Get your email newsletter read

Successful email marketing is harder than it looks. Sending an email is easy – getting the recipient to open, read and click is the tricky bit. Unsolicited bulk emails (spam) have a surprisingly high response rate because their message is usually very simple: want this? click here. If your message is more complex, you’ll need to work a little harder. BoxChilli are online marketing experts – our top tips are below.

Key information in title

The title of an email newsletter is its headline, and it’s what makes people decide whether to open it or delete it unread. Most email clients chop off a title, so it’s best to be short and to the point – give your readers a solid reason to open the message, such as a discount, tell them you’ve got a new product to share or other information they need.

Only relevant information

As with the title, keeping the body text short and to the point is essential. Many people receive hundreds of emails in a day, and will spend just a few seconds skimming through your email newsletter. Sub-headings, like the ones used here, will help them find the sections which interest them quickly. Aim for about 100 words per section, and finish with a link where readers can find out more about the topic, in our case email marketing.

Appropriate images

Illustrations, particularly product photos, can be very attractive. This is especially true for products where the visual appeal is important, such as clothes, cars, home furnishings, or where the user has to imagine themselves there, such as restaurants, hotels, holidays and even gyms or business suites. To have a strong impact, images must be relevant and clear. Although bear in mind that not all email clients display images, so make sure the text and layout works without them.

Timely offers

Special offers are a popular way of increasing sales in the short term and can be very effective – as long as they’re timely and well targeted. Email marketing allows you to reach your customers quickly, for example to advertise a sale on barbecues as soon as the sun comes out, or to schedule a message for a particular time, perhaps dropping a newsletter with weekly special offers into inboxes on Monday morning.

Regularly, not often

Too many messages will overwhelm your readers and cause them to unsubscribe. Ensure your list stays healthy by only sending an email newsletter when you have something to offer your clients, such as a new product launch, a special offer or industry news. Few readers will tolerate – never mind action – a daily newsletter but many will appreciate a weekly message.

Evolve your email marketing campaign

At BoxChilli, we offer a comprehensive set of reports which allow you to assess the impact of your email marketing campaigns. By comparing the results of each email newsletter, you can quickly focus on the tactics which are proving effective. Key data points will include the number of people who have unsubscribed, the number of forwards, click throughs and actions taken, such as sales but our analysis can offer much more insight.

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