Ever looked at your inbox and wondered where all of those emails came from? Left an empty inbox to make a cup of coffee and returned to a full inbox? Emails pile up quickly, which often means each individual email may not get a comprehensive read. It also means that some emails go unopened.
With many companies relying on email to spread the word about new products and services, timely promotions and upcoming tradeshow and event appearances, nonprofits and for-profits alike must focus on developing email marketing that gets opened and holds readers’ attention from headline to signature. So, what makes email marketing effective?
Relevant & Compelling Headlines
While email marketing may be an important sales tool for your business, it is more likely to get opened if the headline focuses on content that is relevant and important to your target audience than if it leads with a hard sell. Think ‘Five Ways to Protect Your Online Identity’ vs. ‘Get An Online Identity Protection Kit for $19.95.’
While the end goal of an email marketing program is likely to generate revenue and attract new clients, sharing compelling and relevant content is optimal for building trust among prospective clients and strengthening relationships with existing clients. This content-based approach will generate sales while building long-term relationships.
Incentives, Incentives, Incentives
By no means are incentives limited to discounts. Consider experiences that prospects and customers can’t otherwise purchase. Perhaps you have VIP passes to hear a renowned author or coveted tickets to an event. These experiential incentives are powerful tools for engaging an email marketing list. It answers the popular marketing question ‘What’s in it for me?’ and furthers a client or prospective client’s relationship with your brand.
Actionable Content
Perhaps you’ve decided to launch your newest widget or open registration to a limited capacity event via email. You’ve crafted the perfect copy, added compelling imagery and sent the email at the optimal time. Your target audience wants what you have. The question is, how do they get it?
Oftentimes, great content doesn’t yield the desired result. In many instances, this is because there is no clear way for target audiences to take action. When crafting an email marketing communication – be it a 3-5 sentence e-blast or a lengthy e-newsletter – include clear ways for readers to take action. Whether you are looking for a donation to your nonprofit’s newest program or someone to sign up for a demo of your latest product or service, you need to catch people in the moment.
Email marketing is a powerful tool for establishing consistent touchpoints with donors and volunteers, and an important component of an inbound / content marketing program. When crafting your next email marketing campaign, focus on providing valuable and relevant content that furthers your target audiences’ relationship with the brand or cause and includes clear ways to take action.
