Nineteen Simple Email Marketing Tips for Small Business to Use Right Now
2016-09-09 16:15:32
To
stand out from the plethora of emails your busy customers receive is a big
accomplishment. Therefore, here are a few tips and tricks to utilize in order
for your company to reach its goal, whether that is to gain traffic to your
website or announce a huge promotion.
1. Personalize the Sender Name.
A
study found that when an email of a human’s name,
rather than a company’s address, enters an inbox, the recipient is more likely
to open it. For example, rather than utilizing the email address company@aol.com, try your name: mark@aol.com.
2. Link Your Images.
If
you decide to include images in your email (remember that a lot of times people
set their phones to not include email images and not everyone uses HTML, and
therefore, the image can transform into a mess of gibberish codes), then let
the image be clickable to redirect them to an informative outside source, like
your website.
3. Include Social Media Links.
With
every email sent out, you have the chance to expose customers to your social
media feeds: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn – whatever you use! Take advantage
by including the media button at the end of your email.
4. Make a Clear Call to Action (CTA).
What’s
the point of your email? This should be clear, time sensitive, and should not take the reader long to figure out. A few examples are, “come by today”, “call now”, “get
a free estimate here”, etc.
5. Don’t Let Your Email be Flagged as Spam.
Using
certain words trigger emails as spam, as well as using all
caps or exclamations in the subject line.
6. Include an Unsubscribe Button.
This
is actually the law! Make it easy to unsubscribe, if your clients wish to, as
well. Making customers search excessively, or have to unsubscribe multiple
times, only makes them upset, and they will target your company in a negative
way as a result. We understand that you don’t want clients to leave, but doing
so with dignity will help maintain your customer value.
7. Make it Simple to Subscribe.
Too
many “catches” and a lengthy application processes will deter even the most
avid fans. Make it simple to subscribe.
8. Get Permission to Email Them!
Again,
this is a law; It is illegal to send people unsolicited emails.
9. Reward Your Subscribers!
Jot
down birthdays of your subscribers to send them an annual gift, or offer
first-time subscribers a discount. Also, keep sending special events and
discounts periodically. Having incentives will keep your clients interested and
happy.
10.
Let Everyone Know What to Expect so They Can Debate Whether They Want to be on
Your Email List or Not.
What
are you going to send them, when, and why? These are the basics everyone wants
to know. Most people have a multitude of subscriptions, so bogging down
someone’s inbox with unnecessary information will only detour your patrons.
Give them options to sign up what they need or want.
11. Use a Preview Text.
After
the subject line, a preview text provides a short and sweet glance at what the
rest of the email has to offer. It looks nice in an inbox, grabs the reader’s
attention, and entices people to read more.
12. Make the Email Easy to Read.
Give
the email bolded or distinct headings, broken up into sections, so people can
easily find the information they are looking for. You don’t have to include
every bit of information in the email, but rather include a button for them to
read more on your website.
13. Send it to the Right People.
You
don’t have to send every email to your entire contact list. Instead, categorize your clients so they receive emails relative to
them.
14. Don’t Let Anyone Forget About You!
Email
clients periodically so they remember who you are, and are, therefore, less
likely to delete your mysterious email that they don’t recognize anymore.
15. Match Your Brand.
Is
your business targeted towards teenage girls with a shopping habit, or older
men who love to fix cars? An email that grabs your client’s attention should
correlate to your brand’s staple colors and vibes.
16. Ensure that Your Plain Text is Readable and Clean.
Again,
not everyone opens their emails on a computer screen, but, rather, a lot of
people click on an email on their phone or tablet. Make sure that the plain text (rather than HTML) is visible smoothly.
17. Design the Email Utilizing the Correct Pixel Space.
Most
email receivers see their messages on a screen with 600x200 pixel space, with images turned off.
Otherwise, all of the hard work put into the email design will look a bit off.
18. Use a Catchy Subject Line.
Draw
the readers in with your subject line, and avoid all caps, which looks like spam.
However, be aware that the subject should be accurate. Don’t lead people astray
with a catchy heading that does not address anything in the email.
19. Track Your Emails!
Invest
in software to analyze who is opening your emails, when they are doing so, if they are
clicking through to your website, how long they look at your email, etc. Use
this information to strategize the next email.
Email marketing is the fastest and cheapest way to reach out and stay in touch with customers. Who doesn’t love a quirky, midday pick-me-up email that is informative or offers a free gift?
