You’ve got mail! It’s not just referring to a romantic comedy that explored love and relationships in a new age of Internet and email. It’s directed at inbound marketers to suggest they can use email to reach their potential customers. Since emails are on your side, what are some strategies you should follow to get people to open an email? Inbound Marketing University gives us some beginner’s tips on “Successful Email Marketing.”
One thing you want to avoid is having your email campaigns looking like spam. Most people can determine whether an email is spam or not from a short glance. As simple as getting someone to open an email sounds, it can actually be very tricky. If you have even the smallest amount of errors in your email, they could dismiss it as junk mail. You need to create valuable content in order to gain quality leads.
Here are some ways to can the spam:
Let the reader know exactly who you are. You should create an email signature that is personable, including the organization or brand. This piece of information is critical. If the reader isn’t familiar with the person or brand in the email, then it will head straight for the trash. In fact, 60% of consumers say the “from” line most often determines whether they open an email or delete it, so be sure your readers know who sent the message.
Create a clear, concise subject line. The reader needs to know what the immediate benefits will be once they open the email. If you they don’t know why you’ve sent the email, the reader will most likely not open it. In other words, you have the opportunity to connect with the reader in one simple subject line. This compelling subject line should also be short. Keep it at 30-40 characters. This includes spaces! It’s been proven that emails with shorter subject lines significantly out perform emails with longer subject lines. Lastly, use keywords! You want to use the words that your audience speaks and types. They will be curious, take a look inside, and see what you have to offer.
With these simple practices, you can fill people’s mailboxes with content they want to read and avoid getting canned for “being spam.” For more details, leave a comment for Katie below, and she’d be happy to give you more tips and tricks on inbound email marketing.