Emails are still the number one way people receive information digitally. A survey released in March by independent market research company Ipsos showed that social networking usage continues to lag behind email in every country. Eighty-five percent of 19,216 adults from 24 countries surveyed cited email as their top online activity. At the same time, 62 percent of global web users communicate through social networking sites — so those efforts are obviously not misplaced.
Here are a few tips for making your email communications super effective.
Target your campaigns. Send the right message to the right audience. Start segmenting your databases into categories representing interests, ages, gender, etc. This will produce more opens and fewer unsubscriptions.
Create a clear subject line. The best open rates are for emails that promise value for the reader. Example: “Our idea for your fitness success.” Make it short, personal and promise a specific benefit.
Get right to the point in the first sentence. In some email browsers, a few lines of the first sentence are visible. In any case, those lines have to immediately catch your reader’s attention. Avoid the pitfall of talking about yourself in the first line, but rather, tell them again how you are going to benefit them.
Be specific. Avoid including too many different messages in one email. Pick a message and focus on it with specific names or examples. If you feel you have a lot of content to share, spread it among several emails, thus creating an interesting campaign over time.
Call to action. Offer an incentive for them to comply. Don’t be vague. Example, “Please call if you are interested.” Be strong and specific. Example: “Call today to receive our best promotion.”
Side tip: When you offer a “click here” opportunity, always use a button image as studies show they receive 30 percent more opens than just the words alone.
