8 Ways to Improve Your Email Marketing Campaigns

I’m sure you’ve signed up for digital newsletters in the past (hopefully eVision Media’s!).

Thinking back, do you remember what made you engage with a company’s eNewsletter?

Chances are, it was one of these three reasons:

1. To get info on sales and discounts.
2. To be entertained.
3. To learn something valuable.

Engagement-based email marketing relates to how your subscribers interact with your eNewsletter. Once they’ve opened it up, you still need to wow them with your content.

So this week, I’m sharing 8 ways to improve email engagement, from subject lines to segmentation.

1. Grab them with a great subject line.

As someone scans their inbox, they’re likely to see a number of promotional subject lines. You don’t have much time or space to convince them to open yours.

You want to pique someone’s curiosity by offering them a short and sweet description of what they can expect. “Short and sweet” is key here, especially because around 42% of people are opening newsletters on mobile, which means a much smaller screen.

Whether it’s a massive clearance sale or must-have advice, create a sense of urgency and excitement around whatever you’re offering.

2. Always give people something of value.

Yes, you want to convert subscribers into paying customers, but you don’t do that by stuffing your newsletter full of random promotions or links to products.

Aim for a story, not a sales pitch. Start with a personal intro to help your readers get to know you, whether it’s your recent accomplishment or happiness around the holidays.

 In a recent newsletter, I shared how Daniel’s recent bacon-birthday-extravaganza at The Broken Whisk was a big success!

3. Be consistent.

If you usually send a newsletter on a Tuesday but get busy and forget until three months later and rush it out on a Friday, your followers won’t know what to expect and will probably have forgotten who you were by then.

And, you’ll be missing out on valuable opportunities to reach people, making it much more likely they’ll engage with your competitors instead.

Stick to a calendar so people can count on your content consistently each week or month.

4. Add some social proof.

Social proof is a term that was coined by Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book, Influence. (An excellent book by the way!) Basically, it’s the tendency of humans to copy the actions of others in a certain situation.

Examples of social proof include celebrity endorsements, online reviews and social media shares. Did you know that 83% of people trust reviews over advertising?

So, create an area of your eNewsletter where you can share customer testimonials or positive reviews with your followers.

5. Share valuable content.

It’s important to give your readers a reason to keep opening your emails. If you’re constantly promoting your product without offering tips or advice, you’re not going to keep their attention or loyalty.

A blog article can be a great tool for engagement-based email marketing. You can either place the full article in the body of the newsletter or just have the first few paragraphs of the article in the newsletter, and then link back to your blog.

When people feel your advice or content is valuable, they might share it with their friends. Don’t forget to add a little note at the bottom of your article inviting your readers to share your content with their social media followers for even more exposure.

And keep in mind people are looking for reassurance around COVID-19 protocols now. Your followers will get value and peace of mind if you tell them things like stricter cleaning routines and employees wearing face masks.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car now includes messaging around their commitment to protecting customers’ health and safety.

6. Get people used to promos.

I did say you shouldn’t make your eNewsletter too salesy, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid sharing the benefits of your product or service.

One ideal way to do this is to have a dedicated promo section of your newsletter, so that people get used to the idea of seeing valuable content alongside promos. That way, they won’t be surprised or even offended if you suddenly promote something in your eNewsletter.
 

Vancouver’s SKN Clinic sends a monthly newsletter with promos and useful content.

7. Segment your lists.

Your subscribers are not all the same. You can really improve open rates and engagement by dividing your list of subscribers into groups based on their demographics and behavior.

For example, focusing on a specific geographic area to share news about a local event, or targeting a group who spent over a certain amount with a higher-end product promo.

8. Make it easy to unsubscribe.

While you don’t want your followers to give up on you, it’s critical to adhere to Anti-Spam and CASL laws. While this isn’t necessarily a way to improve email engagement, it’s the law, and you can pay hefty fines if you don’t follow it.

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I know this might seem like a lot of information, but there are so many variables when it comes to engagement-based email marketing. But when done effectively, you can get so much value from it—leads, sales and social media followers.

It’s well worth the time and effort to create an engagement-based email marketing campaign.

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate, so if you find that it’s too much to improve email marketing on your own, contact us for help.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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