Every company will tell you they know how to execute effective email marketing campaigns, it’s simple, right?
Just plug in a quick subject line, grab some copy for the body, maybe add an image or two, and throw in your signature.
In five minutes or less, you’ve pieced together a message that you may plan to send to your entire contact database.
After sending the message, you cross your fingers while you wait for feedback; whether that be in the form of responses, clicks, downloads, purchase, etc.
Turned out to be unsuccessful? – “That’s alright. We will give it another try next month.”
Believe it or not, there are more efficient ways to execute email marketing campaigns.
The tactics I am about to share don’t make the email creation process more difficult or expensive, but rather more targeted and goal-oriented.
Step 1 – Establish a Goal
Before creating an email for a campaign, what is the goal of the email? In other words, what would you like the recipient of the email to do? It may be your goal to have them:
- Respond to the email
- Click and follow a link
- Call you
- Make a purchase
- Open the email and consume the content
These are all appropriate goals for specific situations, and it is vital that you understand your goal prior to constructing the email.
You may have segmented your database into lists in regard to specific criteria within each contact’s history. Therefore, you may be sending different emails to multiple groups with different goals in mind. Bottom line: Take the time to understand what you would like the recipient of the email to do.
Step 2 – Subject Line
It is no surprise that subject lines are often overlooked. This is a great way to get funneled into your recipients’ spam folders.
When creating your subject line, refer back to your goal and rely on the context of the email. If you have lead intelligence, use it! Leverage that intelligence to create context and adapt to your contacts’ needs and wants. Here are a few examples of strong subject lines:
- “Ideas for ‘A THING THAT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM'”
- “Question about ‘CONVERSION EVENT?'” (Re: the action they responded to to become a lead)
- “Have you considered ‘THOUGHT/RECOMMENDATION?'”
Here are a few examples of words to avoid in your subject line:
- Final
- Complimentary
- Donation
- Discount
Step 3 – Opening Line
Similar to the subject line, the opening line is overlooked as well. The biggest piece of advice I can lend in regard to an opening line is to start off by saying something about the recipient of the email, NOT YOU! Instead of talking about your company and all the great things you can do, start with your contact. Try saying “I noticed you…” or “Congratulations on…”
The opening line is a great way to continue to establish context and to influence your contact to consume your message. Don’t underestimate the impact of a strong opening line.
Step 4 – Body Copy
Connect with your contact! Your body copy should relay the value that your leads want to see. Provide value through copy and give the recipient plenty of opportunities to get more information and continue to interact with your website/content.
Include links and calls-to-action (CTAs) in the body of your message to drive the contact’s actions. Also, always be sure to refer to the goal of the email; this is the part of the email that should influence your contact to do what you previously decided you want them to do. Do you want them to purchase a product/service? Download a particular piece of content? Whatever that goal is, the body copy is your window of opportunity.
Try asking a great question that aligns with your goal and the wants/needs of the contacts receiving the email. For example, “How would you like to improve ‘PROBLEM AREA?'” or “Is ‘BENEFIT TO THEM’ a priority for you right now?”
Also, avoid generic value propositions like, “We help companies increase their revenue by 100% in only six months.” As I mentioned earlier, this is your big chance to connect with your contact; don’t blow it!
Step 5 – Signature
This is a very simple step in the process; it’s your job to keep it simple. The signature should not be a distraction to the overall message of the email. Keep it short – don’t make the reader scroll up and down your signature. Include your contact information and a link to view your online profile of choice.
Put it All Together!
Now that you have all of the parts broken down, piece them all together and you will have created a strong, targeted email for your email marketing campaign.
If you want more information about this process, specifically how to write emails people WANT to respond to, check out this HubSpot email template!
You’re now ready to begin conceptualizing and building emails for your email marketing campaigns. Establish a goal for the email blast, create an effective subject line, begin the message with an opening line that speaks to the contact group, ask a question that aligns with their wants and needs, keep your signature simple, and press send!
This article was originally published by SyneCore
Published: July 15, 2014
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