How to Improve your Email Marketing Immediately!
Email marketing isn’t as simple as people think and believe me, we’ve seen some shocking emails sent out under the guise of a campaign. Here are a few ways you can improve your email marketing straight away.
1. Encourage subscription to your list
Yes, you probably have a database that can be used on your email list but you still need to attract ‘fresh blood’ on a regular basis. A decent list of subscribers comes from a variety of sources eg: LinkedIn, email signatures, blog.
I use the words ‘decent’ list as many times we’re handed a csv file full of dud email addresses which require cleaning up before we start a serious campaign.
You can give an incentive to sign up like offering an e-book or a video as long as it’s pertinent to your offering.
2. Make the Email Legitimate
The last thing you need is people complaining about your emails and opting out so make sure that you follow best practises i.e. permission based emailing where they have ‘opted in’.
Test the frequency of sending, personalise the text not just the ‘hello, be careful about too much hard selling rather put in links with a softer sell.
3. Create Ambient Intimacy and Trust
People buy from those people they like and trust so structure your message carefully. Make your reader feel important, show that you understand their dilemma in relation to your market, ensure the sell is soft and give them the option to take it further. Remember to thank them for loyalty and use the word ‘please’ sometimes too.
4. Show that you give added value
Everyone loves a bit of something for nothing and putting in a bit of added value is easy in social media. Give them a download that is available on your blog or Facebook page in exchange for them liking your business page or booking a course or workshop. Remember that for most, value perceived is pain removed.
5. Work on your subject line
This is a major! People won’t even open your email if the subject line isn’t right. Take the time to get it right. Choose the right words and know which words could flag your email as spam. There is a delicate balance here that involves knowing what sells and what’s considered a typical spam term.
Words like “free” in your subject line will almost always flag your email as spam so look for other words and creative ways to say the same thing. Also, spend some time testing. Test and get opinions on how others see the subject line, the visuals, do the links work properly, is the copy tedious? Keep testing.
6. Get the timing right
People are bombarded by email and emailing during a work day could be seen as an irritant. Think about when they might have time to consider your proposition. Is catching them in the early evening a better bet? Remember the clutter they receive is likely to make them delete your email before they even open it and timing could be key. Ask people when they are most likely to open an email like yours.
7. Read your stats
All email systems give you statistic. How many opened, how many opened more than once, what they read, what they clicked on. It’s all there. Read it and apply your findings immediately. Analysis of your email campaigns will soon show you what works for you and you should re-apply it.
8. Create a Relevant landing page
So your email gets opened. What call to action are you asking the reader to take? Let’s say it’s a click through. Where are you sending them? Your website home page just isn’t good enough! Think about what you are selling. Make the landing page really relevant to the reader and continue with your message there. Make this the second stage in your ‘sell’.
9. Use Surveys
Ask your subscriber base what they think of your emails and how they would like to see them improve. What do they want to read about? What offers would they like?
10. Segment and Conquer
Segmentation of your database is really important but first you need a strong database to start with. By using social media applications you can increase your subscribers and therefore your prospect database. Think about how you’d determine their interests and location and start segmenting from the start so that you don’t have a massive job to do later on.
11. Use bookmarking
Bookmark your own email and also ask your readers to bookmark as well on StumbleUpon or Digg or Delicious. It all helps.
12. Publish your Newsletter
You can publish your email newsletter in other sites as well like in your website or your blog or even on your Facebook page. It helps people become familiar with it and encourages them to subscribe.
Please bookmark this post and share it with your friends if it’s of value. Also, if you have any other tips about email marketing we’d love to hear them and share them. Just comment here!
