It can be hard to believe sometimes, but e-marketing still isn’t dead. Just look at all of the products out there catered to emarketers, and it’s hard to ignore that this is a marketing channel that shouldn’t be overlooked. However, just like social media or SEO, there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. Here are three things businesses must get right if they hope to catch some of this lightning in a bottle.
Master The Frequency
This is one that takes a little trial and error, and it also depends on your field. For example, if you’re in the business of selling home security, your customer probably doesn’t need to hear from you twice a week – perhaps a quarterly touchpoint will do. Alternatively, if you’re in the restaurant industry, you have many more paths to entry (everyone’s gotta eat every day). That said, you also don’t want to be a nuisance. Somewhere between once a week and once a quarter is probably where your sweet spot is.
Can you do more than once a week? Perhaps, but it better be good. To help guide your frequency, ask yourself if what you’re sending is useful. For example, if I’m a water heater customer and need to flush my system annually, I’m not going to mind receiving a reminder because it is useful. However, if I bought a scarf from your online store and you’re sending me a boring monthly company newsletter that has zero in it for me, you’re probably getting unsubscribed.
Write Good Subject Lines
Surprisingly, it doesn’t always take a cliffhanger subject line to get an open. In fact, many readers prefer you give it to them straight because they don’t have the time to decide whether they want to open your email. On the other hand, who can resist a well-written subject line? One that tickles your funny bone or contains a deal so compelling you’re fully prepared to part with your money. Again, it takes experimentation and your mileage may vary.
At the very least, most good subject lines have this in common:
- They’re succinct.
Each word is capitalized.
The spelling and grammar are impeccable.
They’re not salesy.
They’re not misleading.
From there, there are tons of strategies that you can try such as employing special characters like brackets or utilizing “free” in all caps. For a data-backed demonstration of what leads to better open rates, check out MailChimp’s
Subject Line Comparison: The Best and Worst Open Rates on MailChimp.
Optimize for Mobile
Having a mobile-friendly email template and website are the best things you can do to optimize your emarketing efforts for mobile. Why does this matter? According to
Litmus, because businesses have ramped up these efforts in the past year, consumers are now savvier. They don’t have patience for emails that are hard to read and engage with. Aside from a good template, keep subject lines short, images small and fonts large. Always be thinking about your mobile user and test early and often on multiple devices.
In conclusion, if you are smart about your frequency, subject line and mobile experience, there’s a lot to be gained from an emarketing campaign. It takes some upfront work and trial-and-error, but once you’ve hit your sweet spot it’s completely worth it.
