How to Increase the Value of Your Email
Email marketing is a tool that by its ever-evolving nature lends itself to continual tweaking. So, what can you do to make your email better than ever? Start with these tips:
Segment your list. One size does not fit all. Segment lists based on where customers are in their customer journey. For example, recent purchases, unclosed sales and inactive customers should receive messages reflecting their activity. Messages that are more relevant to the targeted audience have better results.
Scrub your list periodically. Email addresses become out of date over time, and sometimes they’ve been entered incorrectly from the beginning. By running your list through a scrubbing and verification service, you can remove invalid addresses that affect delivery performance.
Send your email from somebody. That is to say, make sure your email is from a person’s name, not just a description (like “customer_service@” or “donotreply@”).
Make sure emails are mobile-friendly. Many (if not most) will be reading your email on their mobile device. Use a responsive design that they can read.
Use a strong subject line. Keep them short (under 50 characters). Make them compelling. And encourage a sense of urgency. But avoid words that trigger spam filters – such as “free” and “no credit check.”
Personalize for the recipient. Beginning with “Hi [first name]” helps engage the reader, which helps them stick around to get into your message.
Include a call to action. If you want a response (and you do), ask for it. What step does your customer need to take? Tell him.
Test delivery times. What’s the best time to send your email? Send test batches at different times and study your metrics to identify time slots that lead to the highest open rates.
Resend unopened email. When you resend the same email to addresses that didn’t open your message, you’re giving them a second chance while also improving your chance at better open rates.