Video, pay-per-click advertising, and social media outreach gather most of the headlines
regarding online advertising these days. However, some of the most effective techniques rely
on a classic online marketing venue: Email. Here are a few reasons why email marketing is as
alive and as effective as ever and why it should be part of your online outreach efforts.
An Interested Audience
Too often, advertising is viewed as an antagonistic act. In reality, people often enjoy reading
through advertisements when they’re interested in the products and services you offer. Email
marketing gives you a direct line to people who might be looking for what you have to offer,
letting you build a solid foundation for launching new products, services, and sales.
Determining the right tempo is critical for ongoing success; sending a weekly email, for
example, helps ensure your current and prospective clients keep your business in mind.
Although sending too many emails can be counterproductive, note that those on your list
signed up to hear from you, and they want to know what you’re offering.
Streamlined Offerings Work Best
Your business likely offers a wide range of products and services, and tiered offerings are
common as well. When using email marketing, however, it’s best to focus on a discrete product
or service. Simplicity is key for successful email marketing, and you’ll want to develop a landing
page for each specific offer instead of just sending them back to your main website. Keep each
email focused on one offer instead of distracting your readers with too many choices.
Setting the Right Tone and Tempo
Your email should be professional, so brush up on your grammar or bring aboard a writing
expert to present a professional image. However, a bit of personality is important as well, so
feel free to keep a light and upbeat tone.
In general, shorter emails tend to be best, although you’ll occasionally want to share extra
information if you’re offering a new product or are offering a sale. Avoid writing a wall of text,
and focus on fairly short paragraphs. A bullet list can be a great way to keep readers engaged.
Your call-to-action is important as readers often need guidance about what to do next, but
avoid using more than one, and consider placing it in the middle of your email to give readers
an easy and visible place to click. Note that whitespace is a great way to improve the aesthetics
and readability of your email. When in doubt, break up a paragraph or include a list.
Focus on the Subject Line
The subject line of your email plays a significant role in whether or not readers will open your
email, and it requires extra care. Short subject lines tend to work better, as email clients often
have limited space. Feel free to show a bit of personality by making your subject line look as if
it’s written by a human, not an automated program. Intriguing subject lines are effective, but
it’s important to avoid lines that look like “click-bait.” Don’t deceive your readers, but asking an
intriguing question can go a long way toward converting recipients into readers and sales.
Guide Your Readers through a Sales Funnel
Email is the ideal tool for bringing your readers through your sales funnel and showing them
exactly what you have to offer. But showing all these options too quickly will overwhelm your
readers. Map your offers to strategically follow your client’s journey, and plan your email campaigns accordingly.
