6 Tips for Better Email Responses

Blog Categories:  Email Marketing  

If you’ve ever felt like your email marketing is getting you nowhere, this post is for you. Here are six ways to improve email responses!

1. Make It to the Inbox

Sometimes you’re not seeing responses because recipients aren’t seeing your emails. Are you taking steps to avoid the spam box? Here are a few tips to try:

  • Ask to Be Added to Address Book: When recipients opt in to your email newsletter, ask them to add your sending address to their address book. So if your sending address is [email protected], all emails that come from Fred will be accepted to the inbox. This step is simple but important because it overrides all other filters and settings.
  • Ditch Spammy Words: Body parts are out, tangible business phrases are in. You’re also going to want to stay away from anything typically linked with fake offers or spoofs---CASH, MONEY, BAD CREDIT!!!!, DIET, etc. Spam filters know to watch for these words and flag the emails before they’re ever read.
  • Write Strategic Subject Lines: Beyond avoiding the wrong words, work to use the write ones—especially in your subject line. The subject line is like the book jacket or the title of a piece: it’s what a lot of readers will use to decide whether or not to be interested. Mention your brand, be specific about what’s in the email and hook them with an enticing question or phrase.

2. Include a Call to Action

The best way to garner a response is to ask for one—and ask early, at the beginning of your email if possible. What is it you want your email to achieve: a subscription, a purchase, a click-through, a referral? Whatever it is, come right out and ask for it. Include something like, “Please respond to this email with a yes or no,” or “Go here to get the discounted rate!”

3. Look Professional

We’ve all heard content is king, both on the Web and in emails, but make no mistake: design does matter. Colors, logos, fonts and layout all play a major role in communicating your message, not to mention amplifying your brand. Here are some defining characteristics of quality email design:

  • Consistency: Use your company logo and color scheme in all your marketing materials, including your emails, in order to create a coherent sense of your style.
  • Mobile Adaptability:  What do your email and webpages look like on mobile devices? Since many of your readers will be accessing your message on their phones or other handhead devices, you need to design your email to display in them.
  • Descriptive Image Text: Most email servers will disable email images unless the user allows them. Therefore, you should assume many readers won’t see your pictures and set descriptive text for the “alt” tags so no information is missing.

4. Keep It to the Point

Once you get recipients reading your emails, don’t lose their interest by droning on and on about details of your product or company. Consolidate your message into main ideas that can be easily communicated, in a few minutes or less, and make them scannable and interesting so as not to be overlooked.

5. Have Something to Offer

It’s as true of email campaigns as it is of websites or TV commercials: people want to know what’s in it for them. So right up front, know what you will offer your audience and communicate that in the subject line as well as in the email. Maybe it’s a list of resources or a discounted price on products or a sneak peek at some upcoming event. Let your readers know how helping you can help them, and you’re much more likely to keep their interest.

6. Optimize Your Landing Page

Your landing page is the webpage your email sends readers to—the shopping site with discounts, the details page with more info. To get the most out of clicks, you want to optimize this page for the highest possible conversions. How can you do this? Take a look at these tips:

  • Test Pages: Before ever sending the email out, test the landing pages to make sure they work and that pages open properly in browsers.
  • Set Up Analytics Tracking: Be sure to have tracking enabled on your landing page so you can see how it’s performing.
  • Tell Users Where They Are: The first thing users should see when they get to your landing page is where they are—on your company’s site. You may even include a welcome message at the top of the page acknowledging that they’ve come from your email blast.
  • Include Multiple Calls to Action: In addition to the call to action already in your email itself, be sure to include calls to action on the landing page. Make it as easy as possible for users to be converted.

By following these six tips, you’ll be well on your way to better email results and a more effective marketing campaign. Take the time to implement these strategies and you’re sure to reap the rewards!

Ready to Make Every Click Count?