So you’ve started a new venture, and need to get a solid customer base? Or you just want to keep your subscribers and customers happy? Emails sent out to gain subscribers is a very good starting point, if done properly. It seems like the easiest route, and it can be simple, if you go about it correctly.
Conversational: First of all, keep in mind that your emails are to be read by people, so keep them as casual and conversational as possible, all while making them engaging and relevant to the reader.
Relevance: Make sure any emails are targeted and relevant to the reader, rather than sending a huge number of emails to anyone. Remember that the average person receives around 50 emails a day, so make sure yours doesn’t get filtered into junk mail by making every email personal and relevant.
Current events/trends: You could attract the attention of readers by talking about current events or trends. It also helps to keep your use of the subject line consistent, to make things easier, less time consuming and potentially less confusing for your readers.
Invite a Reply: You could also invite a reply to the email. It doesn’t have a 100% success rate, but it can help you learn a lot about your readers; their initial reaction to your emails and business, and inviting some response could lead to a conversation.
Referral Codes: You also need to make sure that your readers are getting some benefit from reading your emails and using your business. Try adding referral codes to your emails, as a way of making everyone a winner (referrer, referee and the business). 92% of customers trust referral over ads, so it could be a way of building trust and making sure people read your every email.
Downloads: You could also try adding downloads to your emails where possible, but try not to overload people with constant downloads. Every email you send should grab the reader’s attention, so you could use a referral code or download to do that, or simply make sure the title or subject line is catchy, then build up your offer to them, and finally give them an opportunity to take action. This is known as the ‘inverted pyramid’ method, and is very effective.
A short announcement: Another way of grabbing reader’s attention is to make some sort of announcement. Just make it creative, personal, relevant and short, and this also provides another opportunity to invite a response.
Once you’ve got the reader’s attention, make it easy for them to see what to do next.
1-2-3!: The simplest and most well proven way to do this is the ‘1-2-3’ method, where you provide 3 straightforward steps for the reader to complete. This is brilliant to use in welcome emails or to get people on board.
Buttons: Alternatively you could make use of buttons in your email, to make it easy for reader’s to see what they need to do. The most important thing is to make it very clear what you want your readers to do, so make sure you keep instructions simple but persuasive.
Links: You could also ask your readers to follow you on twitter or to read a blog. Any step in the right direction is a win, and could lead to a sign up or subscription.
Now you’ve got the readers signed up and reading your emails, you want to keep them. Once people are subscribed to your service, give them a reason to stay.
Member offers: One way of doing this is by offering them membership to an exclusive club, using phrases like ‘early access’ or ‘exclusive offer’ to attract immediate attention. This will also give subscribers a surprise which, when used sparingly, could ensure they’re continued interest. It is also important to gather data on your subscribers, and when they have just signed up is the ideal time to gather data by asking them a few questions. This would show them immediately that you care, as well as allowing you to store data and ensure future emails are relevant to the individual.
Social media: Don’t overlook the obvious ways of engaging people, such as social media. High numbers of social media users globally means targeting these people is an easy way of reaching a larger audience. There are a number of online programs, such as Google’s URL builder, which will help you to set parameters and really focus or campaign through social media sites as well as by email. You can also track which URL has been most effective in attracting people to your business or content, which can help inform your next steps.
Put yourself in your subscribers’ shoes: You can improve your email marketing campaigns by looking through your own email inbox to see what brands have attracted your attention. Take notes on exactly how they attracted your attention and what techniques they have used.
Send at the right time: It’s essential that you send people information at a suitable time. Take note of users’ time zones and only send emails at the right time.
A simple thank you: The most easy, and most overlooked, way of letting your subscribers know that you care about them is by thanking them. You could do this by giving them certain deals or offers once they have reached a specific milestone, or by simply saying thank you. It’s an understated and brilliant way of reminding people that you are grateful, and that you are a person, rather than just an email-sending machine!
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