With the resurgence of email marketing, people are wondering how they should be writing their emails. Some marketers think that a one-to-one correspondence is the best way to go. While others believe that a one-to-many approach works better. This article will discuss some key points about writing compelling subject lines and personalized emails that can help you decide which method works best for your business.
Personalized
With the explosion of the internet and social media, people now have the ability to reach out to millions of people with content that’s specifically tailored to their needs. This makes email marketing extremely important for any business.
If you’ve spent any time on social media platforms such as Twitter, you’ll notice that most content is personalized. People are looking for content that’s relevant to them. If you can figure out what they want and need, you can craft an email that will solve their problems. You can also use email analytics to see which marketing tactics are working and which ones need to be adjusted.
Sender-Personality
When a customer receives an email, they’ll quickly assess the sender’s personality to determine how they should interact with the content. The email’s subject line and opening paragraph will play a crucial role in engaging the reader.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, 55% of users click on a subject line that sounds interesting. In contrast, only 33% click on subject lines that sound dull. To attract potential customers, use phrases such as, “You’ll love this!” or “Just imagine how much easier everything will be if you use our product.”
Even something as simple as the from name can influence a customer’s perception of your email. If you use a generic email service, your email may not even reach the recipient’s attention. In contrast, using a personalized email, where the from name is included, ensures that the customer knows who the message is from.
To demonstrate how crucial the from name can be, HubSpot Blogs conducted a little experiment. They analyzed hundreds of emails, all with the same subject line, “How to write a winning proposal.” They found that companies that personalized their emails with names such as “John Smith” or “Marketing@Company.com” received a 17% open rate, while companies using a catch-all email address (“unverified@nonprofit.org”) had an 8% open rate.
Length
When crafting an email, you need to consider how long it will take to read. Just because you have a limited amount of space doesn’t mean that you need to keep the email short. In fact, the opposite is usually true. To ensure that your email is interesting and engaging, wrap your topic with relevant anecdotes.
For example, a fashion company might send an email about how to choose the right shoes for your body type. Instead of just including the information that you think they need to know, you can mention a few interesting stories about customers who wore the same shoes as the person reading the email.
To research how long people actually spend reading emails, HubSpot Blogs conducted a short test. They instructed people to open and read an email from an unknown source and then asked them to complete a brief survey about the email. The respondents spent an average of 4.5 minutes reading the email and answering the survey. That’s roughly the time it takes to eat a breakfast meal or watch the first few minutes of a YouTube video.
Style
The style of your email will depend on your target audience. If you’re writing to lawyers, you’ll need to use a more formal tone and avoid colorful language. In contrast, if you’re writing to consumers, you can get pretty creative with the language and design.
Fashion brands should use a more formal style for their emails – after all, they’re usually communicating with a lawyer at some point during the transaction. At the same time, designers should feel free to use their creativity in creating the perfect email for their target audience.
To create a more polished look to your email, use a template. Just remember that the look and feel of your email will depend on your target audience. Lawyers may not want to see a photo of a shoe in the middle of an email, while consumers might love it.
Relevant
To be relevant, your email should speak to the recipient. To achieve this, you need to find out who the person is, what they care about, and what makes them unique. The key is to find something that will make the email relevant to their needs. If you can do that, you’ll be able to craft an email that they’ll actually want to read.
For example, if you’re sending a marketing email about your company’s products, it doesn’t matter if you have a formal or informal style; you’ll need to ensure that it’s relevant to the recipient. To do this, you can ask customer service or reach out to a marketing person to get more information. Alternatively, you can create a survey and ask people to participate. By doing this, you’ll be able to get feedback on your products and make any necessary adjustments.
Attracting
When someone receives your email, you’ll want them to click on the link or fill out the form you provided. To achieve this, you need to use a few tactics, but none more important than the subject line and opening paragraph. As discussed above, the subject line and first few paragraphs will play a crucial role in getting the reader to take some action. To find out how effective these two components are, HubSpot Blogs conducted a survey. They analyzed respondents from a variety of industries, including healthcare, technology, and financial services. Here’s what they found:
- Subject lines that sound interesting get 55% of people to click on the link or fill out the form.
- Users are 17% more likely to take action when the opening line is personal and the other 85% aren’t really interested in what you’ve got to say.
- People who use the words “please,” “thankyou,” and “you’ll love” in the subject line get a 64% open rate.
- To grab users’ attention, insert a personal story or anecdote into the opening paragraph (25% of users like to hear about other people’s experiences).
- Make sure that the call to action (e.g., “click here,” “download the app,” “make a reservation,” etc.) is clear.
- Include a testimonial or two in your email to increase your credibility with users.
- Include a link to a review or a good article about your subject matter (22% of users like to read recommendations).
- A combination of these tips can result in better engagement from users: use a combination of the above to create a winning subject line, and ensure that your opening paragraph is strong and that you include a call to action.
Saving
When someone receives your email, you’ll want them to read it and then take action. To achieve this, you need to provide some value. To save you time, the person reading your email can provide value by completing a form or accessing a resource. Just remember that you’re not doing them any favors by providing this value for free. This is why it’s important to provide some sort of value in your email.
In addition to the above findings, HubSpot Blogs also discovered that users prefer shorter emails. They found that 55% of people preferred emails under three paragraphs, and just 17% preferred longer emails. Keep your emails short and sweet. If you can, you might want to consider using an email marketing tool that can automatically draft and send out a variety of emails, depending on the person or device the person is using (e.g., a desktop, mobile phone, or tablet). This will help you save time and ensure that your message is reaching the right audience.
Bottom Line
To be effective, your email needs to match your target audience. To achieve this, you need to find out who the person is, what they care about, and what makes them unique. The key is to find something that will make the email relevant to their needs. If you can do that, you’ll be able to craft an email that they’ll actually want to read.
To learn more, visit HubSpot Blogs.