High-converting emails aren’t some pie-in-the-sky dream. While they’re difficult, they’re doable as long as you’re working within the right set of guidelines.
Are you looking for a sky-high ROI? Would you like to see each dollar you spend on marketing earn you $38 in return? Do you want a strategy that will get you 40 times more new customers than Facebook or Twitter? A single email can do all that — and much more.
Put the keyboard down and back away slowly, because there’s a catch. Any ol’ email isn’t enough. It has to be a good email. A great email. The Betty White of all emails.
We’re here to show you how to create just that: a fantastic, high-converting email that will have customers flocking to your landing page, website or storefront. Here’s how to get it done.
Start With the Head(line)
Your headline — or subject line, in this instance — can make or break you. It’s the first thing your recipient will see, and if it’s not done correctly, it could be the last.
A good subject line elicits an emotional response. It can be intrigue: “Open to reveal your exclusive gift!” It can be humor: “Don’t throw me away, it’s dark in the trash can!” It can even be urgency: “These deals end at midnight tonight!”
What it absolutely cannot be is boring.
Personalization matters, too — to the tune of 23.5%. That’s the increase of open rates for retailers who included a customer’s first name in the subject line verses those who opted for a more generic approach.
Test your subject lines out. A simple A/B test will show you which subject lines have the best open rates. Once you have that information, it’s easy to tailor your headings to your audience!
You’re In — Now What?
Your subject line passed the test. Your foot is officially in the door. But that door can still slam closed at any time (taking a few toes along with it) if you can’t keep your reader reading.
The “seven seconds” theory was originally developed for websites, the premise being that you only have seven seconds to hook a visitor’s attention. That can just as easily be applied to the body of your email. If you don’t hook them immediately, your carefully crafted creation will end up in the trash.
Whether you keep them in suspense, tell a story, promise to solve a problem or ask them a question (thus keeping their attention long enough for them to ponder the answer), the important thing is to continuously drive them through the email from beginning to end, hanging on to your every word the entire journey.
Easy? Nope. Effective? Absolutely!
Make Your Pitch
Presumably, you’re not emailing these people to tell them to have a great day — so why are you emailing them? Do you have important news about your business? Are you having a limited-time-only sale? Do you want them to follow you on social media, enter a contest, apply for credit or just buy your stuff?
Whatever it is, your call to action needs to be made both abundantly clear and super simple for the reader. Don’t link to your homepage if you’re trying to direct readers to a certain page or product. And don’t make would-be customers type out their entire life story if you’re asking them to sign up for a gated resource.
Your call to action needs to be on point, or you won’t see any action at all.
Add Some Value
Pavlov’s dogs learned to salivate at the sound of a bell because they knew food was coming soon. Skinner’s rats quickly discovered which button dispensed treats and which dispensed an electric shock. While we’re not trying to compare your awesome, upstanding customers to cruel scientific experiments, humans aren’t really all that different.
Never send an email that doesn’t contain value. Whether it’s a special discount, a coupon code for free shipping, a chance to enter a giveaway or a free sample of your product, when you condition people to expect something pleasant, they’ll keep seeking out that pleasant whatever-it-is. Which means they’ll keep opening (and acting on) your emails.
And you’ll both live happily ever after!
If you’re not converting, something’s not working. And if you can’t figure out what that something is, Mischa Communications can help. Toss your marketing problems our way and we’ll work together to find a solution that fits your small business!