“Email is dead,” they say. But they also say, “Email marketing can make you $36 for every $1 spent.”
So which is true? And who are they, anyway?!
The fullness of your inbox each morning proves, email isn’t exactly dead. Although, many companies creating crappy, non-compliant newsletters probably aren’t getting the results from those monthly or quarterly emails and might be half of the dreaded THEY.
These companies are likely making the same crucial mistakes time and time again.
Don’t be like them. Here’s how to do email marketing the right way:
1. Write your content for the customer
You’re probably thinking, “Um, duh? Who else am I going to write it for?”
But here’s the painful truth no one has been bold enough to tell you: your newsletters are self-serving and, frankly, friggin’ boring!
Too many companies use their email marketing to brag about the work they’ve done, what they’re working on now, and the work they’re planning for next month. You might care about all that, but your readers definitely don’t. They signed up for your emails to get something... but ‘something’ wasn’t a list of your projects.
Instead, give valuable information to your readers. Include articles or other content they would be interested in. Share a tip or trick you learned. Ask questions, and engage if people respond.
2. Segment, segment, segment
Have you ever gotten a marketing email and wondered, “Why the heck did they send this to me?”
Nothing will turn your audience off like cluttering up their inbox with messages completely irrelevant to their interests, needs, or relationship with your business.
The key to preventing this faux pas? Segments! You need to divide your list as carefully as you’d divvy up your favourite pie.
Depending on the size of your list, it might be enough to segment them into “customers” and “non-customers.” Or, go hog-wild and classify your contacts based on how they heard about you, their past purchase history, or any other factor that makes sense for you.
The smaller your lists, the more specific, personalised, and successful your emails will be.
3. Start successful with subject lines
We won’t deny it: subject lines are tricky. But they’re also the only thing standing between your email and the dreaded “Delete” button or its even-more-evil cousin, “Mark as Spam.”
Think of your subject line as a way to tease your audience into opening the email. That’s its only goal. How do you get your readers to click and read with just a few words?
There’s a few tried and true tips, but no hard-and-fast rules. Instead, experiment and find out what really resonates with your audience. Try things like asking a question, using emojis, referencing a timely topic, or hinting about what’s inside. If you’d like more tips, get in touch with us for our Open Me Subject Lines Tip Sheet. We’ll email it directly to you!
4. Beauty will bring them back
It’s not just about what you say. It’s how you look when you say it.
Even if you’ve written the most gripping email to ever exist (we’ll just take your word for it), it’s not going to capture your audience if it’s presented in an ugly or boring way.
A visually appealing, well-designed email will keep readers opening your messages again and again.
Start with a beautiful header graphic to instantly communicate your value. Use the same colours, fonts, and general design rules in your email as you do in other areas of your brand.
When someone opens an email from you, there should be no questioning who it’s coming from.
5. Set one goal per email
Raise your hand if you’re guilty of sending an email asking the reader to do more than one thing? We’ve all been there. We just have so much amazing information we want to share with our readers, so we try to get them to click for a deal, read a blog post, send them to our pricing page, and ask them to watch a video, all in one email.
While you can provide plenty of information and lots of links in one email, set a goal for what you’d really like the customer to do and focus on that. Are there article links related to that call to action? Use your design to draw the eye to the singular goal. When you only have one Call to Action, it will be so much easier to convince your reader to do what you say.
6. Bring in the experts
Email marketing is tough. If you just can’t seem to get the results you were hoping for, why not bring in the experts?
Rogue Penguin has helped dozens of companies achieve success with email marketing. From standardised, beautiful templates to keep your message consistent, to in-depth strategy and execution, we do emails right. Every time.