Email Marketing Tips: Pro Edition

I’m sure you’ve done it countless times – open an email that you’re subscribed to and take action. But I’m also sure you’ve opened other emails only to glance at them and shove it the back of your mind, or worse, into the trash bin.

So how do those email writers get you to take action time after time? Practice! And following a wholelotta pro tips. So where can you get these pro tips!? Look no further, and start putting these strategies into motion when composing your email marketing campaigns.

Email Marketing Pro Tip #1: Clearly Define Your Goals

Before putting pen to paper – err – fingers to keyboard, make sure you’ve clearly defined what you hope to accomplish with the email and what the desired behavior is for your readers.

• Is it a click?

• Is it pre-sell content?

• Is it to educate?

For the second two questions above, how will you track the success of both? In my experience, it should circle back around with a click to a dedicated landing page. For example, if it’s educational content, leave more in-depth information for a page on your site. Encourage readers to continue reading by a click to your site.

In regards to pre-sell content – is it possible to link to a coupon or sign up on your site? The idea is, without behavioral data, you’ll have no idea how effective your email marketing has been – apart from seeing the open rate of the email, and that’s not too telling with regard to how readers actually engaged with your content.

A Little Bit On Clicks 

Most of the time, you want people to click a link. That’s great, but what’s in it for the reader on the other side of that click? If the exchange of a click and a desired behavior is something that truly adds value to the reader, you’ll have an easier time getting them to do so.

Then answer these questions:

• Are your target links easily seen?

• Is the value proposition clear and easily found?

• This one is a no brainer, but do the links actually work or do they bring the user to the wrong page (or worse, a broken page)?

Pro Tip #1.1: Test

Once you’ve outlined your goals, written your content, added your links, and solidified a value proposition, take some time to edit your email. Make sure you have someone read your email – we know you’re awesome, but even awesome people need a second or third set of eyes – to give you feedback.

Email Marketing Pro Tip #2: Value, Value, Value

Trust me, no one wants to spend their time with an email unless they feel that they are going to get something out it. I get it – they subscribed – but even subscribers can lose interest quickly if the notion of value is missing.

Make sure in the very beginning of your email you clearly state the value the reader will encounter. This is not to say that an email meant to educate or ‘announce’ has to transfer value of a monetary kind.

Value comes in all shapes and sizes.

The point is, make sure that by what you’re asking them to read and interact with truly has something they can’t get elsewhere (or if they can, make sure you differentiate yours). If you’re just emailing for the sake of staying on an editorial calendar (that’s a whole other post), don’t bother. If you do, sooner than later, your emails become interruption marketing and just like the skipping of commercials on TV. Unfortunately in this case, your readers will bypass your emails today, tomorrow and next month.

What are you waiting for? Go be more awesome than usual and engage your readers like never before. In the world of email marketing in your niche, you want to be the cat’s pajamas so you can get more opens, clicks, and shares of your email (and brand)!