Email is a revenue-driving machine. It reigns supreme as the most powerful marketing channel in terms of ROI, returning $38 for every $1 you spend. What’s more: It converts 40 times as many customers as social media.
But just because you have some email content and a list of subscribers doesn’t mean you’re getting the maximum benefit out of your email marketing campaigns.
In this post, we’ll take a look at nine things you can do to improve your email marketing by driving subscriber engagement, improving CTR, and curating more compelling content.
1. Use personalization for customer retention
Over 75% of email revenue is generated by triggered, personalized campaignsrather than one-size-fits-all campaigns according to DMA.
That said, personalization is a must for customer retention. We all know it’s cheaper to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Personalization nurtures your customers, keeping them engaged and interested by staying relevant and specific to their needs.
So how do you nail personalization? You can deploy:
- Cart abandonment reminders featuring subscriber-relevant products
- Personalized copy that leverages customer data you’ve collected
- Location-specific images/offers that make emails feel hyper-relevant
Just remember: Personalization should be personal. Make sure your copy reads like it was written for a human, not just an inbox.
2. Create subject lines that improve conversions
Just like the headline in traditional copywriting, your subject line is the only part most people read. In the case of email, it’s what determines whether or not they open it.
Of all the personal data you can collect for targeted emails, one of the most important pieces is your subscriber’s first name. Subject lines featuring a first name have a 26% higher open rate.
Be aware of length when writing a subject line. 50% of emails are opened on a mobile device, and iPhones can only show between 35–38 characters in portrait mode—so aim for subject lines in the 17–24 character range. And try to keep it to 3–5 words.
If you need suggestions for a killer subject line, here are 20 to get you started along with subject line best practices backed by hard data.