“I already have too many emails.” You probably hear it every time you ask someone to join your email list, or maybe you’ve said it yourself. So is email dead? Are people tired of it? According to Radicati, a technology market research firm, the total number of worldwide email accounts is expected to increase from nearly 3.9 billion accounts to over 4.9 billion accounts by the end of 2017. The good news is research firm MarketingSherpa found that 91 percent of U.S. adults liked receiving emails from companies they already knew. The fact that email is so universally accepted is proof that it can still remain a successful marketing platform for businesses.
There is a fine line between emails that provide quality content and those that are just spam, and all too often, businesses are blurring that line. In order to keep your email marketing strategy relevant in your customer’s inboxes, you must be creating quality content that your customers love to read. Here’s how:
1. Segment your users
Not all of your customers and subscribers should be receiving the same content. Segmentation or groups make it easy to send people content they care about, and it can actually help your business get better open and click rates. Segmentation divides your email list into groups based on characteristics, interests and demographics, and can be accomplished through statistical models that factor in a range of historical data and future estimates.
2. Run a simple A/B test
Many people avoid A/B testing on their email marketing because it sounds time-consuming and difficult. The truth is, A/B testing can be as simple as you choose to make it, but can make all the difference in your ROI. When you’re creating your next email campaign, create a second variation that includes a slight change to the subject line, template, format or offer. Use a simple spreadsheet to track your stats and keep an eye on what’s working and what’s not.
3. Keep it simple
Your emails must be simple and easy to read in order for them to keep your customer’s attention. When you are creating email campaigns, simplify your copy and spend more time writing content that your customers can relate to. Ask yourself if you would keep reading the email after the first paragraph if you were on the receiving end. In addition, make sure you have included a strong, single call to action and repeated several times throughout.
4. Use industry keywords
We hope you have already researched and included keywords on your business website that help your site match user search terms and remain relevant online. Now those same keywords that you’ve proven to work on your site should be present in your emails to grab your readers’ attention. Research keywords that are popular in your content and across the web, then incorporate them into your emails to drive click rates and create consistency with your website.
Bonus: Quick fixes!
While we strongly recommend taking the time to research and invest in sending quality e-mails, there are a few easy changes you can make to your email marketing campaigns to instantly boost quality and avoid the spam filter:
- Use a real address with a name as the sender, rather than a “noreply@domain.com” address.
- Avoid using words from the dreaded spam words list in your subject line and body copy.
- Avoid using all caps or overusing special characters in your subject line and body copy.
- While images are important, overusing images will may cause spam filter issues.
- Minimize the use of red fonts and oversized headline fonts.
Spend time creating emails that your customers love to read and increase your conversions as well!
