Breaking Through The Noise: Creating an Effective E-Mail Marketing Message
According to Experian, every $1 spent on e-mail marketing returns an average of $44.25. It’s one of the most effective, measurable and scalable marketing channels available to your business.
But not all e-mails are created equal.
Competition is fierce. In fact, the average person receives 15 emails a day. Of these, 2 will be spam. Between 3 and 6 are from trusted brands. The rest come from small businesses, like yours, as well as personal acquaintances.
So, just to get read, your email has to bypass two layers of spam filters, beat brands with million dollar e-mail marketing budgets, and grab attention from your reader’s loved ones.
This is no easy task. The following steps will make the job a bit easier.
Steps To Create an Effective Marketing Message
Step #1 – Get Inboxed
Legitimate emails are mistaken as spam more often than you’d think. Your first priority, then, is getting past the spam filters.
Avoid spammy words and phrases, such as “free”, “act now” and “limited time”. You also want to eliminate excessive punctuation (!!!). These increase your chances of getting flagged.
Include both plain-text and HTML versions of your e-mail. This takes extra effort, but spam filters are more likely to flag message that are just text or HTML.
And don’t send image-only messages. This is a common spam technique. Instead, include text with every e-mail.
Step #2 – Get Opened
Chadwick Martin Bailey, a top 50 market research firm, says that 64% of your recipients open e-mail based on the subject line alone. This one element will make or break your e-mail marketing campaign.
A good rule of thumb for an effective subject line is to make it clear, concise and relevant. Here are a few recent examples of good subject lines:
“Discover a better way of working with Google Apps for Business”
“How to increase your e-mail marketing response rates by 37%”
“Hey John, it’s time for your annual teeth cleaning.”
Step #3 – Get a Response
First, make it clear why you’re e-mailing. Most of us have 24 hours to complete 30 hours of work. Respect your recipient and get to the point.
Second, create a sense of urgency. What reasons can you give for immediate action? Limited time discounts or time-sensitive bonuses are common techniques.
Finally, ask for action. If you want the reader to visit your website, place a link and ask her click. If you want your reader to order by phone, list your number and ask her to call.
Step #4 – Track and Improve
Many e-mail marketing service providers track email open rates, click through rates, time-of-day interaction, and more. Use this data to create even more effective messages in the future.
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- FREE Custom Marketing Plan
(no obligation) - Select only the services you want.