Marketing and lead generation are the cornerstone of your business. With a steady flow of leads coming in you should be able to maintain a consistent pipeline. The minute you start neglecting your marketing your business will come to a screeching halt. As difficult as marketing can be at times there are more options in 2018 then ever before. One of the most popular forms of marketing are email campaigns. You don’t need to be a tech wiz to know that email campaigns are a cost-effective method of growing your business. With email you can reach thousands of people in one shot. However, if your subject line is poor or your content is weak you won’t have the results you desire. Here are five tips to help improve your next email marketing campaign.
- Subject line. The starting point for any email is the subject line. This is especially important if you are looking to generate clicks. With a generic subject line, you can have the best content inside but it won’t make a difference. You need to find a subject style that works for you and your personality. Don’t tell the recipient what they can expect. You want to ask a question, use a quote or make a statement that prompts them to open the email. Simply stating what they can expect in the email is great if you are sending interoffice emails, but not if you are looking to generate business. The goal is to get your email opened and you can be as creative as possible. Some of the best campaigns start with the most unorthodox subject lines. Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and try something different.
- Content. From the second the reader opens your email you need to hit them in the face with content that pops. The first line needs to piggyback the subject but also provide a glimpse of the rest of the email. It is no secret that the general attention span has largely diminished over the past few years. You only have a few seconds to get their attention and then a handful more to keep it. Writing emails is much different than say writing a letter. With an email you want your content short, sweet and spaced out. Instead of the traditional paragraph format you should break your content up in one or two sentence segments. If you are making multiple points you should use bullet points to break them up. It is also important to remember that your reader will not read the email if it is too long. Make your point, get their attention and finish with a bang. The content shouldn’t be like anything else they see in their inbox. Just like with your subject line don’t be afraid to be a little untraditional with the content.
- End with a call to action. The big picture goal of any email campaign is to get the reader to respond. If you are marketing to homeowners, you want them to call or email to set up an appointment. With that in mind you should end every email with a specific call to action. Come right out and tell them to give you a call if they want more information. You should never make idol threats or vague promises, but you need to show them that time is of the essence. Even if you are sending bulk emails you should include a specific time and day for them to sit down and discuss their options. What you will find is that you are much more likely to get a meeting if you minimize the number of ways out. Without a call to action your email may be opened and read but you won’t hit the goal of your campaign.
- Send at the right time. One of the reasons email campaigns are so popular is because there are more companies dedicated to this niche than ever before. With just a few clicks you can find multiple companies that can do everything you need in the campaign for you. One overlooked factor in email success is when you send your emails out. If you send at a popular time when inboxes are flooded yours will just blend in with the crowd and get deleted. Ideally you should send it out either first thing in the morning or early evening. This will increase the chances the recipient will see and open your email. You should also try sending on the weekend as well. The company you use to send your emails out will provide data and statistics, so you can track your results and see what times work best for you.
- Be ready to act. If you utilize an email marketing company, there is a good chance you may not realize every time an email is scheduled. Even so, you need to always be prepared and ready to act. This starts by answering your phone every time it rings. Unless you are in the middle of something you must answer your phone. Most homeowners won’t leave a message and if they do they may not answer when you get around to returning their call. The same is the case with email. It is important to stop what you are doing and reply when an email comes your way. The longer you make them wait the less likely they will want to meet.
If you are consistent with your emails you will slowly see more responses and phone calls over time. Email campaigns work, but you need to remember the details.
