Email is Dead VS Long Live Email
It seems every 6 months we are hearing that email is dead, it’s a waste of time, it has no return or engagement.
The truth is email is still thriving with an estimated ROI of $24 per $1 spent.
Why the disparity?
It comes down to just how you are using it. Times have changed, and the way to use the platform has also adapted. The days of email campaigns existing as “blast it and pray” campaigns are long a thing of the past.
Many years ago it was common to build a massive list containing anyone who has ever been near your business, and hammering them with emails. Many times, it also included buying lists from sources. Anti-spam acts and global customer awareness has forced change.
Now email is targeted, smaller blasts to a targeted audience with the goal of increasing engagement, not just sales.
How can I improve email campaign effectiveness, you ask?
1) Hook them with an enticing subject line.
This is a very basic tip, but it is surprising how many do not think hard enough about it.
You have your subject, and in most cases your preview line to grab someone’s attention. That gives you 41 characters for the main subject, and 76 characters for the preview line to convince someone to open your email. That’s not much, so make it count!
2) Offer real value to your subscribers.
Don’t just throw out the same old boring sale email, or week after week of marketing material.
Make the email fun! Offer something rewarding and personal. When you are building your email, ask yourself, “How am I meeting my customer’s needs?” and follow it with, “Would I enjoy reading this email if I received it?”.
Once you begin creating valuable content, you will have an edge over your competitors as you increase your exposure. If you are really not sure what content your customers would like to receive, ask them! A small survey or discussion on social media requesting feedback can be used to get ideas, and it works two-fold as those who participated will be more likely to interact when it’s received.
3) Keep your email short and to the point.
This may seem contradictory to the previous suggestion of offering value, but it is also very important. As with web pages that take too long to load, an email that doesn’t provide its point quickly can be deleted or closed before it’s had a chance to be read.
Try and keep your email on topic, with one topic per email. If you have multiple things you wish to discuss, break it apart into a series of emails. If you are trying to send something that really must contain multiple things, such as a monthly newsletter, it is best to provide tidbits of information quickly in short form, then provide links to larger or longer views for those who want to read it.
4) Don’t overdo it.
Engagement is important, but too much can kill your lists.
If you are emailing every day, or multiple times a day, people will consider you spam and ignore what you’re sending, or even worse: unsubscribe. Once per week is the ideal time frame, and once a month for promotional emails. If you are really concerned that you are not maximizing your list, consider providing options. Let people specify if they would like to receive daily, weekly, or monthly emails from you.
5) Mix it up.
Don’t always send the same thing, every time. That will become predictable and more likely to be ignored. Mix it up with news updates, short posts of things your target audience might be interested in, promotional emails, or even invitations to something fun, like a game or video!
Following these 5 steps, you should notice a huge improvement in your open rates, click through rates, and in general – the engagement of your audience with your company.
