today’s post is all about your marketing emails, specifically five elements you may be overlooking which could be costing you your subscribers. i’m no expert at email marketing BUT i’ve got readin the darn things down to a science! so let’s discuss, shall we?
as i mentioned, this is coming to you from a consumer perspective cuz, hey, isn’t that who you’re trying to reach? y’all, i’m subscribed to tooooonnnns of email lists. why? cuz there’s always something to learn from my colleagues. or somebody had a really cool freebie. or maybe i just like to stay in touch and see what’s new!
however, i’ve been noticing a few things that have been bugging me. call them pet peeves, if you’d like, but there have been times that i’ve been driven to hit that unsubscribe link. not really what you want happening if you know you’ve got something to offer your subscribers, right?
there’s lots of help out there on how to build your email list, how to automate your emails and how often to send them. but this post is going to address some critical mistakes you might be making with the content of your emails.
who are you, again?
to avoid sounding “sales-y,” personalization and a sense of familiarity is key when communicating with our subscribers. we all know this. but if your email is coming to me from “maggie” there’s a 99.9% chance that i’m not gonna remember who the heck you are so i’m not gonna open it. remember, i’m not the only one subscribed to a bazillion email lists (okay, slight exaggeration but you feel me). keep it personal – lead with your first name but also include your business name.
wait, where’s your website?
okay, i get it. you’ve got some great content you can’t wait to share. you’ve written this fab email and i’m really digging the content. so i scroll to the bottom, looking for a link to maybe view some of your other work or check your prices or read more about you……. and all i see is a mailchimp logo and the option to unsubscribe. soooooo guess what i’m gonna choose? make sure your readers have easy access to ALL the things – website, social media, blog -within your correspondence, not just the info you’re trying to drive them to.
where do i click?
its a new season and you’ve got a new line of artwork to share with me, one of your subscribers. i open the email (cuz you’ve included your shop name and i know who you are), i decide that i love that print and i must have it for my office (okay, i don’t have an office. just pretend). i click the photo and nothing happens. do i click the text or have you formatted it to look so pretty that i can’t tell if it’s a link? easy-peasy fix: be sure your photos + graphics are linked AS WELL as the text.
so, what do you want?
i have some colleagues who send out emails not to sell, not to request, but only just to catch up and let me know i’m not alone. that is totally awesome. AND it’s completely clear from the onset. but if you’re sending me an email about a new product or service or your discussing a problem i have that you have the solution to, be sure to include some sort of ‘call to action’……..”look here for more info/pricing,” or “fill out this survey” or it could be as simple as “reply to this email”. but make sure there’s SOME direction or i’ll have absolutely no idea why you bothered to write in the first place.
cool info but how do i get in touch?
maybe i don’t WANT to go to your website and fill out a contact form. maybe i don’t realize that i can reply to this email and reach YOU and not your spam box. so remind your readers AND include your email address written out and linked as a “mailto”
here’s the bottom line. i know you spent a lot of time making sure your website is easy to navigate, directs your viewer where you want them to go and includes #allthethings. it should be the same with your marketing emails.
if you’re like me and you’ve skimmed to the bottom of this post, here’s the summary, quick + simple…..
make sure to include:
- your business name in the sender info;
- links to your site, social media + blog;
- links on your product/service photos;
- a call to action; and
- clear directions on how to get in touch
let me know your thoughts….. have you run into any other pet peeves you’d like to share? drop a comment below!
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