Thu, 12 Apr 2018
So your customer database is strong, well that’s something you can tick off. You also write some killer content for this strong database; tick. But how do you now turn ticks into clicks? Or rather ensure your audience is actually clicking on your email?
In this day and age emails, e-news and promotions (lots of messages) still end up lost in the inbox clutter – or worse, in the spam folder. It seems like you cannot win sometimes, and that’s where knowledge and a few tricks up your sleeve count. Like a bright neon sign outside a small Italian joint, your subject line needs to be snappy and enticing to draw your customers in. Here are five little tricks you can start doing immediately to improve the open rate of your emails.
1. Get up close and personal
Check your database. Have you included first and last names? Great! Adding a name field in your subject line can increase your open rate, but be wary of a few things…
- Try to keep it casual with only a first name. You’re not their mother and they are not in trouble.
- Ensure the name is not in capslock, if it is, it looks like it’s been pasted in and that’s not personal.
- Make it worthwhile. If you know the information is going to benefit them personally, include their name. If it is a generic message, leave it out.
Where it works in email format…
‘Jennie, where do your competitors rank next to you?’
Where it doesn’t work…
‘Big sale at Toyworld, JENNIE!’
2. Send your email from a person, not a company.
That personal touch really is key, so be sure to practice it yourself. Recipients are typically more likely to trust a personalised sender name and email address than a generic one.
Try this...
Sender Name: John Smith
Sender Email Address: jsmith@company.com
... Rather than this:
Sender Name: Marketing Team
Sender Email: marketing@company.com
3. Optimise for all devices
Keep this as a general rule of thumb: your subject line should be no more than 30 characters or 6-8 words. Desktops will show up to 60 characters in a subject field, but mobile devices will only show 25-30 characters. These days, desktops still rule when it comes to views but mobile is closely behind and will only increase as smartphones become even, well, smarter.
4. Create urgency, but don’t panic them
The presence of words that indicate urgency is a common and valued sales tactic. But be careful with the word you use. Emails with the word “quick” in their subject lines have lower open rates than emails that do not. However, emails that include the word “today” in their subject line have a higher open rate than emails that do not.
Why is that? ‘Today’ is a defined type of urgency with time sensitivity and not ‘urgency for urgency’s sake’. Words like ‘quick’ and ‘now’ are generic and may be used to indicate false urgency, meaning your audience could ignore this message completely.
It’s important to let your audience know if action needs to be taken soon, but don’t be vague. If you have a special offer for them, let them know how long they have to take advantage of it.
For example…
Optimise your site with this free ebook – download today
Optimise your site with this free ebook – offer ending soon
5. Make it worthy
Why do you want your audience opening your email? How will it benefit them and what makes you the voice of reason?
Your subject line is where you prove yourself in your given industry. There is a reason your readers signed up for your newsletter, so show them why. Get straight to the point by offering one piece of knowledge, and specify how you will deliver. Keep it simple, enticing and worthwhile.
Try this…
“Six steps to creating a successful Facebook page”
Rather than...
“Check out some of our latest work and create a successful Facebook page”
Email marketing can be tough at times, but it’s extremely cost-effective and measureable, so it’s worth the effort. By taking the time to plan all elements and sending compelling offers to the right target audience, you can increase the clicks on your emails and generate more leads.
For more tips and tricks get in contact, and we'll see how we can help you.
+64 9 379 2880
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