But just because some companies abuse our inboxes doesn't mean that email marketing is ineffective.
Remember, there was a time when you wanted the coupon from that online store and you may have even used it! Chances are, your customers would like to receive news and special offers from you too. But, before you start sending emails, make sure you don't commit the same sins as those companies that have driven you to the point of unsubscribing.
Here are 5 things you should know about email marketing:
1. Use an online email marketing platform
Ever wonder how companies create those colorful emails with graphics and buttons you can click? They use email marketing platforms to make their emails stand out from normal email. Email marketing platforms let you manage your subscribers, create attractive email campaigns, and track data about how your subscribers interact with your email.
From my own experience, I recommend that you use either Constant Contact or MailChimp to send email. Constant Contact, is easy to use and has tons of templates that you can customize and send out to your customers. The only downside is that it costs money to use. However, it is definitely worth it in the end. You can use Constant Contact to manage events as well. MailChimp is fairly simple and gives you the tools you need to get the job done. The best thing about MailChimp is that their "Entrepreneur" package is free and let's you send 12,000 emails to up to 2,000 subscribers. MailChimp is perfect for people who are just getting started with their business. From my experience sharing a MailChimp account with other people, it can sometimes be confusing to use. But, in the end, it's effective and if you are using the free package, it's a steal.
2. Link Your Campaign to Social Media
Once you've picked a platform, make sure that you include all of the links that your customers can engage with your company. After a customer has read your awesome email, they might want to share it with their friends on Facebook, see pictures of your products on Pinterest, or read your blog. Make sure that you make it easy for your customers to do this! Both MailChimp and Constant Contact allows users to add logos for these social media sites into their email campaign. Often times, your subscribers will share your email with other potential customers, and they do it without costing you a dime!
3. Grab their Attention!!
It's an Apple Fest at Brus...
Just Arrived, Fall Patago...
Jacob, See it Live: Ticket...
These are actual email subject lines from my inbox. All three get cut off on my phone. Don't forget to think "Mobile First" as most people are using mobile devices to read email, engage with social media, and communicate with each other today. This is all that your customers can see in the subject line when you send them an email and they look at it in their inbox on a mobile phone. None of these subjects grab my attention so I didn't open any of these emails. Maybe if they were able to catch my attention, I might have opened it. When coming up with a subject line, remember this and try to come up with something that isn't too long that your subscribers can't see it and make sure it's something that will generate opens.
Use these tips to come up with good subject lines for your email:
1. Don't state your company name! We can already see who the message is from in the "From:" line. There's no need to tell us your name twice.
2. Avoid useless words. What's the point of your email in one word? Maybe it's "Sale" or "New" or "Update". Make sure that this word is visible in the subject line.
3. Use the subject line to state the biggest point of the email. For example, if you do a monthly newsletter, consider making the lead story title the subject of your email. This will do more to grab attention than "September Newsletter" will do.
4. Don't Send Too Many Emails!
This is self explanatory. Nobody wants to get an email from you twice a day, or even once a day! Only send emails if you have something worthwhile to say and try not to send more than one every week or two. Remember how you hate an inbox full of emails from companies, your customers don't want to be spammed by you either. Less is definitely more here. If you send fewer emails and emails that only have important info, your customers might actually look out and anticipate your email.
A great example of a company that does this is Cards Against Humanity. I signed up for their newsletter and I have only received two emails from them this year. Naturally when I saw the message in my inbox, I immediately clicked on it because I actually wanted to hear what they had to say. Both emails were used as announcements for a new product that they had developed.
5. Give 'Em What They Want
Your customers all signed up for your emails for a reason. Maybe it was special deals, maybe it was coupons, whatever it was, make sure you remember it when you create a new email. If I signed up to receive special offers, I could care less if you have a new product that you are selling for $400. You shouldn't be trying to shove your emails down your customer's throat. If you give your customers what they want, chances are they aren't going to click the unsubscribe button the next time you send them an email.
Last tip: This tip deserves to be law!
NEVER force your customers to give you their email address at checkout!!! Ever. Whichever marketer thought that this was a good idea should be forced to receive spam for eternity. Forcing your customers to give you their email address at gunpoint is an effective way to engage with them. you are already getting their money, why do you have to take their inbox too? I'll be honest, whenever some cashier or someone giving away free koozies at a booth asks for my email address, I just make up a random email address for someone named John Franklin. I know that I'm not the only person to do this, so what's the use of collecting my email address when it's not accurate?
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