Crafting Great Emails

Time: 4 Minutes

Hello!

So you’ve signed up for an email marketing service, and you’re ready to get started on your first campaign.

Let’s now talk about grabbing your customers’ attention with strong subject lines, keeping their attention with concise and relevant content, and offering links for more information.

Ok, let’s say you own a salon. You’ve been collecting names, emails and genders of both prospective and loyal customers. And now, you’re ready to launch your first email marketing campaign.

You want to send an email announcement aimed at male and female customers, telling them all about the latest hair services you offer.

But in order to get customers to read your newsletter, you first have to get them to open the email.
It’s all about making a good first impression here. Think about what customers see when they glance at their inbox. Will your email make them want to open it?

The two things they’ll see, are your business name in the “From” field, and the subject line of your email.

Be sure to use a name and email address in your “From” field that clearly identifies your business. People are more likely to open an email, from someone they recognize and trust.
The subject line of your email can make or break your campaign. An effective subject line will compel people to open it. A poorly composed subject line might mean your email gets deleted or trapped in spam filters.

Keep your subject line short and simple—ideally under ten words. Try to capture the most valuable and relevant information contained in the email.

When possible, personalize or localize the subject line. For example: “Latika, do you wish for longer hair?”

It’s best to avoid words like “free,” “percent off,” “reminder,” and “specials,” as well as rupee symbols and exclamation points. These are all known to trigger spam filters.
Now, you’ve captured your customers’ attention, and they’ve opened your email. Congratulations! That’s half the battle.

At this point, keep in mind how busy your customers are, and how many other emails they get every day. Even if you’ve crafted the most intriguing message possible, they’ll likely just scan it. So keep your content concise, and get right to the point.

Your paragraphs should be short—maybe one to three sentences, and keep them focused on a single idea. You can always link to longer articles and additional information, on your website.

Make your writing as persuasive and engaging as possible. And use the right tone of voice for your audience. You want to have consistency across your brand, but email newsletters offer opportunities to be a bit more casual in tone.
Links in your email should include calls to action. Encourage recipients to click through, to offers on your website.

For example, a link could say something like Click here to save 25 percent on your next appointment”. Or maybe Click here to get a free hair wash with your next haircut.”

Use bold text and design, to highlight important offers and content.
There’s one last thing you’ll want to include. And that’s some links at the bottom of the email that allow recipients to unsubscribe, change their email preferences, or update their contact information.

Providing an easy way for users to opt out of your newsletter is not only good customer service, but it’s also required by law in many countries.
So remember: Take the time to craft a short, but strong subject line. Write concise content with a fun and engaging tone. And include helpful links that will improve your customer experience, and possibly lead to increased sales.

Each email marketing campaign will teach you more about what works, and what doesn’t. Over time you can create better emails for your customers, which in turn can build your business.

Source: Digital Marketing Unlocked