It cannot be denied: As opposed to most marketing efforts such as print, radio or TV ads or status updates in social media feeds, e-mail marketing is a conscious decision made by potential clients. Subscribers make available their names and e-mail addresses to you because they expect to receive relevant content from you. Subscribing to an e-mail newsletter is therefore like saying “Yes, I'm interested in you and your products and services.” Marketers, however, should not take this general interest for granted. There is, after all, the 'unsubscribe' button and customers will not hesitate to use it if your newsletter fails to live up to their expectations or simply becomes an annoyance clogging their mail boxes.
The advantages of e-mail marketing are staring at your face every time you open your mail account. Contrary to advertisements and social media feeds, e-mails are made to stay. They are not easily ignored. This is also why 40 percent of executives plan to invest a higher budget in their e-mail marketing efforts (see info chart below). E-mails are not part of the continuous stream of information that is only temporarily available. As long as an e-mail is not deleted, it will remain accessible in customers' mail boxes. Moreover, newsletters are a door that is always open. A subscriber may not open one e-mail. But maybe he will open the next because he has more time or the subject line is more appealing to him.
Thus, before you put together a newsletter with your latest offers, think twice. There are many things to consider:
Responsive design
From smartphone to desktop computer – your newsletter has to look great on every device. The future is mobile, which means that the majority of e-mails will be opened on mobile devices in the near future. Moreover, your e-mails probably contain links to landing pages. It is important that you offer customers a unified experience. Continuity builds trust and allows for fast and easy navigation.
Social sharing options
Your customers have friends – allow them to share interesting information with them (“SWYN-links”). Few e-mails currently feature social sharing options (see info chart). This, then, presents the perfect opportunity to make up some lost ground. Moreover, your overall marketing strategy should be integrated. Use your social media sites for new subscriptions. Allow subscribers to share newsletter content with their peers. This is how you establish a continuous relationship with your audience and how you expand your reach!
These numbers tell the story. Find the most important background information in our exclusive info chart:
Download the high-resolution chart here:
Subject
Be creative and use a subject line that draws readers in. Be extra short or extra long in your subject. Address the recipient directly. The goal is to get readers' attention so they open the e-mail. Whatever you do – try not to be predictable!
Subscription form
Do not be greedy. You will raise suspicion if you ask for too much personal information. This is really important and cannot be repeated enough. Other information that may interest you can be obtained using analytics tools or by including surveys in your mails. If you ask for people’s home addresses, for example, they will expect you to sell their addresses to other parties or that you will clog their mail boxes with brochures. All they want, however, is electronic mail from you. Therefore: ask for their names and their e-mail addresses. Nothing more.
Content
Do not deliver a sales pitch, deliver value. This way, sales will come naturally. Also: do not cram too much information into your newsletter. If it takes 5 minutes to read your newsletter, it is definitely too long. Be short and be creative – some products can be highlighted especially well with GIF animations.
Another thing to keep in mind: try to provide exclusive content. Special offers for your subscribers will make them feel special and they will be more likely to recommend your newsletter to their peers. Why? Because this way they actually have a reason to subscribe! Everybody loves discounts, right?
Analytics tools
Which devices do your subscribers use, which links do they click, what is their geographical location? Use analytics tools to personalize and optimize your newsletter. What works, what does not? These are important questions that need to be answered in order to be successful!
Shopping cart integration
Allow customers to subscribe to your mailing list with a single click during the checkout process. With the right software, you can use the information of their shopping history to further customize your e-mails. This is relevant e-mail marketing based on actual shopping behavior!
Our offer
W4 knows e-mail. We develop an all-around e-mail marketing strategy for you. From content to design and programming, get the best service from one single source. Get in touch!
