How to Write Effective Marketing Emails

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Email marketing can be an excellent way to reach your current customers as well as new customers. Knowing the best email marketing strategies to get your message across can be very important.

 

Emails are a tried and true marketing technique. Here are the most important things to do to optimize your emails.

 
  • Write an effective subject line. The first thing someone needs to do to get to your great email content is to actually open the email. An enticing subject line will increase your open rates by making people want to read what’s inside. One way to get better open rates is to have a subject line that tells people what will be inside, with an action word, like “Save on Plumbing” or “Schedule lawn care.” When the customer goes into the email knowing what to expect, you know they opened it because they are interested in the product or service that you’re promoting. There is nothing more damaging to your click through rates than someone opening your email and not finding what the subject line promised.
     

  • Personalize your emails. Learn to target your audience. Instead of just sending a blanket email to everyone, make a few different emails for different segments of your audience. If you have a segment with a lower income, send them an email about a great package deal. If you have a segment with a higher income, send them an email about deluxe products.
     

  • Be clear, not just catchy. First and foremost, write both your subject line and the body of your email with clarity in mind. Spell out exactly what you want the reader to know and do. Then, go back and add in additional commentary. Some consumers respond well to jokes and wordplay. If that fits your audience, then make the email as funny and whimsical as you want. But never do so at the expense of clarity. Your customer’s time is valuable, so keep it short and sweet. Do not change the fact that your message is clearly spelled out.
     

  • Be relevant. If you are telling the readers that you can help them save on paint services, don’t just launch into why the paint color matters or jump into the different price points. Why should they care or trust you? If it’s a first time customer, maybe you need to prove yourself.
     

  • Use the second person. Never say, “Our new customers will love our service!” or something similar. Instead, say, “you will love our product.” Use every tool at your disposal to remind the readers that you care about them and not just what they can do for you.
     

  • Explain the benefits of your services/features. Don’t just tell your readers that you have great deals on lawn care. Think about why they should care about your great deal. What will they get out of it? Make sure you mention how beneficial this lawn care will be.
     

  • Keep it short. People often check their emails on the go (quite often from their phone). They want to be able to quickly scan the email, so get to the point. If you have a lot to say, make a short email with a link to a longer post on your blog or website. That way, the people who want to know more will be able to read more, and you will drive traffic to your site.
     

  • Show your brand's personality. A succinct email doesn’t have to be boring. If your website and general brand has a cheerful, laid back, or funny style, let that carry through to your email campaigns. If your emails don’t match the voice of everything else your brand does, then it will be confusing for your readers. The same goes for a more serious brand. Don’t suddenly start cracking jokes in an email if the overall feel of your brand is very serious.
     

  • Use an action-oriented call-to-action. Your email needs to encourage people to do something, to take the next step. The same action described in your subject line can be used in your CTA (aka the call to action). If you are using HTML, you can create a CTA button. Even if your CTA is just a normal link, make sure it stands out from the rest of the text. Make it a bright color, and put it in an eye-catching place. This is the point of your email. If you want people to call and make an appointment with one of your service providers, your CTA can read, “Call Now for Appointments!” As is the general rule with email marketing, keep the actions simple and to the point.

 

Making a great marketing email doesn’t have to be so challenging. Don’t overthink it! Just tell the readers what you want them to do and why they should do it. These kinds of emails get the best results.

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