Email marketing can be a very effective way to build an audience. Every day, the majority of us receive at least a few marketing emails in our inboxes. If you are anything like most people, you probably delete the majority of them. But every so often, there is one that convinces you to open the message.
It does not matter if people are reading your marketing emails. If people read every message, that is a bonus. Instead, your goal is to show up in the inbox regularly to remind them of the value you provide. If your content is bringing value, your message will be a welcome guest in people's inbox.
Here are a few handy tips you can use to create emails that are helpful and serve your audience.
Start on the right foot.
Nothing is more annoying than receiving a barrage of unexpected marketing emails. It is vital that you not only get permission to add people to your email list but that you do so with an honest approach.
Give people a compelling reason to join your list. A generic call-to-action like "Sign up for our email list!" is not enough. It is more effective to provide something of value as an encouragement to signup. Maybe it is a free e-book, a video series, or a webinar. If you want people to signup for your emails, you need to bring value.
Do not drop the ball on the follow-through.
Once you have people on your list, your job is just beginning. Now, you need to deliver quality content to provide value to their email experience. Keep in mind the needs of your audience. Do they have a particular problem you can help them solve? The more helpful you can be, the better.
Remember, you are a guest in their inbox, be sure you show up with a good host gift in hand.
Measure and Improve
If you are putting effort into email marketing, do not forget to measure those efforts. Put your email analytics to work. Dig in and find out what topics are getting the best response. Keep your eye on a few key metrics, especially the open rate, click-through rate, and unsubscribes.
Here is why these are key:
- The open rate tells you how many people are opening your emails and how well you have done at building a relationship. If the open rate is low, your subscribers are not interested in what you have to say. In that case, you need to get better at writing subject lines to grab their interest.
- The click-through rate gives you an idea of how well your messages are inspiring action. If this number seems low, take a look at your content. Are you asking them to take action?
- The unsubscribe rate is useful for showing where you are losing people. Keep in mind that not all unsubscribes are bad. If you are providing content that gets a response, this means that the person is not in your target audience.
How are you going to add value to your email marketing?
Value is subjective. But, if you provide content that caters to the needs of people, the chances are your audience will find it valuable.
Think about your audience. What information will they find valuable?
