They come in all shapes and sizes. Some promise new and innovative products, others invite you to a super secret party, and some offer deals and discounts customized to your preferences. We’re talking about marketing emails, and they’re a staple (or at least let’s hope they are) in every brand’s marketing arsenal. Whether your brand is large or small, quirky or professional, B2B or B2C, an effective email marketing campaign can yield unrivaled returns on investment and help instill loyalty amongst your customers. Your brand’s emails should be written and designed in a way that reflect your established branding, but there are key elements that need to be a part of every successful email campaign. But first, a little background …
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to Exact Target’s 2012 Survey, 77% of consumers prefer to receive marketing communications via email over all other mediums. The next closest was direct mail at a measly 9%. The preference was the same for every age group, including 15-17 year olds, who chose email over their beloved texting by a margin of 66% to just 10%. Meanwhile, social media (Facebook & Twitter) combined for a lowly 5%.
That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as social media usage continues to change and user behavior evolves. As The Huffington Post reported in 2012, email now connects over 85% of the world, while social media, though growing, still only connects 62% of your fellow humans.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of your brand’s email communications, make sure they include these key elements:
A Purpose
There should be a goal behind every email or email campaign. Once you’ve set your goal, the content and messaging will fall into place. Stay away from “FYI” content, as people will read it, delete it, and forget it. People get looped in and updated enough. Like mom always said, “If you don’t have anything useful to email, don’t email at all.”
Brevity
Don’t try to cram a novel into an email. If you have too much content for one email, think about how you might be able to turn it into a series of emails that can create more buzz and excitement amongst your readers. This way, you can use an introductory email to provide an overview of the product or events, and why the reader should be interested. After that, you can hook the reader by promising more information in future emails. This gives the reader something to look forward to and will increase the chances of them opening and reading the following emails.
One Image
Yes, one. Too many images will clutter an email and hinder the mobile experience. No images will make it difficult for the reader to associate your message with anything. A picture is worth a thousand words, because a thousand words cannot convey the same immediate thoughts, emotions, and reactions as a well-placed photo. The image is meant to grab your reader’s attention, to help your message stand out. The content will tell your story or sell your product later.
Call To Action
Content is king. Your email can be targeted, timely, and pretty, but if the content doesn’t resonate with the reader, it’s headed for the digital trash can. Whether the goal is to drive traffic, sell products, or get feedback, the reader should know what it is and how they can do it within 10 seconds. If you’re a clothing retailer looking to sell products, include an offer or link to the product’s online store so that the reader’s path to your intended destination is as seamless as possible.
Mobile Optimization
How much time do you spend on your phone every day? On the bus, in your car (naughty!), during meetings, at home, on the plane, the list goes on. We’re spending more time than ever on our phones, but we’re not actually talking to anyone, we’re consuming media. The mobile experience is improving rapidly, but content still needs to be optimized for smartphones. Just like websites, HTML emails should be built to be responsive so that they look good and function properly on all types of desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. It’s also essential that your content is easy to consume, uses few images, and that any calls to action or links are easily identified. If the user can’t access the information, it’s a missed opportunity for you, and something they’ll remember the next time they get your email.
NO SPAM!
It all started with emails that promised to help you look younger, be stronger, and, well, many other things. But the parameters of what constitutes SPAM have grown and the rules are much more strict, so if you’re running your company’s email marketing campaigns, you should be very familiar with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. If you aren’t familiar – read it, know it, obey it. Basically, make sure you’re sending out content that people will actually find useful and you’ll be just fine!
