Sep 25, 2014

4 Tips to Create Seductive Emails & Get What You Want

by Digital Marketing Institute

What do you think of email marketing? Fluffy, pointless, aimless, dated? Well what if we told you that email marketing has an ROI of 4,300%? You might look at your newsletter a little differently, perhaps?

Below we tell you how to seduce your readers to get exactly what you want. It’s all about defining your message, adding value and creating a little intrigue along the way.

1. Decide What You Want & Stick to it

You get to ask your readers for one thing, one message, one call to action. You must decide this well in advance of creating your newsletter – after all it’s the reason you’re creating it in the first place. At this stage it is absolutely essential to have a firm grasp of who you are targeting and the one action you want them to take above all else. Your email content should charm your reader to take this one action.

Do You Want Customers to:
  • Download a report?
  • Sign up for a course?
  • Attend an event?
  • Buy a new product?

2. Create Subject Lines That Beg to be Clicked

Create Subject Lines That Beg to be Clicked | 4 Tips to Create Seductive Emails & Get what you want

The average email open rate is 21.72%. That means that 78.28% of your customers won’t even see your message. Creating a compelling subject line is often the trickiest part because it has two jobs: 1. It must be straightforward and clearly define what your email includes. 2. It needs to seduce your customer and intrigue them to click through.

Before you write a single word, stop and think: What value am I providing to customers? Why should they care? What one thing do I want to them to know above all else? Try and steer clear of pushy or salesy language. According to MailChimp this turns people off.

The Best Subject Lines:
  • Are simple, no nonsense and non-salesy.
  • Tease your readers a little, sparking their curiosity enough to click through.
  • Grab attention and catch the eye (try symbols and one word subject lines to stand out amongst the crowd).
  • Focus on the customer.
  • Immediately convey your value proposition and don’t mislead.

3. Keep a Clean & Clear Body

The body of your newsletter should be clear and easy to read. Try and strike a balance between informative text and visually appealing images. Formatting is extremely important so choose a good email provider that lets you shape your content the way you envision it.

Your copy should clearly define why readers should click or read on. Let them know exactly what they should expect when they do. The average email click through rate is a mere 2-3% so your call to actions need to work extra hard to convince and convert.

Compelling Call to Actions:
  • Use actionable verbs.
  • Are kept short and concise.
  • Catch your reader’s eye through clever formatting.
  • Are relevant, yet excite.
  • Use urgent language, e.g. ‘now’, ‘limited’.
  • Standalone and get all the attention.

4. Cater to Their Needs & Wants

Cater to their needs & wants | 4 Tips to Create Seductive Emails & Get what you want

When creating your email it is essential to think of how you can make your customers’ life easier. Think: What do they want from an email? How will they consume my content? Is my message relevant enough?

Get useful and relevant:
  • Use a responsive template so customers can easily read your email on the go.
  • Flatter their egos through personalisation.
  • Segment your email list and create unique and targeted content based on individual interests and needs.

Email Skills | 4 Tips to Create Seductive Emails & Get what you want

Email is one of the main digital marketing skills Irish marketers are missing. We tested the skills of 622 marketers (380 in Ireland) and published the findings in the recently released Digital Skills Gap Report. The average email score? A shocking 41%. Test your own digital marketing skills for free with Ireland’s first digital diagnostic.

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