At the present world of online marketing and promotions, thinking of a well-executed email marketing strategy as the backbone of a successful content marketing program. It’s an essential structure that supports your various content efforts and is the best technique for building a subscriber base – which is critical for achieving value from your content marketing program.
Just how important is the email channel? Consider this: 93% of B2B marketers report using email to distribute their content, according to a survey report and research. And, perhaps even more importantly, 74% of marketers who use email consider it to be the most effective distribution channel for their content.
Why content matters in email marketing?
But, just like most things in the world of content marketing, email is not a set-it-and-forget-it tactic. Media trends, informational needs, and consumption preferences evolve; and people change careers, upgrade their devices, develop new interests, and discover new obsessions. If you aren’t prepared to maintain the effectiveness of your email content to ensure that your experience is always viewed as fresh, useful, and personally relevant, your once essential resource can transform into a fly-like nuisance that won’t stop buzzing in your reader’s inbox – keeping it from performing to its full potential.
If you are looking to evaluate the fitness of your email content, CMI’s original 7-Minute Email Workout infographic is a great quick-start guide on how to test the strength of your e-newsletters and fine-tune your delivery strategies at all levels of experience – beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
So here is a complete guide you in this email adventure, we’ve developed a list of some of the best tips for writing effective emails that your subscribers will not only read but will be excited to receive.
Avoid over-sending similar emails
Although your subscribers love your brand, they don’t want to hear from you every single hour of every day. Overusing email as a communication channel is a common error that many companies make when it comes to email marketing. However, this can be avoided simply by determining the best time of day and day of the week to send emails by monitoring your subscriber’s response, and sticking to that timeframe.
Overall, mornings are typically the best times to send emails since most people are on their screens as they begin their day. But remember that every audience is different, and may respond better to different times of the day. Test various timeframes and as you narrow it down, make note of the times that seem most active so that you have a few to choose from in the future.
Create a captivating subject line
Picture this: you’re at the breakfast table, starting your daily WFH routine, and you receive an email. Which subject line is going to pique your interest? “Check out our monthly sale”, or “Exclusive offer JUST for you: read this before you pay full price for a new summer wardrobe”. Odds are you’d click on the second one, simply because it demands more attention than the former.
What you put in the email subject line counts—it could be the difference between the inbox and the trash bin. To write a captivating subject line, consider the subject of the email and your audience. Is your audience younger? Use relevant lingo or pop culture references that they might be more apt to pay attention to. When you put yourself in the shoes of your subscribers, your emails will surely draw more engagement.
Focus on creative content
We live in a time where everyone can be considered a “creator.” Whether it’s Tik Tok dances or Instagram influencing, creative content is consistently posted across platforms every day. So why not add it to your emails? Chances are, many of your subscribers are also social media users who see this type of content every day and enjoy interacting with it. To increase engagement for your emails, try adding relevant, creative content within your email strategy.
Depending on your industry, creative email content could be a makeup tutorial, quick styling tips from an expert, or a how-to DIY home project. Give subscribers relevant information and watch engagement rise.
Have a consistent design
I love colors, stickers, and wild fonts as much as the next person, but consistency is key when it comes to email marketing. Keeping a consistent and clean design helps subscribers understand the flow of your emails and anticipate where the information they’re looking for is most likely to be located.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t utilize these elements in your emails: a fun design is always a great way to capture a subscriber’s attention and can help to make your brand more recognizable. Aim to create templates that are eye-catching yet simple enough for subscribers to follow along with.