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It’s all very well to mount an expensive email campaign to get your business underway, but no point if no one opens your emails! It’s the email click rate that tells the difference between a successful email campaign and one that’s not. Here are 15 proven ways to increase your email campaign rate, and get those little conversion boosters lined up for your business.
1. Learn About Your Audience’s Wants. Before commencing your email campaign, find out everything you can about your audience. Know their concerns, desires and problems. A poll is a good way of finding out this information – you could offer an incentive such as a free tool or eBook for participation. This method will get you high conversion numbers.
2. Use A Trusted From Address. Most knowledgeable people won’t open your email unless they recognize the address. So use the same email address that you used when your subscribers opted in for your list. Make sure your email address is professional and not from a free email service, and also ensure that your business name is part of the address.
3. Target Your Email Subscribers. Keep track of your subscribers and their purchase activity. For customers, suggest items for upsell or cross-sell, and offer discounts and coupons. For non-customers, offer a free trial, attractive coupons and offers.
4. Test Your Html Emails. Use a bunch of popular email clients and send your HTML newsletters to yourself. You’ll know how your email looks in your subscriber’s inbox, and possible challenges. Accordingly, fine tune your email template, coding, presentation and size.
5. Overcome The Dreaded Spam Filter. Learn to sidestep spam filters by using spam filter breakers and specific phrasing helpers. Also, make it a point to request your opt-in subscribers to add your email address to their Safe Senders list.
6. Time Your Emails. Test, and discover the email timing that works best for you. Be consistent and soon your readers will expect your email at that time. Try Tuesday to Thursday (9.30 A.M. or 2 to 4 P.M. for B2B, and 5 P.M. to 8 P.M. for B2C).
7. Work On The First Email Sentence. Make sure that it is captivating, and takes off from the subject line and its message. You can also include your logo with a link in the first sentence that leads people to your site.
8. Try The Twitter Shorthand Method. Tweets are popular because they are tidbit-sized pieces of information that people can chew up on the go. They work like business cards too! Occasionally, try a short email that can be read at a glance.
9. Make Your Subscribers Feel Exclusive. Offer your subscribers something that your visitors don’t get, such as free eBooks, free consulting, or free product trials. You can also consider asking your subscribers to suggest product and content ideas, to make them feel special. Generate Curiosity!
10. Use The Secret Discount Technique. Mention that you have a special discount today but refrain from mentioning anything else. Provide a link where they can find out more and leave it at that. This works well as long as the subscriber has opted for your list.
11. Add A Twist To Your CTA. Include a P.S. below your CTA link or button and add a little disclaimer or funny comment there. For example, “Go to this page but don’t share it with anyone”. Tickle people’s funny bone while making them curious.
Use Various Subject Line Tactics.
12. Engage Your Reader Mentally. Add a question mark at the end of your subject line to get your subscribers thinking, and challenge them to know more. For example, “What is our special product and how is it going to help you?” or something much better than that.
13. Use Convincing Captions. Include a caption with your subject line that also acts as a CTA. For example, “Top dress styles for 2012 (Voted Best)”. Such a caption adds the conversion boosting power of a CTA to your subject line.
14. Brand Your Subject Lines. Create a distinctive brand using keyboard graphics and add that at the beginning of your subject lines. You can also use your initials within brackets. This method earns a higher open rate.
15. Keep Your Subject Line Short. Keep your email subject line to 50 characters or less. Make sure your critical message factors within the first 30 characters. You’re doing this so that email clients don’t cut of your subject lines in the middle of something important.
16. Include The Recipient’s Geographic Location In The Subject Line. Here’s a better idea than including your recipient’s name in the subject line. Include your recipient’s geographic location, say, Boston. This data is harder to come by, and can contribute to higher open rates.
17. Generate A Feeling Of Urgency Or Controversy. Use urgency-drivers such as “Offer only till midnight” or “Free eBooks only if you register today”. In the same vein, write controversial subject lines that motivate the reader to learn more, immediately.
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Stephen works for Invesp , a conversion optimization company based in Michigan where he regularly blogs about topics related to branding , online marketing and website optimization. You can also check Invesp blog for tips to make your online campaign more effective. Stephen works for Invesp , a conversion optimization company based in Michigan where he regularly blogs about topics related to branding , online marketing and website optimization. You can also check Invesp blog for tips to make your online campaign more effective.
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This is a much needed post for me. I have a data base of about 3000 and have watched my open rate drop by 5% month after month for the last 6 months. At this rate I’ll have no opens by year end. Thanks for the great read.
Hi Joe, one thing I have tried to do with my list is share with them stuff that doesn’t actually put money in my pocket, rather share with them valuable stuff I find.
From time to time I give away e-reports and videos..
All in all I think your *real list develops over time as you brand yourself to your list.
I really appreciate this great article that you have shared to be honest, e-mail marketing is quite an effective strategy, so true that all things listed here are very important to apply, we should know what interested parties want.