You’ve probably heard this numerous times already, but it’s worth repeating: the success of your email marketing campaign is entirely dependent on your ability to write an effective email. Why? Because, ultimately, your email is going to solicit some sort of action from the recipient. Perhaps you’ll want them to click a link in the email or download a whitepaper. Or, maybe you’ll just want them to register for your email newsletter. In any case, the action you’re asking them to take is going to be facilitated by the content of your email. Hence, the importance of putting in the time to craft an effective email.
The Anatomy Of An Effective Marketing Email
People vary in the way they prefer to receive information. Some may want concise information in a short burst, while others may want it in lengthy, drawn-out installments. For those of you who want to optimize conversion rates through email, there are a few tried and tested methods you can use to craft an effective marketing email.
1. Keep It Short And Sweet
Have you ever received an email that was just a plain-text string of words, essentially consisting of just “Hello,” “How are you,” and “Thanks”? If so, you know it’s possible to craft an effective marketing email even with just those three sentences. In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, 56% of respondents said they preferred shorter emails, while 44% said they liked longer emails.
As a general rule of thumb, your email should not exceed two paragraphs of text. This is mainly because, according to HubSpot Blogs research, people need time to process information that is longer than two paragraphs. Essentially, take your time with the email and don’t just send it off to be “marketing”. Instead, use the time to craft an email that is both relevant and interesting to your target audience.
2. Use Personal Details
When you write an email intending to market a product or service, your job, as a business owner, is to convince the recipient that you, as an individual, are someone they can trust. One effective way to do this is through the use of first-person pronouns. For example, “You,” “Your,” or “You guys” can make your email more personal and, therefore, more trustworthy.
Another effective way to create a more personalized email is to include details about the person you’re writing to. This could include things like a recent purchase that they’ve made (or plan to make), something that they enjoy, or a problem that they’re having. By including these sorts of details, you’re giving the recipient a sense of “you” as a relatable, individual person.
3. Incorporate Customer Service
If someone encounters a problem with your product or service, how do they contact you? By incorporating customer service into your email, you’re giving them a sense of “reliability” that comes from a human being rather than a company. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 70% of respondents said they wanted to receive customer service through email, while only 28% preferred phone calls.
Another great way to create an effective email marketing campaign is to make your emails easy to unsubscribe from. With an average of 18.6 days of “top of the funnel” marketing activity including emails before someone clicks to a landing page or makes a purchase, you have the opportunity to get in the door multiple times. If, after clicking a link in your email, they decide they don’t want to receive any more emails from you, they can unsubscribe with one click.
To create an unsubscribe link that is both user-friendly and effective, use the following guidelines:
- Avoid using lengthy codes. This makes it less likely that subscribers will unsubscribe due to lack of privacy or confidentiality.
- Do not ask the subscriber to unsubscribe in the email. Instead, give them a friendly reminder that they’ve subscribed to your email list (but don’t tell them why).
- If you’re worried that your email might be caught in a spam filter, use a reputable provider like MailChimp to ensure that your email reaches your subscribers.
- Make sure to follow the unsubscribe instructions provided by your email service provider.
4. Use Visual Appeals
According to HubSpot Blogs research, 64% of respondents said they preferred emails that incorporate images or graphics in some form, while 36% preferred text-only emails.
One reason why images/graphics are so effective in marketing is because they can be more engaging than plain-text strings of words. In addition, if someone has to read an entire email to understand it, the possibility of them skipping over any text increases. This means that, even if the text is important, it will not have the same impact as an image that draws the reader in.
To incorporate images/graphics effectively into your email, do the following:
- Choose a relevant image that will make your email stand out.
- Consult with a graphic designer to ensure that your chosen image is both sophisticated and professional looking.
- Curate a graphic element that is both functional and eye-catching.
- Consult with a copywriter to ensure that your chosen text is both easy to understand and memorable.
- Ensure that the copy is both relevant and well-written.
These tools can help you make your email more interactive and interesting:
- Bullet points (but no more than two or three)
- Charts and graphs
- Colored banners and buttons
- Interactive templates
- Icons and illustrations
- Photo galleries
- Shopping carts and wheelchairs
- Tables and chairs
- Video diaries
5. Measure The Results Of Your Campaign
Once you’ve started emailing your list of subscribers, you’ll begin to see the results of your efforts. To ensure that your email marketing campaign is both effective and measurable, set up automatic email campaigns on your website. This way, you can monitor the performance of each email and track the results of your efforts.
Setting up automatic email campaigns on your website is really easy. Just follow these steps: