6 Simple Ways To Improve Your Email Marketing

Woman sitting at desk typing on laptop

A good email marketing plan is an important part of your overall media strategy. But even a perfect plan can fall short if you aren’t doing a few simple things that make your clients actually open and read the emails you’re sending. 

Follow these tips to make the small changes that can have a big impact on your email marketing.

Perfect Your Subject Line

You could write an award-winning email, but it won’t matter if your client doesn’t open it. The subject line is the first part of your email your client will see. It’s what compels them to open the email and read it or send it to the trash bin unopened.

When crafting your perfect subject line, keep these tips in mind:

  • Use their name. It’s recognizable and personal to the reader, which can make your email stand out. It also makes them feel like they’re your only client, which can help you win them over.
  • Create a sense of urgency or scarcity. Try using “Last Chance” or “Ends Soon.”
  • Announce the benefit of opening the email, whether it’s receiving a deal or insider information.
  • Try using emojis to grab the reader’s attention.
  • Keep subject lines short so they don’t get cut off. Try to keep the character count between 60 and 70 for high open rates. 
  • Use action words such as “learn” and “apply” to encourage the reader to do something. 
  • Use a no-nonsense approach when you have an important or serious topic.
  • Do not use misleading headlines. The CAN-SPAM Act explicitly states that you may not use deceptive subject lines.

Wow Them With The First Line

Other than the subject line, the first thing your client will see before they click to open is part of the first sentence of your email. This is called preview text, and it shows up next to or under the bolded subject line in the inbox. It’s meant to inform the reader what the message is about before they open it. 

Make sure the first line of your email grabs the reader’s attention, helps sum up the purpose of the email and leaves them intrigued enough to open and read more.

Write Succinct Copy

People usually check their emails throughout the day, often at work, and may be too busy to read a lengthy email. In fact, if they open their email and see a ton of text, chances are they won’t even read the first sentence. 

People want their information fast, so get right to the point and remove any fluff. Aim for your email to be around 50 – 125 words.

Create A Call To Action

Give the client something to do after reading your email. What’s the purpose of your email, and what action do you want them to take? Do you want them to fill out a form, read a blog post or contact you?

Don’t just tell them what to do – make it possible for them to do it. Place your call to action (CTA) in a clickable button. Provide a link to the site you want them to visit. Tell them to call and provide a phone number. 

Make sure that you position your CTA above the fold. The fold is the place in an email where the viewer has to scroll. CTAs that are positioned above the fold perform better.

Provide A Way To Opt Out

Per the CAN-SPAM Act, you are legally required to provide clear guidance on how the recipient can opt out of future emails. You can provide an email address for them to contact or a link to an opt-out page where they can fill out their information and confirm their request. Along with providing a way to opt out, you must honor each request as soon as possible.

Test, Test And Test Again

To truly know what’s working and what’s not, you should always be testing your emails to see what performs better. Just make sure you’re only testing one thing at a time. This is known as A/B testing. An example of an A/B test is to keep everything about the email the same, but change the subject line in version B. Then see which email (A or B) has higher open rates.

For more tips on setting up your most effective marketing plan, learn how to use our powerful Marketing Hub and make time to chat with your Account Executive to brainstorm ideas together.