With the sheer volume of correspondence that most inboxes hold these days, it takes a special email to reach out and grab attention. If you’re an email marketer frustrated by your response rates, then you know this all too well. Don’t worry – this handy infographic from email marketing firms Email Monks and Vision6 lays out the 8 critical elements that should be included in every awesome email. Let’s take a look and see what they recommend.
The 8 Critical Elements Every Awesome Email Needs to Have:
- Attention-grabbing subject line. This one seems like a no-brainer but it can be hard to define what makes a great subject line. The subject line should be personal, relevant, and timely, and it should clearly explain the benefit to the customer. Experiment with different subject lines to see what works best for your customers.
- Recognizable from-name. Customers don’t want to open spam or potentially malicious emails, so you have to make sure that they know that your note is from a trusted source. Make sure that your return address and from-name are easily recognizable, or chances are your email won’t get a second glance.
- Customized pre-header text. This is the text that is viewable in your customer’s inbox even before they open your email, so make sure that it communicates valuable information about what your email contains (and why your customer should be interested.)
- A beautiful image. A picture is worth a thousand words, and a well-shot, attractive, relevant image is a great way to draw your reader into your email.
- Compelling content. Once you’ve gotten their attention, you need to deliver the goods! Make sure that your content is interesting and relevant to the reader – you can segment your database and use dynamic content to make sure that your emails are well-targeted and make sense for your different customers. Make sure to show your brand’s personality and try to sound sincere.
- A powerful Call-To-Action. This element is the key to driving engagement and conversions, so make sure that it’s clear, compelling, and easy to do. Also, make sure that your CTA button or link is highly visible – if people are skimming, you don’t want them to miss it!
- Sender details. Don’t fall afoul of the Spam Act! Most countries require that sender details such as the name and address of an organization are included in emails. You should also make sure that your reply-to address is working and read the responses sent.
- Unsubscribe link. Hopefully, none of your customers will ever want to use it, but you need to make sure to include one according to anti-spam laws. Don’t worry – if you follow the rest of the tips, you may not have to worry as much about losing readers!
Does your company have a best practices policy when it comes to email marketing? Does it contain any insights that weren’t included on the list? Let me know in the comments!
