We have a lot of new channels in digital media – from new social media platforms to different kinds of forums and influencer venues, not to mention all of the video content in places like TikTok.
However, in some ways, email is still king.
People still pay attention to their inboxes.
Researchers estimate there are something like 300 billion emails sent every single day. Although those numbers are very small, that’s a lot of digital content. That may include both human-sent messages and spam, (go HITL!) but it still speaks to the reality that so many of us, especially in our professional lives, rely on our inboxes to see what’s relevant, and to plan our workdays, too.
With that in mind, let’s go over a few helpful tips to make sure your email campaigns are up to par, and not just up to par, but really outstanding.
Get that Headline Right!
The subject line of an email is crucial. It sets the stage for what will be talked about, and it sends a lot of cues to the recipient. The subject line can be the difference between whether somebody reads the email or not.
So make it short, make it snappy, and make it clear – and make it seem like it’s sent by a real person, and not a bot.
Keep the Body Short and Simple
If somebody does click into the email, one of the most common reasons for them to quickly click back out is a wall of text that seems inscrutable and hard to read.
Grab them with the first paragraph, and make each paragraph short.
Don’t take 200 words to say what could be said in a sentence.
All the way through to the CTA, the email needs to move, because people have things to do throughout the day.
Get the Right Layout
In some ways, an email is like a graphic design project.
You have text, yes, but you might also have pictures. How do you integrate these?
This is one place where some creative expertise makes a lot of difference. Some people would never think of embedding an image in an email – in fact, many people wouldn’t. But it can be uniquely effective. Also, think about using white space to your advantage.
Create a Good Call to Action
The CTA is the actual email engine. It asks people for your intended result and what you would like them to do. So it needs to be clear and direct. Don’t dress it up too much. Just say it, and give people reasons to go along with you.
Test Your Campaign
Here’s where, as they say, “the proof is in the pudding.”
Not sure why they say that, but that’s a whole different topic.
Basically, there are ways to technically measure your email campaign to see how well it works.
One fundamental principle is called A/B testing – in some ways, it’s pretty much what it sounds like.
You’re taking two versions of the same email and user-testing them to see which one works better – which one gets read more, which one gets more conversions, etc.
If you do this again and again, you start to target the ideal format, layout, and content for your emails in a way that you can’t get just by guessing or winging it.
OK, that was a crash course in email campaign creation and ensuring that your campaign is effective. Stay tuned for more as we detail what’s new in the digital marketing world.
