In today’s digital landscape, email marketing continues to be a valuable tool for businesses to communicate with their audience and generate sales. In fact, studies show email to be 40% more effective for targeting customers than Facebook and Twitter combined.
However, every internet user is bombarded with unlimited emails daily. And often, the crowded inbox leads users to ignore marketing emails and, in the worst-case scenario – throw them in their virtual trash bin.
To encourage recipients to click on your emails, you need to create compelling and engaging campaigns.
In this article, we will explore 8 tips to help you increase sales with email marketing. Let’s begin:
- Understand Your Audience
You may have a long list of email subscribers interested in your offers. But is the content of your emails relevant to their preferences? Does it resonate with their likes and dislikes?
Most probably, not!
Remember, every subscriber of your email campaign is different. Therefore, you should tailor your brand message for each target audience accordingly. Some common categories you can opt to divide your audience include age, gender, geographical location, and occupation.
To segment the list, you must modify how you collect data on your website and social media handles. Rather than keeping a standard email opt-in form, try to gather details with surveys and quizzes to analyze the prospects’ unique interests. You can also consider the consumer’s buying habits and past shopping history to identify their behaviors.
- Play With a Catchy Subject Line
Just like a book’s title, the subscribers use your email’s subject line to determine whether they should open your mail. If the subject line fails to pique their curiosity, they are more likely to click ‘delete’ instead of ‘open’ on your emails.
Play around with different subject lines to figure out what catches the reader’s attention. Here are a few strategies to help you create one:
- Rather than shady subject lines, opt for straightforward and transparent sentences. For example, “Achieving Your ROI Goal Is Easier With Michigan Advertising Agency.”
- Keep the subject line between 6 to 10 words.
- Add numbers to entice the audience. For example, “10 Things You Didn’t Know About SEO.”
- Ask a question to enter an instant conversation with the readers. For example, “Are You Stressed?” or “Do You Want to Save On Your Next Vacation?”
- Add emojis, as a study by Experian shows a 56% increase in open rate on email subject lines with these graphics.
- Connect Personally
Another way to improve the open rates of your email newsletter is to add a touch of personalization. The more personal your email appears, the less chance of it getting lost in the spam folder.
If you can access the recipients’ names, use them in the subject line and greeting. But be careful of overdoing it. Ideally, their name should not appear more than three times in the email (including the subject line).
You can also personalize the emails with the details acquired through their buyer’s persona and shopping history. For example, suppose you have an apparel business that delivers nationwide. Segment your emails per the subscriber’s location. If they are having a rainy summer, send out emails promoting cotton and synthetic fabrics in the subject line. However, if they are experiencing cool summers, give them options of cardigans, tights, and full-sleeve dresses.
Since so many emails are sent out by bots nowadays, ensure your email illustrates a human touch. Instead of using your company name as the sender, use the name of a representative to indicate the emails are being sent by a real person. Don’t forget to include their designation, contact information, and social links for verification.
- Timing It Perfect
There is a perfect time for everything – including sending out emails. You don’t want your emails to be ignored. So make sure you send the emails out when readers are more likely to notice and read them.
Here is a guideline to help you pick out a suitable time for emails:
Best Time and Day to Send Emails
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays have the optimal email open rates.
- Friday is a good choice for a promotional newsletter if you are in the entertainment industry.
- Choose nighttime to send emails to a young audience.
- Business emails sent between 9 AM to 12 PM receive the highest engagement.
- Promotional emails see a better open rate when sent during lunch hours.
Worst Time and Day to Send Emails
- Mondays as they mean the end of the weekend, and most readers are already bummed out with going back to work.
- Weekends since people use these days to spend time with family/friends and catch up on errands.
Of course, this is not a fixed guideline for timing your emails. You need to consider your specific business goals and subscriber persona before setting a timeline for your emails.
- Make Your Emails Visual
We all know pictures are vital for grabbing the audience’s attention. They enhance the overall appearance of your email and make it more memorable. Whether showcasing your latest products, illustrating a special offer, or adding a touch of visual interest, the right images can capture your subscriber’s attention and encourage them to explore your content further.
Let’s take a look at some strategies to ensure your images make an impact on your audience.
- Use high-quality and relevant images.
- The visuals should support the content of your email.
- Compress the images to an optimal size and weight so pages don’t take long to load.
- Use trendy pictures.
- Add images of humans to portray emotions.
- Balance the text with images. 60/40 (text to image) ratio is considered ideal for email campaigns.
- Besides custom visuals, you can utilize stock photos and ready-made templates for newsletter images.
- Edit the pictures so they resonate with your branding.
In the end, make sure the picture and layout are mobile responsive. Since most internet users prefer browsing the internet and checking emails on the go, it is critical that your emails are uniform on every preferred device.
- Use FOMO Marketing Tactics
FOMO, or the ‘fear of missing out’ is an anxiety you can create within the audience’s mind that they are left out of a special event.
For example, every consumer likes a special deal or a limited-time promotional offer. Use this to your advantage by offering the subscribers a timeline for:
- Free shipping
- Limited stock
- Specific discount
- Flash Sale
- Exclusive sale for online consumers
Another way to entice the audience is by sharing testimonials or social proof from satisfied clients. Allow them to show off the functionality of your products/services through words, images, and videos.
Abandoned cart emails can also help win back customers and generate sales. The automated emails are sent to prospects who viewed or left items in their shopping carts but did not purchase them.
Show the readers they are missing out on these products by giving a limited inventory countdown. Or give them an exclusive discount if they complete their order within a special time frame.
- Welcome New Subscribers
A welcome mail to new subscribers will make them feel valued and appreciated. According to research, the audience is most engaged within 48 hours of subscribing. So ensure you send out a welcome email during this timeline to retain their interest.
You can amplify the effectiveness of a welcome email by including a reward. Show the audience that they are doing you a favor by signing up. And therefore, you are giving them a treat to show your gratitude.
For instance, new subscribers can receive a special discount on their next shopping for signing up. Or you can offer a freebie like free shipping or a gift if they purchase within a specific time period.
You can also encourage new audiences to refer your product/service to a friend in exchange for a free gift or a discount coupon.
- Include a CTA
A CTA or a call to action prompts your subscribers to take specific actions, such as:
- Make a purchase
- Subscribe to Blog
- Download eBook
- Schedule a consultation
- Share with others
- Enroll Now
A lack of CTA can confuse the audience, who may get stuck in the sales funnel or not move as quickly as you anticipated.
Develop a CTA according to your business goals. Make sure they are prominent within the content and include eye-catching design. You should also avoid bland words. Instead, choose powerful action words to compel the audience.
- Test, Test, and Test
A/B testing is the holy grail of digital marketing. It helps eliminate the guesswork from your campaigns and provides accurate metrics. With the details, you can easily figure out the campaigns that are working and where changes are required.
Use different newsletter layouts to analyze their open and conversion rates. You can also modify different elements to understand customers’ preferences.
For example, use two newsletters with the same content and layout. Only change the picture in both to see the audience’s response. Similarly, you can play around with the CTA, subject line, email sending time/day, and opt-in forms to see the difference each version generates.
And That’s a Wrap!
Emails are undoubtedly an asset to any digital marketing campaign in Michigan. By following the strategy described above, you can easily supercharge your efforts and improve the results of your campaigns.
But remember: Results don’t happen overnight! You must remain consistent and develop a regular schedule to engage your audience.
For assistance, feel free to contact ROI Digitally. Our team of professionals offers tailored solutions to accelerate your email marketing campaigns and increase sales.
Co-Founder & General Manager @ ROI Digitally
