Try These 5 Email Marketing Best Practices
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Donna Fisher
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August 24th, 2016
Long before there was email marketing, there were brochures, ads, and flyers. Since the first email traveled between two computers in 1971, it has become ubiquitous in internet communication. For the first time in history, long distance communication can be accomplished for no more cost than the cable bill. Who here remembers paying $1 per minute for long distance phone calls?
Try sending baby pictures through this!
Unfortunately, email became the avenue of another new creation – spammers. For a while, it seemed that email may become obsolete because of texting and instant messaging. But, that little @ sign has remained strong, proving to be a major tool for communication and transfer of data. That’s why email marketing is still one of the most powerful, cost-effective ways to build your brand. Whether you own a small retail business, a studio, or a large company, a well-crafted email campaign can boost sales and build your customer base. These email marketing best practices can put your marketing campaign on top of the competition.
Content, Content, Content
Quality content will make your email a “must open” with customers. If your customers know they will find something useful or helpful in your message, they will be more likely to open their mail. Therefore, your content should reward them for opening their email. Plan your content to regularly offer some pertinent information. For example, a pest control company will tell customers that the upcoming fall season drives rodents into the house. Craftsmen can offer timetables for ordering custom items.
Find other uses for your products.
Your email campaign can create markets for your products and services. One local Home Depot sold out of 1.5” PVC pipe and elbows when they started marketing a pattern for quilting frames. Find other ways to use your products, and tell people about it. We’ve all seen the “click-bait” ads that show “100 ways to reuse toilet paper tubes.” These campaigns are popular for a reason, and you can literally cash in on the desire to get the most use out of every item. Showing alternative uses for products creates a need for that item and expands its market.
Personalize Email Marketing Best Practices
The phenomenon of individual marketing is still an underestimated boon for email marketing. Every person who uses any form of social media is a potential customer, and you can reach them through individualized marketing.
THAT guy! He's the one who will buy something!
Social sites collect all kinds of information from the people who participate. The participants agree to give their information to these sites. They even agree to allow communications from vendors who offer goods and services in which they are interested. You can buy the lists and get detailed information on demographics, including age, gender, economic status, race, and personal interests. Now, don’t feel like a stalker – these people supplied this information on their own so that they could receive personalized ads!
Responsive Content
Be sure that your content is responsive to mobile devices. Over70% of people these days have smartphones. They not only receive their emails on them, they do their shopping, too. Of that number, 80% will make a purchase the very day they do their shopping. Your emails, as well as your website, should be responsive mobile devices.
Social Buttons
In all of your content, make sure you include social buttons. Businesses that do so often see over 100% increase in sharing of their promotional materials, followed by increased sales. Social buttons in email, on blogs, and on other web pages give customers a chance to ping their friends and other groups with the info.
Go ahead - you know you want to!
To accomplish this, web hosts and email hosts provide templates that can make your content mobile-friendly. Talk to your tech people to make sure your templates are responsive.
Mechanics and Stuff
Pixels
Besides templates, there are other mechanics that can make your emails more effective. Your templates will probably take care of some of these, but just in case, make sure that your emails are no more than 600 pixels wide. Consider that a website is about 1600 pixels wide. The reason your emails need to be narrower is because it’s easier to read.
You’ve seen this before – you click on an ad or blog on your laptop, and the text travels the full width of your screen. It is hard to read. It is just as hard to read on a mobile device. By limiting the width of the content, it is more readable and communicates better.
Logo
Upper left corner is the preferred spot for your logo.
Your logo represents your brand, as you well know. Since people who speak English read left to right, then placing your logo in the top left-hand corner is ideal for your emails. Another good spot for the logo is in the center about 3 inches from the top. If you look at email campaigns on the internet, you’ll see what I mean.
Call to Action
You should have a call to action on every page of your website and within every email. It doesn’t have to be garish and in the way, but make sure it is visual. Keep it in the top half of the email, and use active verbs to engage the reader.
These 5 email marketing best practices can revolutionize your advertisements and communication. By communicating regularly with your customers and offering them advice, special offers, or information, you can keep them engaged. And, you can keep them buying.