Have your email response and conversion rates lost their fizzle? Do you feel like your customers have lost that loving feeling? If so, you are not alone!
B2C email marketing increased exponentially during Covid. In 2020, over 306 billion emails were sent and received globally. This trend is continuing and in 2023 it is projected to increase to 347.3 billion emails. – statista.
The competition is crowded…so it’s time to step up your email marketing game and make sure your message isn’t getting drowned out by the noise from increased email volume.
In 2023 – go to tried and true best practices to stand out from the competition. Remember – an email marketing relationship is like any other relationship – it builds with time, attention, and trust. Get your customers to show their love by using these 11 tips to bring excitement back to your email relationships. (Roses and chocolate also help!)
It’s Not You It’s Me…11 Reasons Why Your Customers Aren’t Responding to Your Emails and How to Win Them Back in 2023
1. Take out a Personal Ad
If your email campaigns are not using a Preheader – you are missing out on the opportunity to use this virtual billboard. Preheaders are the text that appears when viewing your inbox – giving you a preview of the message content before you open the email. You can customize some pre-headers with a first name or add a link. Preheader views can drive traffic even if the email is not opened.
2. Does that Line Really Work for You?
Like in speed dating…first impressions are everything. Use words like “today” to show urgency and “your” to personally engage your customer. Use “Get Your Teeth Whitening Special Today!” or ask a question such as “Do you want to get a Teeth Whitening Special Today? as opposed to “Dentist Office ABC offering teeth whitening specials”.
Remember – over 50% of email campaigns are opened on mobile devices.
According to a study from Marketo, emails with 41 characters – approximately 7 words – have the most success. Remember – this is a guideline – but generally –emails with shorter subject lines have better open rates.
Posted on Campaign Monitor
3. Say My Name, Say My Name…
Using personalization in the body of the email increases engagement and builds trust and familiarity. Personalization such as [First Name] can also be used in the subject line or pre-header. Studies have shown that emails using personalization in the subject line are 26% more likely to be opened. – Campaign Monitor. Make sure the product or offer is not generic, but specifically targeted and relevant to the customer for a completely personalized experience.
4. I’m Bored…We Never Do Anything New.
Using the same creative or offer can cause message fatigue. Change HTML creatives, subject lines, and offers to keep things interesting. Offer varied content in your email that provides a service or fills a need for the customer. Try A/B splits with different HTML creatives or different subject lines to see what resonates with your customer.
5. You Don’t Understand Me.
Don’t just promote your product or service…demonstrate how it solves a problem for the customer. Show you understand your customer’s needs. Be specific and use data or statistics if available; avoid jargon and speak plainly.
No: Company ABC has a specialized lawn treatment and care protocol to guarantee exponential grass growth and lawn resilience.
Yes: Do you want a lawn your neighbors will envy? Use Company ABC for 30% more grass growth and a lush, weed-free lawn. Guaranteed.
6. Why Can’t You See It My Way?
Different devices and email clients can render emails differently. Add a View in Browser link to your email campaign to allow customers who are having rendering issues to view your campaign online. Optimize images for the web for quick loading times and add Alt-Text to images in case images do not render or are off by default. Test your campaign by sending it to Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, etc. to ensure the email is rendering as you intended.
7. I Need Space.
Less is more when it comes to email campaign body copy. Keep your copy short and to the point and allow adequate white space between text – large blocks of text appear crowded and lose the readers’ focus.
8. Where is this Relationship Headed?
Form follows function – where do you want the email to lead your customers to? Provide calls to action throughout the email – but especially above the fold
(think of a folded newspaper – the top half is “above the fold”).
Buttons are more effective than links – but using both is acceptable. In a recent study, colorful buttons that are centered and have contrast with the background are more likely to cause the customer to click. Another study showed conversions increased by 34% by using a red call-to-action button instead of a green button– but again, test. With buttons, use “My” – for example – Get My Offer instead of Click here or Get the Offer. This has been shown to increase engagement – Wordstream/Unbounce
If possible, link to a dedicated landing page that is specific to the offer – not your main webpage. This prevents the customer from going off target. Keep calls to action consistent within the email – and avoid posting links to different offers or landing pages within the one email. – Campaign Monitor.
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Porch Group Media’s email addresses go through strict data hygiene and validation processes to identify records known to be associated with spam traps, invalid emails and domains, known complainers, and fraudulent addresses. See for yourself how our email marketing solutions can help you boost customer acquisition and curb attrition. Contact us today!
9. Is That What You’re Wearing?
You wouldn’t show up for a date with missing buttons and two smelly, mismatched socks, would you? The same goes for your customer audience. Make sure your customer list routinely undergoes hygiene and standardization to remove bad emails, hard bounces, etc. Invalid emails can cause poor delivery –negatively affecting customer engagement.
10. What’s in this Relationship for Me?
Don’t just promote your product or service. Consider creating a newsletter, helpful hints or how-to guide, survey results, or something that provides information or value to the customer.
11. Show Me the Love.
Add authentic, user-generated content and positive customer reviews to your email content. A recent study showed 95% of shoppers consider online reviews before making a purchase.
Get Your Email Marketing Best Practices Guide Today!
Our Email Marketing Best Practices Guide outlines standard best practices that enhance email communications, including recommendations to ensure your emails stand out in crowded inboxes and generate ROI. Get your free guide today!
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