One of the most powerful tools businesses have at their disposal is email marketing. You may ask yourself, what makes an email so useful? Maybe it’s the fact that nearly all email users check their emails between 1 and 20 times a day. Or, is it because 46% of smartphone users prefer to receive business communications via email? Whatever the reason, sending an eblast to customers has taken over the way businesses reach their customers with news or a call-to-action. Now, before you start spamming your email list left and right with products, information, or discounts, it is important to understand there is a difference between sending frequent emails in hopes of increased sales or traffic, and optimizing them to garner the best and most desirable results. Don’t worry – Strategic Marketing is here to help with a list of the dos and don’ts of sending an eblast campaign.
Do:
- Segment your list. Not all of your customers are looking for the same product or service, so it is important to do some internal research on who reacted to what type of advertisements or social media posts. This will prompt you to create different lists of who would benefit the most from a certain email. There’s nothing wrong with sending a general eblast about company news or industry updates, but be sure to get the most ROI on your emails by sending the right information to the right audience.
- Be aware of the type of language you use. Believe it or not, there are certain words or phrases that email platforms may automatically categorize as spam. Anything “too good to be true” (i.e.: free gifts, huge discounts, etc.) and even the type of font or punctuation marks can be flagged as spam, lowering your deliverability rate. Be sure to sound as personable and as direct as possible to avoid your email ending up in the junk folder.
- Optimize for all devices. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in email marketing is not formatting your emails to be visible on all devices. If someone can’t see your email on their mobile phone, they are likely to delete it. So, be sure to leverage mobile-friendly designs when creating your email campaign for the best results and increased click-throughs.
- Include useful information that isn’t too wordy. While it is important to get your point across to the reader, it is important not to make your email text too long. The average consumer spends about ten seconds reading an email from a company, making it crucial to get your message or call-to-action across as quickly and effectively as possible.
Don’t:
- Spam your list. Sending too many emails can be costly, annoying, and, quite frankly, a waste of resources. It’s important to find an optimal mailing schedule to ensure your customers get the information they need without feeling overwhelmed with emails. It is important to consider that the type of server you utilize may impose restrictions on the number of emails you can send within a given timeframe, such as per hour or per day. Approaching or surpassing these limits could potentially result in your emails being flagged as spam. An eblast can be successful, but only with proper planning.
- Make your subject line too long. Along with useful information, the subject line of your email is one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. It is the first thing people will read to decide if your message is worth reading. If your subject line is too long (more than 8-10 words) or includes information that is not relevant to the customer, you’ll lose a reader. Try to hook them immediately with a few but impactful words that clearly state what you’re trying to tell them.
- Forget to test. Testing is important in every aspect of your marketing strategy, but an email is unable to be edited once you hit send. Sending previews to your team through a test list to check for spelling, grammar, and format issues is imperative to the success of your email. Aside from the visuals, making sure it is on track to produce the desired results is the best way to save time and money.
- Forget to analyze. Once you’ve sent your eblast to your desired list, the worst thing you could do is neglect your analytics. No matter what software you use to send emails, there should be an analytic tool to provide insights on what worked well, how many people opened the email, who followed the call-to-action, and more. This is the best way to improve your email marketing strategy for the future.
Need help?
An eblast can be a great way to grow your business, but knowing how to send emails effectively is the difference between gaining or losing money. If you’re curious to see how email marketing can work within your business, Strategic Marketing is here to assist in the development and execution of email campaigns that will deliver measurable results based on your goals.
For over 30 years, we have stayed ahead of the curve when it comes to new marketing tactics and technologies. Contact us today to see how we can take your business to new heights through email marketing and beyond.
