A marketing tactic that has declined in effectiveness; Would you still use it?
Allow me to rephrase that: Since email still delivers a 38-1 return-on-investment, will you continue to use it?
Yes, we know. It may be the reason you’re looking at this page right now. To be fair, there’s no shortage of advice on inbound marketing and email efforts. But I thought we’d share a handful of ideas we’ve been drilling down on lately.
I send Spark Creative email updates monthly (at best). Frankly, we don’t have the gargantuan audience you’d want in order to segment the list. And, I don’t want to send too many messages.
Inbound email efforts like these help reinforce your brand. We like to remind the business professionals closest to us that the Spark team and I are available as a resource. At the very least, I hope you get many useful ideas from the information we post.
There are always ways to improve upon past results. So let’s keep these ideas fresh in our mind for upcoming efforts:
- Focus on Both Open Rates and Click-through Rates
Sounds elementary, but let’s not overlook this. To improve open rates, align your content with the audience needs, then test subject lines and delivery times. The copy and design from the email itself can help drive your click-through rates. - Select Your Topics with Care
Dig into both Google Analytics and your service provider’s analytics tools to see what pages have been most popular on your site for the past 30-90 days. Look at the keywords that’ve been searched on as well. Now think; Would it be better to add new content related to existing pages? Or, smarter to fill some areas that haven’t yet been covered? - Offer Value
I get emails from an individual who regularly writes super intriguing subject lines. But I have stopped opening his emails altogether.
Why? He sends long sales pitch letters that often fail to deliver on what’s teased in the subject line. I’m conditioned to expect there won’t be much useful content.
Do you get emails like that? I believe it’s perfectly okay to have a call-to-action in your email. But if you build a reputation as someone who provides useful ideas, people are more willing to open your message.
- Keep Your Messaging Concise
Pretty self-explanatory, right? I like to draft email copy one day, then revisit it on another day with an eye toward making cuts. - Personalize
How do you feel when you are greeted as “Dear friend”? Wouldn’t it be better to see your name in the message? It may not be appropriate for all cases, but consider it. Most email deployment tools enable you to do this. - Consider A Personal Approach
This goes beyond using people’s names. Try writing your content and email copy as a one-to-one conversation — like a chat you’re having with a friend or colleague. - Optimize for Mobile Devices
If you’re not sure how to set up the code and design of your email, consider having some customized templates made.
You can even create a few styles to reflect the nature of different efforts. Shorter subject lines – 35 characters or less – will help for mobile recipients as well. - Segment Email Efforts for Different Audiences
If your list is large enough to segment for different audiences, then by all means do. Everyone appreciates messages that are more relevant to their role, industry, or situation. - Improve Headlines and Subheads
I prefer headlines that leverage active language and imply a benefit. It may not be the first way you’d state an idea, but often headlines can be repositioned this way. There are tools out there like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer that can help you as well. - Refine Your Subject Lines
Need we be reminded? You know what … some people do have to be reminded.
I’ve been guilty of rushing this for Spark Creative emails occasionally when behind on other things. But when I’ve invested careful thought into subject lines, they tend to pull better results. Tools like SubjectLine can definitely help put you on the right track — but make sure the messaging stays relevant to your audience.
- Test Subject Lines
If your list is large enough, try “A/B testing” subject lines that have different conceptual approaches — like benefit versus scarcity. Avoid testing similar ideas or just slightly different wording. You want to clearly learn something from the results. - Add or Reevaluate Your P.S.
People still read P.S.’s! You probably shouldn’t veer wildly from the main theme of the email. But why waste the opportunity to plant one last idea? “Every single marketing email should end with a P.S., because it’s an irresistible attention magnet.” —Joel Klettke via Jessica Stillman in Inc. Magazine - Test Timing
There’s all kinds of advice out there on timing. But you’ll have to see what works best for you. I still don’t like to deploy on a Monday morning, Friday, or late in the afternoon. But it all depends on the habits of your audience. - Survey Your Audience
Consider adding quick, easy response forms to your landing pages asking folks to tell you what topics they’d like to hear more about.
You never now. You may gather great insights from this!
- Create A Series of Efforts
Draw up a schedule of efforts to occur throughout the year. This helps you anticipate holidays and other key events you can plan your content and strategy around. It also allows you to work ahead on your email efforts.Developing a series of emails that touch on various topics or take different approaches will help you keep things fresh. “Email marketing isn’t a one-shot event; it’s a process aimed at creating a conversation that will eventually lead to a meeting with a prospect.” —Geoffrey James
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Sources may include:
Top 5 Reasons Why Email Marketing Still Works, Peter Roesler, Inc. Magazine
The No. 1 Secret of Email Marketing, Geoffrey James, Inc. Magazine
5 Email Marketing Experts Share Their Best Tips, Jessica Stillman, Inc. Magazine
How to Best Harness Inbound Marketing Leads, Eric Markowitz
5 Metrics for Measuring Inbound Marketing Success, Jon Miller, Inc. Magazine
4 Email Marketing Tips to Improve Your 2016 ROI, Adam Vavrek, Content Standard