Email – Where Customers Control Your Message
Marketers long ago realized that email marketing is drastically different from direct mail marketing, and therefore, this marketing tactic comes with its own set of rules. Despite the fact that you can quickly get a message out to your customers, when it comes to email remember: your customers have all the control. Customers can delete your message, unsubscribe to your list or worst yet mark your emails as spam!
The first step to email success is to overcome customer barriers and entice recipients to open your message. The key to an opened message is your subject line. Subject lines should be a few short words that intrigue and incentivize the customer to move forward with your communication. When composing subject lines put yourself in the customers’ shoes and think what would intrigue you to learn more. Utilize open-ended questions, secrets, mysterious introductions, unfinished sentences and more to pull in the customer.
Once a customer opens an email they can be instantly connected to all of your company’s online outlets. Tactfully provide links to your site and social media outlets, while making sure the customer is not overwhelmed with options. To avoid overload simply focus on the central call to action and your BIG idea.
Due to high customer control a fine line has been established between getting your message out and over-contacting. Just as mentioned in our Creative Spot Data Overload post, the surge of new, quick marketing capabilities often leads to companies pushing away customers. Now you may be wondering how to know the correct email blast frequency, but there is no magic answer. Simply be mindful of your target audience and listen to their responses, because in the email world less is often more.
For more guidance on email campaigns, check out this article highlighting the differences between email and direct mail and this article on building a strong email blast.