Some of you might still remember the days in which the sound of a new email coming in was something that excited you. Now, most of us have that whooshing sound muted. Chances are, it’s just another average marketing email from a company you interacted with once and never again.
For marketers and business owners, this is a painful truth. Email marketing feels like a necessary evil. While consumers are getting tired of it, it still seems to be one of the most efficient tools to attract, engage and convert customers – if you play your cards right.
Let’s make your customers excited about receiving your emails again.
In this article, we’ll dive into strategies that make your email marketing messages stand out in everyone’s inbox. But be aware: if you’re not looking to switch things up and want to continue writing safe, one-size-fits-all emails, these tips won’t be for you.
Is email marketing still a relevant tool in 2023?
Email marketing isn’t dead yet. It is still relevant and can be an effective way to reach and engage with your audience. In fact, for every dollar spent on email marketing, the average ROI is $36.
While there are many new marketing channels and technologies available, email remains a key part of many businesses’ marketing strategies because it allows you to reach a large audience in a targeted, personalized way.
Some benefits of email marketing include:
- Reach: Email has a high reach and is still one of the most widely used communication channels.
- Targeting: Email allows you to segment your audience and send targeted, personalized messages based on factors such as demographics, interests, and behavior.
- Measurability: Email marketing provides a wealth of data that can be used to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and optimize them for better performance.
- Cost-effectiveness: Email marketing is typically more cost-effective than other marketing channels, making it a viable option for businesses of all sizes.
- Integration: Email can be integrated with other marketing channels and technologies, such as social media and website analytics, to create a comprehensive marketing strategy.
Overall, while email marketing may not be the only marketing tool you use, it can be a valuable part of your overall marketing strategy.
How to attract and then engage customers through email
There are tons of email marketing trends out there, but there’s no secret format that will always work on everyone. Email marketing is a process, and you’re in control of the whole funnel. From attracting new subscribers, to converting them to first-time buyers, and keeping them on as engaged readers and customers: every stage requires different tactics.
First and foremost, get a good overview of what you’re doing, who is subscribing and how they’re interacting with your emails. There are some great tools out, with tons of top ClickFunnel alternatives that let you create and manage funnels with ease.
We’ll divide our strategies and tips between these stages and let you mix and match the ones that feel right for your type of business – and more importantly, your type of customer.
Attracting new readers (and new customers)
Email marketing can be an effective way to convert first-time buyers, especially if you use targeted, personalized messaging and calls to action. Here are a few strategies you can use to increase conversions from first-time buyers:
- Make it personal
Let’s face it: nobody is looking forward to emails from businesses. We want to connect with other humans. A behind-the-scenes of any given business isn’t exciting, but a behind-the-scenes of the life of their CEO, now that might be juicier.
We’re not saying you should use your email marketing as a diary (although…), but consider making it more about human connections than about business information.
Think using your CEO as the sender, or your creative copywriter, or your most charming sales rep, and write things from their perspective. Share what they’ve come across, what they’ve learned about customers and will implement, how they use your products. That’ll be a lot more refreshing than 90% of other marketing newsletters people receive.
- Give a sneak peek of the valuable content they’ll be getting
People are more likely to sign up for your email list if they feel they will get something of value in return. Consider offering exclusive content, discounts, or other perks to incentivize sign-ups. Use social media to showcase what type of emails people will receive. Yes, screenshots are great!
Or even keep all your previously sent emails available on your website, so people can choose for themselves whether that’s the type of content they want to receive. : Promote your email list on your social media profiles and consider offering an incentive for people who sign up through social media.
- Make the sign-up process easy-peasy
Make sure your sign-up form is easy to find and fill out. Avoid asking for too much information, as this can deter people from signing up. Just don’t make a fuss about it at all.
- Offer a free trial or sample in exchange for a sign-up
Offering a free trial or sample of your product or service can be a good way to attract people to sign up for your email list. Make sure there are no strings attached, and you still follow up with valuable content and support. It might be a trick to get them to sign up, but it’s not a trick to get them to stay signed up.
- Segment your list and add personal touches
The more relevant your emails are to your subscribers, the better chance you have of them actually reading them. Segmenting your email list allows you to send more targeted and relevant messages that are more likely to be opened and read by those who receive them. This can help you attract an enthusiastic follower base.
Engage your customers with these tips
Alright, now you’ve got all these people signed up for your magic marketing emails: now what?
Don’t use their precious email addresses to push promotional emails onto them. Instead, opt for the strategies we lay out below to keep them engaged with your content, and have them keep those warm feelings towards your business.
- Make it a conversation
Yes, it’s great to have a content planning and knowing which email goes out when, but consider treating your email marketing as more of a conversation. After all, email works two ways. Don’t end your emails on a dry note: ask questions, input, or start a conversation any other way. And yes: make sure someone is replying to the responses coming in.
- Send interactive emails
Interactive emails are emails that include elements such as polls, quizzes, or surveys that allow subscribers to interact with the content. These types of emails can be more engaging and help increase user engagement and retention. Sometimes one simple poll can work wonders, and it’s a great way to run quick surveys.
- Incorporate video in your emails
Incorporating video into your emails can be a powerful way to grab your subscribers’ attention and convey your message. Video emails tend to have higher open and click-through rates than traditional text-based emails.
- Use irresistible calls to action
Your email should have a clear purpose, and your call to action should be just as clear. Tell recipients exactly what you want them to do, and make it easy to do it. Have one clear CTA per email, and mix up what that CTA is. This is a great way of testing what works best for your audience and improving your email marketing efforts in the long run.
- Send triggered emails to re-engage sleepy subscribers
Triggered emails are automated messages that are sent based on a customer’s behavior or interactions with your business. For example, you could set up a triggered email campaign that sends a discount code to customers who haven’t made a purchase in 6 months or more. Triggered and automated emails can be extremely effective in re-engaging customers who may have become inactive and show your subscribers the value of your emails.
- Run a contest
Running a contest is a great way to engage your existing customers and get them excited about your brand. You could ask them to submit photos of themselves using your product, or write a review of your product on social media. The possibilities are endless!
- Give your subscribers full control over subscription preferences
Allowing your subscribers to customize their subscription preferences can help ensure that they are receiving the types of emails they are interested in and are less likely to unsubscribe. It makes them feel like they’re in control over the content they’re receiving, which helps them remain more engaged, simply by cutting out the content they don’t vibe with.
How different will your emails look like with these tips?
Like we said, if you want to reach better results with your email marketing, you have to be open to real change. Experiment, test and analyze and most importantly: check in with your customers to see what really works, and you’ll soon have a unique, powerful email strategy of your own!