Jan Knupper
Six tips for successful marketing emails
19.04.2018
Marketing emails are an effective advertising method – if it is done properly. The advantage of a marketing email is obvious: The customer is directly addressed. However, due to the amount of emails that land in a customer’s inbox, you will have to come up with something special, in order to make sure that your message stands out from the crowd.
Sure, the design of a marketing email is also important. But it is the written word that counts in the end. This is why pure text mails are often the foundation of hugely successful campaigns. If you take heed of a few tips when formulating your emails, you cannot go wrong.
The subject line makes the first impression
You never get a second chance to make a first impression – and in an email, the subject line makes the first, decisive impression. It is therefore worth your while to put extra care into these few words. Ideally, the subject line should not exceed more than 50 to 60 characters.
This is where creativity is required. The subject line of the email must not leave the recipient cold. Target at making your email stand out from the numerous messages in your recipient’s inbox from the very start by putting a lot of thought into the subject line. A good subject line in a marketing email is therefore
- tempting,
- clear
- and unusual.
Admittedly, that is easier said than done. Which is why it is sometimes good to get some help. When it comes to original ideas, a survey among colleagues or a small brainstorming can often come up with very good ideas.
2. Don’t beat around the bush!
Today’s readers have no time to waste. This also applies to the recipients of your marketing email. The reader generally decides within a few seconds whether to read your email or not. Tell the reader exactly what your message is about at the very start. There is nothing gained by spending time getting to the point and possibly raising false hopes. On the contrary, the recipient will perhaps mark your email address as spam purely out of annoyance. Then you have lost a potential customer.
3. Short sentences, simple wording
Keep it short and simple is a tried and trusted motto that has not lost any of its relevance. Try to relate complex issues in an easy manner. Slash whatever is unimportant. Write short sentences. One thought generally fits into one sentence. “Boa-constrictor” sentences make it harder for the reader to understand the meaning of the sentence.
Keep in mind: Every unclear passage in an email poses the risk that the recipient will immediately stop reading. The content of the email itself should also be kept brief. Pay attention to the desired process flow of every marketing email:
- An attractive subject line incites the recipient to open and read the email.
- The recipient reads the text and recognizes the personal added value they can obtain.
- The recipient clicks on the link – the first goal has been achieved!
However, this goal can only be achieved if the recipient immediately understands what the email is about.
4. Content counts – also in emails
The days of misleading advertisements with hazy promises are long gone. In a marketing email it is therefore important to offer content to the customer. This content can consist of interesting, new information, but it can also include an attractive offer – for instance, a personal discount. The recipient can immediately see that the email includes personal added value.
In the case of marketing emails in particular, it is very important that the recipient immediately recognizes this added value. Always remember that your customer receives a large number of messages every day. He only filters out the emails that might be of interest.
5. Emails must also be checked for spelling
Despite excellent wording, an email will be useless if it contains grammar or spelling mistakes. It can start with a well-meant “Hello john,” and end with “Best Regards.” Have you noticed the mistakes? Spelling or grammar mistakes are poison for your image, in particular if your company is in some way linked to intellectual services.
Correct spelling is last but not least a token of courtesy. At best, spelling mistakes, including slips of the pen, can make it look as though one hasn’t bothered to put much effort into the email. The recipient takes this lack personally. At worst, a poorly written email can indicate a clear lack of competence.
Three important tips regarding spelling:
- For best results, have two colleagues check your email drafts for spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
- The automatic spellchecker of your word processing program will pick up many, but not all mistakes. But the spellchecker is indispensable for concealed typos.
- Foreign words often have more than one valid form of spelling. If you are unsure, check with merriam-webster.com which variants are permitted. Select and use one variant only.
6. Call to Action – steps to convert
Make life easier for your customer – with a clear Call to Action button. Ideally, this button is self-explanatory. It is well placed and clearly visible at the end of the text. It must be conspicuous. A short and concise caption shows the user what he can expect after clicking on the button. Avoid unclear captions like, “Click here!”. Clear references such as “Redeem a 10% discount” or “More information about the product” are better.
Your email has achieved its goal when the user clicks on this button. A well-written, short and clearly understandable text optimizes the conversion rate for marketing emails significantly.
