Learn how to craft email subject lines that will grab your reader's attention and bring traffic to your site
Most email marketing platforms offer built-in automation tools to help marketers send messages at various intervals and track conversions. These tools are helpful, but they don’t provide the level of control required by a well-managed email marketing strategy.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is using email to market products and services to potential customers. Unlike social media marketing and other digital channels where you post updates to your profiles, email marketing sends emails directly to your customers’ inboxes in the hope that they’ll read them and respond accordingly.
What is an email marketing funnel?
Email marketing funnels are a series of automated emails sent to build your email list, drive traffic to your landing pages and ultimately increase sales. There are 2 types of email marketing funnels:
- Direct-response funnels send emails to people who have expressed an interest in your product or service.
- List-build funnels aim to build a list of subscribers for your email marketing platform.
Building your email list: new subscribers
The first thing you’ll want to focus on when building your email list is acquiring new email subscribers. You’ll want to ensure that you make the sign-up process quick and easy to get the best results.
One way to accomplish this is with a sign-up box at the bottom of your emails and in product pop-ups. Try to include a link in your email body that directs people to your sign-up box, as this will help increase the number of sign-ups you get.
Launching your email marketing campaigns
Once your list is up, you’ll want to send email campaigns. You can do this in several ways, including sending mass emails to your entire list.
The anatomy of a perfect email
Email is the preferred channel for many consumers globally. When it comes to email marketing, there’s a lot you need to know to understand how this channel works. Below are 10 crucial aspects of creating the perfect email and best first impression.
Subject line
The subject line is like the doorbell of the email. Most users will skip over an email if its subject line is unclear or unappealing, so it’s essential that you write email subject lines to convey your intended message and entice your reader to open the email to learn more about your product or service. The best email subject lines often include emojis to capture the attention of the reader and thus increase email open rates. Good email subject lines often come as a result of an a/b test to see what works for your target audience.
Sender profile
When creating an email campaign, you don’t want readers to open your emails and immediately click away. Your email should provide a brief summary of your brand, company name, clear headings and an image of your company so the reader can get a sense of who you are and what you do without reading your whole message in detail. Consider making a template of your email so your audience learns your brand as they recieve additional emails from you. The use of preview text in an email can give the reader a sense of who you are before they even open the email.
Personalization
When you personalize your emails, you’re telling the reader who you are and what you can do for them— increasing the likelihood that they’ll click a link and visit your site – increasing the key email performance indicator of click-through rate (CTR). When personalizing your emails, try to summarize the most critical information you want email recipients to take away about your company or product.
Body copy
The body copy is the majority of the email’s content, including your message, images, and any additional information. Your body copy should be between 75 and 120 words. Your body copy should include a call to action (CTA) and any additional pertinent information about your brand and what you can offer the reader.
Images
An image can make or break an email. Make sure your images are high quality, cover the entire width of the email and are at least 1000 pixels in width. Avoid using any stock photos or images that are low quality.
Call to action
The CTA is the action that you’re asking your readers to take. When creating your CTA, consider what the reader may be thinking about when they open your email.
Social sharing links
Social sharing links are recommended for all email campaigns but are essential in email marketing. Social sharing links encourage your readers to share your content with others, which is the ultimate goal of any marketing campaign.
Unsubscribe links
Unsubscribe links are links that allow readers to unsubscribe from your emails. You should have an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email so readers can easily opt out of any unwanted emails.
Mobile optimization
To optimize your emails for mobile devices, you should consider tweaking your layout, including the following:
- Add a mobile icon to the top-right corner of your email to make it easy for readers to quickly access your emails on their mobile devices.
- Reduce the font size and increase the vertical spacing between your content to make your email more readable on a smaller screen.
- Add buttons that redirect readers to your website from mobile devices. Make sure the links inside your emails are mobile-friendly and easy to access from different devices.
Timing
The best time to send your email campaign is between Tuesday and Thursday after 12 pm—open rates peak at 3 pm. This will help ensure the highest percentage of delivery to the inbox.
Words to avoid in your email marketing subject lines
Email marketing is the best way to connect with people and potential customers. Some people may find certain subject lines offensive or inappropriate. In order to capture the largest audience possible, make sure you avoid putting off your potential customers with the use of biased, confusing or expletive terms.
Help with all your design and marketing needs
Email marketing can be an incredibly effective way to help you reach your audience and grow your brand. If you’d like help marketing your business, visit Brown Bag to see all the marketing services we have to offer.
