Email marketing does not have the same flash as social media marketing or other new marketing channels. However, it is still in use because it works. It is a terrific way to generate leads and turn prospects into customers. Here are some tips to help you use emails to increase your sales.
1. Use Three or Fewer Typefaces
This might seem like an odd place to start the list. However, it has been proven that the less clutter there is in an email, the higher the conversion rate you will see. Using more than two fonts will distract your readers. It can make your email look gimmicky and have the opposite effect of what you want.
Most people will not take the time to read an entire email. You have fractions of a second to get their attention and help them see that your email is worth their time. You can do this by using web-safe font sizes between 10-point and 12-point. This guarantees that everyone can read your email on all devices.
2. Include an Email Signature
Your email is being sent in the name of your company. However, it is more inviting if it has the signature of an actual person. Choose one person’s email address and use that person as the email signature on all of your marketing emails. It can help build your brand and increase visibility.
Additionally, people are drawn to the personal touch. They are more likely to read it if it looks like it came from one person instead of from a collective marketing team.
3. Make it Personalized
An email inbox is a very personal space, and you should treat it like one. Blasting out a copy and paste of mass marketing emails will not be effective. Neither is constantly following up on an email. Instead, give people ample time to respond.
Make sure that the message is relevant to them and personalize it. For example, use the lead’s name in your email. Automation tools often have an input that can automatically put in the customer’s name saving you time.
4. Take Advantage of Email Preview Text
You have a newsletter that you subscribe to and see the message “Email not displaying correctly? Click here.” You are happy to know how to fix the issue if you are desperately interested in reading what is presented in the email.
However, the recommendation is that you keep this warning out of the preview text of your email. First, when a person receives your email and sees a warning that the email does not work unless they want to read it, they are likely to delete it. Second, this warning does nothing to tell the recipient what the email is about.
Use the preview text as a way of supplementing your subject line. It should capture your audience’s attention, add details about the email, and encourage people to want to open it. In addition, your emails should have custom pre-headers that tease what the email will offer.
5. Trim Your Email List
There may be a ton of people on your email list who never opt-out of your campaign but also never open your emails. Conventional wisdom says that you want to email as many people as possible to reach as many prospects as possible. However, if you hold onto people who are not engaged, you can destroy your open rate.
People who don’t open your emails make it seem like your campaign is not working—review subscribers who have not engaged with your emails for some time and prune them regularly.
6. Keep Your Call to Action Front and Center
Your call to action in your key message should be above the fold. This is what your email recipient sees before they scroll down. Research shows that customers spend more than 50 percent of their time on above-the-fold content. So putting your call to action above the fold means that it is one of the first things your customers see.
7. Don’t Forget Your Logo
Logos are a crucial part of your email marketing strategy plan. A survey showed that brand recognition increased by 18 percent and purchase likelihood by 34 percent in emails where logos were present.
8. Spell out Your Offer in the Subject Line
When your customers see your incentive offer in the subject line, you increase your conversion rates. “Free shipping when you spend $10 or more” or “Get a free dinner for two with each subscription” are examples of good subject lines. They are focused. They incentivize your email recipients without overwhelming them.
Email Still Works
There are several new tools for marketing that are getting all the attention. However, when done correctly, email marketing is a reliable tool that can drive sales and give you the biggest bang for your buck with your marketing initiatives.
