Email marketing is a very useful tool for online businesses, but only when it is done right. If done in the wrong manner, you will drive potential clients away. It is therefore very important – as a small online business owner – to known and understand what makes an effective marketing email, and how to write one.
Getting started:
Many companies use fancy email formats and pay big dollars to get ‘professionals’ to write their marketing emails for them. Fortunately for you, you don’t actually need to do anything more than write a few paragraphs of content and press send.
The first thing that you need to do is identify the topic of your email. Failing to do this will set you up for failure immediately. Identifying an email topic will help you decide what you are going to focus on, and will help you decide on the right content for your message.
Start with the title:
The title, or subject, of a marketing email is probably the most important part. This is what people see when they open their email inbox, and will determine whether or not they even open your email. If you don’t have an engaging subject line, most of your emails will simply be discarded without even being read.
Try and use an engaging subject line which almost forces people to open your email. Make it interesting, but at the same time make sure that it is relevant to the content of your message. The three most important things when it comes to writing a subject line are: action words which encourage a click, clarity and conciseness, and personalisation. Make people WANT to click on your email, and leave them waiting for your next message.
Remember, less is more:
When it comes to effective email marketing, less is usually more. Sure, you might get sucked into using a flashy email template which jumps around and makes pretty lights and noises. However, if you don’t have good content, your readers will eventually stop reading. Usually, it is better to simply go with simple text which gets your point across clearly. Make sure that your text is well written, informative, and enjoyable to read, and you should have your readers just waiting for more!
Make sure that you use a call to action!
Don’t get sucked into the trap of finishing your email and sending it out without a definitive call to action. Doing this will reduce the effect of the email, and won’t encourage your customers to do anything. Make sure you include some form of call to action, such as a do follow link at the end of the message, a promotional link, or even a freebie offer.
Ultimately, the purpose of a marketing email is to get your readers to your website – remember this and you will be fine!