A common misconception about marketing emails is that if someone offered their email address, whatever your companies send isn’t perceived as spam. Unfortunately, most email inboxes are clogged with corporate missives, so how can you ensure potential customers open yours, let alone click on the links and take actual action?
Crafting a compelling, eye-catching email is an art form, and sometimes just a small tweak can lead to significant improvement in email conversion rates. So if you’re looking to boost the effectiveness of your email campaigns, follow these 8 tips:
- Compelling Subject Line
The subject line is the first thing you see in an email and the most significant deciding factor on whether or not people open it. But crossing that first hurdle depends on much more than a catchy one-liner—specifics are crucial, such as mentioning “30% off” instead of “sale”.
- Clear Call-to-Action
The body of the email should be simple and free of clutter, but the most important element is a clear Call-to-Action. When crafting your well-stated direction on what to do, less is more—the harder you make a potential customer work to understand your offer, the more likely they are to just give up and delete the email.
- Segmented Lists
A single version of a marketing email might not work for everyone on your list—personalization through segmenting makes the ready feel special and proves your company isn’t a spam offender. Some examples of segmenting include:
- Engagement level
- Gender
- Job title
- Location
- Shopping history
- Superior Copywriting
You’ve heard it before: Content is king! Whatever the subject of your emails, they should be engaging and enthusiastic, ideally invoking an emotional response, and keywords should be including naturally. Other content tips include breaking up text with bullets and using links back to your website to avoid lengthy background info. Above all, proofread, proofread, proofread—nothing harms credibility like an egregious typo.
- A/B Testing
Crafting that perfect email might take time, but it’s worth it to create more than one version to test on your audience. The differences can involve minor tweaks like the subject line, or an entirely different page layout. Other variations can include the emotional angle, offer options, Call-to-Action wording, and embedded media, such as videos. Once the incoming traffic results are in, don’t rest on the more popular version—continuous work and testing that makes incremental positive changes will lead to substantial growth.
- Give Prospects Time
Don’t push customers to act too fast—some readers might be just browsing, and depending on the expense and complication of the product or service, people might need more time before they’re ready to commit. That’s why it’s a good idea to offer value first: tips, advice, videos, free reports, etc. The longer and deeper your build your relationship with your prospect, the more likely their chances of conversion.
- Address Objections
Any offer will inspire conscious and sub-conscious objections, so it’s best to address that hesitation upfront. First, brainstorm a list of potential concerns such as how your product or service solves the customer’s problem, why they should believe you, why it’s worth the money, and how they can be sure it works—then add info to your sales copy that alleviates those concerns.
- Boost Trust
No matter how compelling your offer is, your marketing email is a waste if potential customers don’t trust you. To increase credibility, make sure your website:
- Features a professional design and easy navigation.
- Includes contact details beyond a contact form, like a phone number and email address.
- Makes it easy to verify the accuracy of your information, including third-party citations and testimonials.
- Demonstrates the legitimacy of your organization, such as listing a physical address, photos of your office, and bios of your key employees.
- Highlights your expertise with respected credentials and affiliations.
- Updated content—sites that haven’t been updated or reviewed recently are associated with spam.
Looking to boost your conversions?
At AGW Group, we can help you optimize your marketing email campaigns. Contact us today for a free consultation.