It is 2020 and there is no sign email marketing slowing down anytime soon.
This classic digital marketing tactic is more effective than it has ever been and, according to email marketing expert HubSpot, 80% of marketers reported an increase in email engagement last year.
Some marketers may find this figure surprising given the overwhelming amount of content users are sent daily – but a good email campaign breaks through the noise and captures the audience’s attention.
Why is email marketing still relevant?
There is a reason why email is still one of the most popular marketing channels. Email can generate a lot of return for minimal investment. It can reach vast audiences quickly, and support customer retention.
Email marketing can also help marketers to learn about their audience, insights that can support business growth.
If you are looking for some inspiration when writing emails, we have listed below the key things your team should take into account when writing compelling emails.
First things first
Always remember that you are a guest in their inbox.
Marketing expert Neil Patel has said:
“People are inundated with interruptions, pitches, and advertisements everywhere they look. Though you might think your email is special, there’s a high probability that to the reader, it looks the same as the rest. Therefore, it’s important to remember where you are and use your good manners as a result.”
First, it is important that that you have permission to be sending the email to each recipient. Recipients who have not given your organisation permission are more likely to report your email campaigns as spam. They are also less likely to engage with the content or make purchases, so rather than wasting yours and their time, always secure express permission.
A good guest will always bring something to the table and the best gift an email marketer can share is content. Guides, blogs, and other content marketing will help your business to be seen as an authority and a thought leader, and will increase brand awareness to those who may not be familiar with the work you do.
Write for the right people
Writing emails for people who are not interested in your product means you will fall at the first hurdle. Fortunately, there are plenty of techniques email marketers can use to build an email list from scratch.
Those that are genuinely interested in your product are more likely to give you their details and you can gather these using the following methods:
- Use a personalised call-to-action (CTA) for each blog or landing page
- Create a pop-up or slide-in for each page of your site which promotes your newsletter
- Create a timed pop-up survey.
- Pitch your email newsletter on your social media accounts
- Pitch your email newsletter on your email signature
- Include an email CTA on your About Us page
Using techniques like those mentioned above will help your business to cultivate a strong, loyal email subscriber base, which means your email marketing strategy will attract better long-term customers.
Nailing the subject line
Think of the subject line as the gatekeeper of your email.
A huge part of writing compelling email copy is creating a punchy and effective subject line.
According to Convince&Convert, 35% of email recipients open email based on the subject line alone.
Email subject lines that use language urging specific action overall tend to be more successful. Not only does this type of subject line creates a sense of urgency, but it also gives clarity as the reader knows exactly what they can do in the email.
Examples of actionable language used in an email subject lines include:
“Don’t miss the up-to-70%-off sale!”
“Get your tickets for ____ now”
“Order now before it’s too late…”
It is also important that your email copy matches what your email subject line promises. Misleading your readers is not only irresponsible – if you are not offering what was promised in the subject line, expect your click-through rates to plummet.
Creative copywriting
Make sure YOU are grabbing your audience’s attention.
Virgin, BuzzFeed and ASOS are all great examples of brands that use email marketing well – why? Because they have a recognisable tone of voice.
When writing an email, always think about how you want the recipients to remember your brand. Do you want to come across as fun, traditional, or somewhere in between? Once you figure this out, set some style guidelines for your team. This will save time in the long run and clears up any conflicting writing styles.
At Cadence, we have got an in-house team of dedicated people who are passionate about all things content, many of whom are ex-journalists, so creative writing is something that comes easily to us.
If your brand is new to email marketing, we can help you to get to grips with your tone of voice and create the perfect copy, that’s the right fit for your target audience and creates a real buzz around your products, events or services.
Keep it personal
The Direct Marketing Association has revealed that segmented and targeted emails generated almost 60% of all revenue for the marketers.
The fact is, the more segmented your email list, the more personalised an and relevant an email campaign can become.
Don’t get left behind! Readers don’t want to be addressed as “Dear Sir/Madam” any more. They want to be addressed by their first name and they want content that is shaped to their needs – that’s where segmentation comes in.
Segmentation can help your business to provide more relevant content to your email recipients, which in turn will create better engagement.
The more information you collect, the more opportunities you must tailor your emails to. There are many ways you can segment your data: gender, persona, age, geography… the list goes on!
Always CTA
Without a CTA there is little point in sending an email marketing campaign out at all!
Remember, a good email will reach the decision-maker. So, make sure your email contains a meaningful CTA.
Copywriting is of course also incredibly important, as your call to action should be strong, clear, and concise. A copy and paste CTA may seem like the easy way. Instead, think about why the recipient should care about your email and create something that will finish off the email leaving the recipient wanting more.
Mail Chimp argues that it is:
“Necessary to give readers a reason why they should complete your call to action. To that end, make sure that the content that’s directly related to the button or link is sufficiently explanatory and clearly shows the benefit of taking the action. Giving a call to action a sense of urgency can also help, though it’s a fine line between a sense of urgency and coming off as pushy – remember that not everything is as pressing to your readers as it is to you.”
Email marketing is in our blood
Our databases are hand-researched, by people who understand the structure of the multiple markets we cover – and they cover the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, so you can be sure we’ve got your audience sorted and ready to go.
Whilst there are many providers of data, Cadence Marketing is perfectly primed not only to set you up with the right audience but also to manage your campaigns for you – giving you more time.
We offer unique push-based email marketing solutions, designed to engage both the public and private sector and, ultimately, to get you results.
Whether you are looking to syndicate marketing content, generate an audience for an event (physical or digital) or deliver a webinar, we can help and, what is more… we know what we are doing. Email marketing is what we do.
