Need to Boost Sales? Start With This 3-Step Email Marketing Strategy
QUESTION: how many newsletters do you receive each week?
Five…ten…twelve…more?
How many of those newsletters do you think would generate a human response if you were to hit the ‘reply’ button? I’m guessing few (if any).
What does this mean for your business?
It means you have an ENORMOUS opportunity to set yourself apart and build a cult-like following of customers who will always open your emails in anticipation of what you have to offer.
Does this sound familiar?…
If you’re like me, your phone isn’t a reading device. Instead, it’s a deleting device — to filter emails, clear the junk, and keep the emails you plan to take action on.
I’ve worked with many companies over the years that have struggled with their email marketing strategy. It can be tricky to crack, but the sky is the limit once you get it.
In this post, I will share the simple formula that has resulted in email open rates consistently above 50% and sometimes nearly 70%.
FIRST: THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT EMAIL MARKETING…
These days most email marketing is terrible, with more noise than ever.
Free tools like MailChimp and Constant Contact allow everyone to send a newsletter. The problem, however:
When did marketers start believing they had to send so many emails?
The belief that brands should regularly engage with their audience to maintain relevance in the customer’s mind is detrimental nonsense.
Building an effective email marketing strategy means only reaching out to customers when something of value is offered. Otherwise, prospective customers become passive readers.
As a result, newsletters quickly get archived with the rest of the unopened junk mail, or worse, customers hit the unsubscribe button.
Consumers are savvy, and their spam radar is better than ever. Marketers who send the same boring newsletters simply because they feel obligated to stay relevant are destroying their business one unsubscriber at a time.
THE SOLUTION:
There are three simple rules for creating an effective email marketing strategy, producing open rates of 50% or higher:
1) The Headline
2) Value Proposition
3) Keep It Short!
Let’s dive into each one…
1) THE HEADLINE
Many marketers overthink this. It’s pretty simple — the goal is to get people to open it. Period.
The only purpose of a headline is to pique interest and provoke an open. Here’s an example of what not to do…
Does this headline make you even the slightest bit curious or excited to open it? I don’t think so — DELETE.
Now, here’s an example of a far more effective newsletter headline…
What makes this headline more effective?
First, they don’t give away all the juice upfront. Instead, we have to open the email to learn more:
- How much does it cost?
- What time does it start?
- What’s on the menu?
- I’ve never heard of this restaurant, is it new?
- How many glasses of sparkling wine do we get?
Second, it’s a GOOD offer. Who doesn’t like food and booze?
When sending emails to newsletter subscribers, marketers often make the mistake of conveying their message like a boring public service announcement.
Get creative, ask questions, give teasers, and you too will have open rates above 50%.
2) VALUE PROPOSITION
Question: which of these email types are you most likely to open, read and act on:
- A dull, repetitive weekly roundup of “10 New Breakfast Restaurants.”
or…
2. An attractive offer from a company that only sends out hot deals every few weeks or months.
When did marketers start thinking they had to send such frequent emails?
Remember: phones are deleting devices, not reading devices, so don’t email for email’s sake, especially when more than 80% of all email is now opened on a mobile device.
Emailing for email’s sake will only result in declining open rates as subscribers turn from engaged readers into passive scanners.
Instead, follow this simple rule: unless it brings value to the customer’s life, it’s best to stay silent.
For example, the most effective marketing emails are those which leave customers with a sense of appreciation, saying, “Awesome, Thanks!”.
Q: What if customers forget about me?
By consistently bringing attractive opportunities to the table, subscribers will never forget who you are. Even if they do, they’ll quickly remember once they receive your next great offer. By focusing on high-quality content and only sending emails when it really matters, you too will see email engagement skyrocket.
Most importantly, you’ll differentiate from all the other newsletters by building a reputation for exclusive & unique opportunities; like a secret insiders club. Customers will look forward to your emails.
3) KEEP IT SHORT & PERSONALIZED
Would you rather open an email from a friend or one of the dozen weekly newsletters sent by a retailer? I’m willing to bet you’d open the friend’s email every time.
If we’re more likely to open emails from people we know, why not structure newsletters this same way?
So many email marketing pieces are filled with flashy, promotional images, graphics and videos.
People expect this from big box retailers and shopping malls. Therefore, you have the perfect opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd and actually be interesting.
By keeping emails short and to the point, readers stay engaged with your content — no multi-paragraph emails!
The secret is to write emails as if we’re sending them to a personal friend and always speaking as though we’re communicating directly with one person.
People want to feel like our business opened just for them, so speak to customers directly.
By doing this, you quickly build a reputation for being concise and respectful of your customer’s time. Otherwise, customers will soon establish the negative perception of a company’s newsletter as long, boring and irrelevant. This is an email marketing death sentence. Effective marketing is all about perception.
Lastly, remember people are incredibly busy, and the average attention span is now less than 8-seconds, so brevity is critical.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Newsletter headlines should be creative, engaging and pique the reader’s interest. The goal is to get them to open it. Period.
- Even once you’ve found the perfect headline, it doesn’t matter if the offer still stinks. Always focus on providing value, letting the attractive offer do the heavy lifting.
- People are busy so keep it short. Instead of a long PSA, write like you’re sending a single email to a close friend. Make it personal and unique.
Do these three things, and your email marketing open rates will be miles ahead of your competitors.
About the Author
Matthew is the Founder and Managing Director at Allied Venture Partners, Western Canada’s largest angel syndicate investing in early-stage tech startups across Canada & the United States. To learn more, please visit Allied.vc
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