Tired of seeing your email open rate go down, while your un-subscribe rate only goes up? You need an email marketing overhaul, like, yesterday.
Luckily for your email recipients, we're sharing our inside tips for crafting marketing emails people actually want to read. Ahead, find out how you can modernize your email marketing campaigns with our most trusted tactics.
Be More Mobile-Friendly
Did you know that over 40 percent of your recipients are reading your emails on a mobile device rather than a computer? It's true, and a study of more than 10 billion emails proved as much.
So if you're not ensuring that your emails are just as enjoyable to read and interact with on mobile as they are on a desktop device, then you could be missing out on a great deal of clicks and purchases.
To make sure that doesn't happen, your marketing and design teams can try:
- Keeping subject lines brief.
- Writing concise, to-the-point copy.
- Using buttons that are easy to click on a touch screen.
- Implementing contrasting colors and clearly legible text.
- Previewing what your brand's emails will look like on a variety of devices before pressing "send."
By doing so, you'll be able to give all your recipients a positive email experience, not just those who happen to be on a laptop.
When In Doubt, Test
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: A/B testing is a must if you want to start seeing growth and stop taking stabs in the dark, and that applies to email marketing too.
With strategic A/B tests, you can test multiple versions of email components such as:
- subject lines
- CTAs
- buttons
- layouts
- color schemes
- design elements
- photos
- opening lines
- much, much more
Based on the results of your tests, you can create marketing emails that deliver measurably better outcomes. Doesn't that sound better than clicking "send" and hoping for the best?
Send at the Right Time
Do your marketing emails get sent off the moment their final draft is approved? If that's the case, many of your recipients may not even be around to open them.
That's because people tend to check their email inbox at certain times of the day, typically in the morning.
According to a study of 2.85 million emails, the best time to send marketing emails is 4 a.m. if you're aiming for more opens or 6 a.m. if you're looking for a higher click-through rate:
Some days are better than others, too – the same study found that Friday is best for open rates while Tuesday is best for click-through rates.
So next time you send out an email blast, don't do it at the time that's most convenient for you – instead, do it at the one that's most convenient for your recipients.
And if you're not sure exactly what that time is, remember you can always use A/B testing to find out.
Embrace Automation
No, we're not talking about using AI to write your emails. Rather, we mean that you should have automated processes for sending users an email whenever they take a particular action.
For example, let's say a potential customer signs up for an account on your site and adds a few items to their cart before exiting their tab completely.
Instead of letting their cart sit in limbo while hoping they return, you could use an automated system to send them an abandoned cart email.
Similarly, automation can make it easy to send an email whenever a user:
- signs up for your email list
- creates an account
- makes a transaction
- goes for a certain amount of time without making a purchase
- adds products to their wishlist
- submits a customer support ticket
- leaves a review
- RSVPs to an event
- takes any other of a variety of actions
With automated emails like those, you can directly respond to users' behavior instead of simply hoping you catch them at the right time.
Personalize, Personalize, Personalize
You may have heard about the importance of email personalization before, but it's so crucial it bears repeating.
Available statistics make it abundantly clear why that is:
- Emails with personalized subject lines have 26 percent higher open rates than those without.
- Segmented and targeted emails generate 58 percent of all email marketing revenue.
- Personalized CTAs convert 202 percent better than their non-personalized counterparts.
- A stunning 97 percent of marketers report seeing a measurable lift in business results due to their personalization efforts.
The lesson is clear: get personal, or miss out on conversions and revenue.
Start with something simple, like adding recipients' names to your emails' subject lines. That alone should generate marked results.
To see even better results, personalize your emails' body copy, too, whether that means simply including recipients' names or using advanced AI to provide hyper-personalized recommendations.
Upgrade Your Email Marketing Strategy for Faster Growth
Objectively speaking, email marketing is one of the most effective types of marketing, period. However, that's only true if you're using the right tactics to stand out from the crowd.
With the inside tips we've outlined here, you can capture recipients' attention, deliver a great user experience and ultimately drive more clicks, conversions and sales.
