Are you starting a newsletter to keep your customers abreast of news from your company? Whether you feel like an expert on newsletter creation or you’re only a beginner, a few tips can improve your marketing to reel in customers. Anyone can send out a short newsletter every week or two, but the real challenge is keeping your audience engaged and opening each of those emails.
People get a lot of emails every day, so yours needs to stand out from the pack. The data backs up the assertion that email marketing is highly effective, but you still have to work to get people to open it to avoid the dreaded junk mail folder. That’s precisely why we wanted to share a few tips on making your newsletters so engaging that everyone will open them.
1. Give individuals a reason to subscribe.
People respond to value and incentives, so that makes a good choice. This could be anything from a coupon for 20% off orders to a promise of exclusive offers in the future. The right method for your company may vary but get creative and consider what you can provide that people want. The more people you get to subscribe, the better your conversion rate could be.
2. Create an engaging subject line.
When it comes to the newsletters themselves, no conversions will happen if no one opens your email. That’s why it’s so essential to create a strong and enticing subject line. With 69% of people deciding which emails are spam based on the subject line and 33% opening emails for the same reason, you have to build a riveting subject line.
Your subject line can help to personalize the email by using the subscriber’s name. The subject line should be intriguing enough that it compels users to open it. Time-sensitive words (like breaking, urgent and alert) paired with power words (like jaw-dropping and amazing) make an excellent subject line that will be opened more often.
3. Know and focus on your business goal.
With every newsletter you send out, you should be asking yourself what you’re looking to accomplish. If you don’t have an answer, you’ll have problems with sharing that insight with your subscribers. Some of the common goals for newsletters include:
- Promoting a new service or product
- Boosting the number of sales
- Driving traffic toward a landing page
- Increasing presence on social media
- Downloading an eBook
Your company might have other goals and, if so, use them to create the perfect newsletter content. If you aren’t sure where to start, the goals above will help you find the starting point. Pick one plan and focus on it; adding in several goals can confuse the people reading.
4. Send consistent emails but don’t go too far.
Be sure that you deliver what you promised. Subscribers who signed up for weekly emails may not be happy only to get an email every month. Users who sign up for monthly emails don’t want to hear from you only on a few holidays. Remember the email system doesn’t like spam; before sending an email test it for spam on services like Unspam.email.
If you’re inconsistent with your messaging, it can erode the reputation you’ve already built. Once people feel you are unreliable, they’re less likely to convert and become customers to propel your business. But on the other side of the coin, don’t send out so many emails that it feels like spam. If you promised weekly emails, don’t send one out every other day.
5. Incorporate visuals to go along with written content.
Adding videos and images to your emails will make the newsletter more captivating. Since many people only scan over an email, this can catch subscribers’ eyes and keep them interested. Including infographics and photos makes it easier to scan so customers know what the email is about and what action you’d like them to take.
Even those who scan emails can still get an idea of your message when videos and images are present. Many people are visual learners, so these things can help subscribers understand and retain the information you are providing them. It can also help your newsletter feel more organized and less like blocks of text.
6. Take time to measure the results.
When you’re crafting engaging content, you want to make subscribers convert. There’s only one way to see whether that is happening: measuring it. Software like Postcards by Designmodo builds that into the platform so you can create emails that look great on any device, add images and videos, and see your analytics for various campaigns. Some of the things to watch for include:
- Bounce rates
- Click-through rates
- Forwards
- Open rates
- Unsubscribes
You can quickly determine which of your newsletters creates the most conversions and then continue using similar strategies for future emails. Brands can also see which emails didn’t do so well and determine why that is to prevent the same issue in the future.
7. Add urgency to your messages.
Procrastination is common, which can be an issue with emails. Once someone decides, “I’ll take a second look at this later,” it’s likely they will never open the email again. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure that your call of action feels as if it should be done right away.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by having a deadline on offers and sales. This could mean adding in “this offer expires in 24 hours” or “only 20 spots left.” Getting a prompt reply means making people feel as if they need to do something now. They’re more likely to do it in general, which can help your business succeed.
Fantastic Emails Begging to Be Clicked On
Once you put all these things together, you can expect to see your conversions increase through emails.
Andrian Valeanu is founder and editor-in-chief of Designmodo, a provider of website and email builders designed for developers and non-tech users.
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