By: Priscilla Salmasi and Shay Harbaugh
As we mentioned in the July/August article, email marketing is not dead- it’s alive and well- there’s just a new take on how it’s used. A lot has changed wince the days when the phrase “You’ve Got Mail” was made popular. If email marketing is thriving, what’s changed? Here are some tips to have your email make it through to the inbox of your audience- the right way.
Subject Lines: The Bearer of Good News
The subject line is the first thing people read when deciding to open an email or not. Use your imagination and think of a clever way to capture the message of the email. Avoid the use of exclamation points and all caps in the body of your email as well as in the subject line. Avoid the use of overused phrases like “Act Now!'” or “Don’t Miss!” People see these subject lines so often, they’ve become accustomed to them and will most likely ignore or delete the email.
Don’t Be Boring!
Stand out amongst your competitors with an eye-catching and attention grabbing design. Use dynamic graphics in an effective way that not only works with the text, but can help enhance your message and tell your story. Keeping the amount of text and images balanced and proportioned makes for a successful design. Also, have a design and a layout that is consistent and can easily guide the user from top to bottom with ease and doesn’t cause confusion – it’s just like reading a book. You have a beginning, middle and ending that flows together. One of the most important things to remember for your design is to stay true to your brand and utilize your brand’s fonts and colors. Designing a header and footer that has your logo and company’s information is a key element to keeping your brand consistent in email marketing.
Don’t Spam
There are a few things to be aware of in your design that can help you stay out of the dreaded spam folder. Do not use ALL CAPS in the body text. Not only is your email at risk of being spammed, but it can also be too aggressive. Be careful of over using certain words such as “FREE,” “BUY NOW,” or “CLEARANCE.” These common advertising terms can trigger the spam filter.
Do Design Your Email For Mobile Viewing
There has been a major shift from people reading email on their desktop to checking their email on their phone. Next time you’re on an elevator, take a look around – you will notice everyone is checking their phone, catching up on their email. Fifty percent of millennials open email on their phone. What does your email campaign look like on mobile? If you don’t know, send yourself a test message and check it out on something other than a desktop. If it takes pinching and zooming in to read the message, you may want to reconsider how it’s designed.
*There are many more ways to improve your email marketing efforts at vdgatl.com
