Email Essentials
Email marketing provides the possibility of customizing and personalizing your campaign in a way that can’t be matched by other media selections – at least at that kind of low-cost investment level.
By segmenting your mailing list, customized messages and offers can be geared to prospects, previous customers, lapsed customers or loyal customers (particularly those who are members of maintenance agreements). And, of course, you can personalize this message by using the customer’s name in the greeting and/or in the subject line.
Speaking of, your email should stand out in inboxes with a strong subject line that encourages an open – one that either conveys value, generates curiosity or expresses urgency. Body copy should be brief with an easy-to-read style. (Please leave technical-manual writing for your industry peers.)
There are different schools of thought on whether to send straight text or incorporate an image. Frankly, customers have different preferences. In any case, that’s the beauty of email – you can run A/B tests with variations on your email and study the analytics to see what got the greater response. Consider too including a video as an alternative.
Also of highest importance, be sure to include a call to action. Tell customers what step they need to take next to take advantage of the proposed benefits. Be sure as well to make your email shareable with a “forward to a friend” link. If your current customers don’t need your offer, they may know someone else who does.