Email marketing has always been the most cost-effective way to generate leads. In fact, for every dollar spent in email marketing, you are likely to earn $44.
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However, that doesn’t mean everyone generates such great results. With an average person receiving 121 emails each day, it is essential to make yours stand out from the crowd. If not, you will most likely waste your time, efforts, and money.
So, how do you improve the drive results through email newsletters? In this article, we will discuss exactly that! Let’s dig right in.
1. Write a Compelling Subject Line and Email Preview Text
When your newsletter lands in the inbox, the first thing the recipient sees is the subject line. And, to make them click on it, you will have to make it really compelling. So, how do you do it? Here are some ways.
Use a benefit-driven subject line
Write something that you think would help the reader in some or another way. It could be something that interests them (anything related to their browsing behavior or purchase history).
Use humor
Humorous subject lines often catch attention, and people are more likely to open your email. Grammarly is known for using humor in its weekly newsletter. Here is an example.
Use Urgency
It encourages users to take action quickly by focusing on the fear of loss. However, this is useful if you have something valuable to offer, e.g., a discount or exclusive content that expires on a specific date.
Demonstrate credibility
It includes sharing your success stories (with proof) as a case study or just to show that you really know what you’re doing.
Once you have got the subject line perfect, it’s time to work on those preview texts.
A preview text is a snippet beside the subject line that is readable even when the email is not opened. Use it in conjunction with your subject line to give users additional information about what they can expect inside.
Here is an example of an email I received a few days back. The subject line reads, “Ecommerce Growth: The Key Traffic Drivers in 2020”. And the preview text says, “Looking for solutions to grow your market share?”
See how the preview text is used as an extension to the subject line. When writing the preview text, make sure:
- It is short and direct.
- Don’t repeat the same thing that’s written in the subject line.
- Add a little teaser to what the user can expect inside the email.
- Ask questions to appeal to people’s emotions.
- Encourage users to take action (with words like save, go, purchase, etc.).
2. Optimize Your Headers
Now that you have nailed your subject line and preview text, it’s time to get your newsletter headers right.
A powerful newsletter headline is something that:
- Creates interest
- Promises a benefit
- Provides value
- Encourages users to read the whole content
Here are some tips to optimize your header and write one that drives results.
- Use numbers to give concrete takeaways (e.g., 5 ways to do things, 9 tips to excel at, etc.).
- Use emotional objectives to highlight your audience’s problem (e.g., effortless, fun, free, essential, etc.).
- Demonstrate what the reader will get out of the email (e.g., reasons, facts, lessons, ideas, ways, secrets, tricks, etc.).
- Make an audacious promise.
Or you can try this formula:
Number or trigger word + Adjective + Subject + Promise
Here are a few examples:
- 10 ridiculously simple ways to sell a house
- How can you effortlessly optimize your website in less than 3 hours?
- How to overcome fear and anxiety: 10 tricks that work
- 5 steps to write catchy headlines
3. Ensure Content Relevancy
As a rule of thumb, create at least three newsletters for different types of audiences. Segment your email list based on characteristics, interests, and browsing history. And then send the most relevant one.
This will help increase the engagement rate and reduce the unsubscribe rate. Remember, the inbox is a sacred space, so whatever you send should be relevant to the reader and of the highest quality.
Also, focus on offering value to your subscribers more than selling your products or services. You could also give your readers an option to decide what kind of content they want to receive from you. This will help you cater to their needs and increase the engagement rate.
And make sure that your email is readable on all devices (more people use their phones to read emails than desktops).
4. Write HTML Emails
HTML emails allow you to add images and templates to your newsletter. Pictures help you grab your readers’ attention. However, make sure there is a good balance between your images and the text. As a rule of thumb, your email should be 80% text and 20% image.
Here is an example of a newsletter by Artifact Uprising. They use large, eye-catching images with texts over them. That’s a great way to catch your subscribers’ attention.
You can even hyperlink the images to redirect users to your website or any site you want.
Though you should keep promotional content to the minimum in your newsletters, if you do, add a call to action button at the end of it.
Call to action buttons tells users what you want them to do after they have read your newsletter. Here are some call to action best practices to get more leads:
- Use a single call to action. The more options, the more confused readers will be.
- Use action-oriented text (e.g., get the discount, reserve your spot, register for the webinar, try it for free, etc.).
- Make your text large enough to grab attention.
- Create a sense of urgency.
- Make an exclusive offer.
Here is an example of a CTA button in the email newsletter.
Last but not least, follow the best practices to enhance your newsletter’s performance and drive better results. Here are the things you should focus on:
- Deliverability: If your emails don’t land in your subscribers’ inboxes, all your efforts will go in vain. Therefore, make sure that you send emails from a reputable domain and allow users to unsubscribe (just in case).
- Timing: Determine the best time and day of the week to send emails. You will require to do an A/B test to know that. But research shows the best time to send emails are 10 am, 8 pm, and 2 pm, while the best days are Tuesday, Thursday, and Wednesday.
- Compliance: Ensure that your emails comply with the GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and any other regulations in your country of residence.
- Accessibility: If your newsletter isn’t accessible, then sending it doesn’t make any sense. Add “alt text” to your images, so users know what they are about if they don’t load properly. Also, ensure your HTML emails render properly on different devices and browsers.
Wrapping Up
Generating results from email newsletters isn’t tough, provided you follow the right approach. Use the six tactics mentioned above to create the next email newsletter to improve the results.
Are there any other strategies that you use to enhance your campaign results? Let us know in the comments.
Rohit Rajpal is an accomplished writer and data enthusiast passionate about unraveling the intricacies of information and data. With a deep understanding of the subject matter, Rohit strives to simplify complex concepts and make them accessible to readers. Rohit’s expertise in the field and his knack for clear and concise communication make his blog an invaluable resource for those seeking clarity in the data-driven world.
