customers will thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge with them
• Don’t wait for perfection. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is press send! Try to set a schedule and stick to it

3. CRAFT YOUR SUBJECT LINE

There are two ways to capture your audience’s attention in the overwhelming black hole that is their email inbox!

The first is to create a name for your email newsletter and stick to it. This builds trust with the recipient as they start to recognise the name and can click with confidence.

Alternatively, you can delve into the world of catchy subject lines and create a new one each time to compel readers to open your message.

The best way to find out which one is best for you is to experiment! Try out different ways of communicating what’s inside your email and stick with the one that gets the results you want.

How?

• Experiment! Try a few different subject lines to see what works best for you and your readers
• Dodge spam filters by eliminating words such as ‘free’, ‘buy’ or pound signs
• Keep it simple, simply stating what great content is inside your email should be enough

4. BUILD TRUST

Think of your recipient’s email inbox as a sacred space and treat it with respect. Your readers have signed up to your email marketing for a reason, so try not to deviate from what you’ve promised or dive straight into trying to generate sales.

By all means, include sales messages within your email, it is a fantastic tool after all. Just don’t bombard your readers with constant offers and ‘must-buy’ promotions. Think of it as a slow-burn – share more informative content with a few soft sales over a period of time and you might find it more successful than a one-hit wonder.

How?

• Think carefully about your sales messages, do they add value to your customer’s experience, or do they feel intrusive?
• Build trust by sharing your insight and knowledge, becoming a leader in your industry instead of constant sales messages

4. HAVE AN ENGAGING AND RESPONSIVE DESIGN

The look and design of your email can say a lot about your company, before you’ve even typed a word!

It’s vital that your email campaign offers a consistent look and feel to the rest of your brand, with particular focus on consistency with your website.

Up to 70% of emails are now read on a mobile phone or tablet, so it’s equally important that your message is responsive across multiple devices, as well as desktops.

Give your readers a great mobile experience and they’ll stay on your list for longer, no one unsubscribes quicker than a mobile user receiving content they can’t access.

How?

• Invest in a professionally-designed and built email campaign template that can be updated with new content every time you want to send a message out
• Test the email across as many email clients as possible so you know your readers are getting the best experience
• Check and double check your links before pressing send, there’s nothing more frustrating than the tease of great content with a broken link!

New advances in technology, the ever-increasing use of smartphones and the expanding digital landscape mean email campaigns will always be a cornerstone of your integrated marketing strategy.

It’s time to take a fresh look at your email activity, and if you need some support to make changes for the better, get in touch with our team today!

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