Email marketing has proven to be a very effective and very economical way to encourage leads and generate sales. Surpassing all other value, your email correspondence with consumers is one of the few marketing channels you own. Having control over your communication with customers, and potential customers, is the best way to ensure that every interaction with them is impactful and meaningful.

Email Marketing is an “Owned” Marketing Channel

Within your marketing strategy there are a number of channels you use to communicate your message. Some of these marketing channels are “rented” and some (albeit a very few) are “owned”.

Rented Marketing Channels

If you are only communicating through rented marketing channels, many factors of your messaging are beyond your control. Take social media and search channels like Facebook or Google, for example. These are considered to be rented channels, because the platform’s ever-changing algorithm controls:

  • who sees your message
  • where they see it
  • when they see it.

This means that on rented social media platforms it is virtually impossible to ensure your message gets to exactly where you want it to go, and when you want it to get there.

FACT: The average email click-through rate is six-and-a-half times higher than the average Facebook post.

Owned Marketing Channels

Sending an email to your subscriber list is an example of a marketing channel you own. You control the content of your messages, as well as, where and to whom each message is delivered.

Approximately two billion customers use a Facebook or Twitter account on a daily basis, as many as four billion people check at least one email address every day. Like conventional mail, email has been adopted as a fundamental channel of communication. It is estimated that 90% of adults and 74% of teenagers still use their email account on a regular basis.

With emails arriving in inboxes non-stop, day-after-day, to the tune of more than 300 billion emails sent and received each day, capturing the attention of your recipients is going to be a challenge.

Email Marketing Guidelines

To entice audience members to open your email communications and follow your call-to-action, use these guidelines to create marketing emails that capture leads and generate sales.

Email Subject Line

Your email’s subject line is the single greatest influence on whether the recipient will open your email. If the subject line of your email does not compel people to take action, even the best email content in the world will become buried in a subscriber’s inbox. Including an incentive-focused subject line can increase open rates by as much as 50%.

A good subject line should contain between 30 and 50 characters (including spaces). Email accounts and mobile devices often cut off any subject lines that go beyond this length.

Things that do well in subject lines include:

  • The recipient’s name
  • An appropriate, relevant emoji (or two)
  • Action verbs
  • A clear and irresistible value proposition that is in synch with the content of your email

Things that do not do well in subject lines are:

  • Spammy keywords (urgent, buy now, win, free)
  • All uppercase letters
  • Misspelling
  • Overuse of emojis
  • Misleading subject lines that don’t match the email content

Words That Trigger Spam Filters

Spam filters are triggered by certain words found in the subject line, or the body of the email. Some of the most common spam trigger words are:

  • amazing
  • cancel at any time
  • check or money order
  • click here
  • congratulations
  • dear friend
  • for only ($)
  • free or toll-free
  • great offer
  • guarantee
  • increase sales
  • order now
  • promise you
  • risk-free
  • special promotion
  • this is not spam
  • winner

Your email marketing service provider may have a built-in tool that checks your emails for spam trigger words before sending it. If this is not the case, or if you are unsure, you can use ISnotSPAM; a free tool which scores your emails for deliverability and to see if they are likely to trigger spam filters.

Email Body Copy

The body copy of your marketing email should always be compelling, concise, on brand and fulfill the promises made in your subject line. To achieve this:

  • Start with one, simple offer.
  • Write short paragraphs.
  • Use bullet-points, headings, and clear content hierarchy to make text scannable.
  • Don’t be afraid to use your formatting options strategically, like bolded or highlighted text to draw attention to key phrases.

Using Images

Using images in your email marketing can be a powerful means to help sell a product or idea. They are particularly useful in verticals where customers make purchases based on emotion. The best-practice is to use images only when and where they add true value to the email. Ideally, this is when an image conveys your message better than text could.

When an image provides greater value than text, it is recommended that you use small image files. Many email marketing service providers prefer images that are no larger than 1MB.

Make the effort to add alt text for all the images you include. If an email provider blocks the images from being seen, this practice ensures recipients know what an image is without immediately seeing it.

Social Proof

Online reviews have become an ever-increasing part of consumers’ purchasing decisions. Recent research performed by BrightLocal, reported that 93% of consumers aged 35-54 “always” read online reviews. Customer reviews, ratings, and user-generated content, can help build credibility and bring your customers closer to a buying decision.

FACT: Positive reviews make 91% of consumers more likely to use a business.

Email Call-to-Action (CTA)

The call-to-action (CTA) represents the driving goal of each email marketing campaign. It is what your email is (strongly) encouraging subscribers to do. Examples are: purchasing a particular item or reviewing a recent purchase. Regardless of what the goal is, keep the main message and CTA above the fold.

Here are a few great tips for creating an email CTA:

  • Choose one CTA per email. Every campaign should focus on one having the reader perform a single action. Each additional call-to-action runs the risk of distracting or confusing the reader.
  • Use action-oriented words that create urgency. Examples are: emphasis on the “limited time” of a sale, the “limited number” of items in stock, as well as phrases like “buy now” or “get started”.
  • Use a noticeable CTA button image. Create buttons that are 45 pixels to 57 pixels tall, to match the size of an adult’s fingertip.

Reinforce your CTA. It should be repeated at least three times throughout the email, in various places and using different formats.

Bonus Tip: Your Email’s Width

Keep your email 500 pixels to 650 pixels wide. If your email template is wider than 650 pixels, you are forcing users to scroll horizontally to read your entire message. This is even more undesirable for a recipient who is reading your email on a mobile device.

In Review

Although it is recommended that you maintain a balance of rented and owned marketing channels, investments in owned channels like email marketing – where you control the audience, reach, timing and context – are vital in maintaining a personal message, and building a deeper connection with your audience.

Each email you send should entice and encourage your subscribers with a simple marketing message. Clearly articulate the value of your offering in the email subject line and deliver on your promise in the email’s body. Following these guidelines will keep email recipients happy they subscribed to your updates, and even happier to act on your CTA.

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