The success of your email marketing campaign depends on a combination of aspects. Subject lines, email content, formatting and timing are key factors contributing to open and conversion rates.
Subject lines:
- Subject lines should be relevant to the recipient and match the content of the email.
- Research shows that while shorter subjects optimize open rates, longer subject lines tend to optimize click and click-to open rates.
- The same research shows that the more words in a subject line, the more likely the email is to appeal to the “right” people. Increased information allows people to better decide if an email is relevant to them.
Content:
- The first line should tell the recipient why they are receiving this email (i.e. “You are receiving this message because you have subscribed to list XYZ.”)
- Check that the content matches the subject line and is relevant to the recipient.
- Make sure the unsubscribe link is easy to find (this may mean shortening your message.)
Formatting:
- Don’t rely on people being able to see your images - image blocking is common on many email services.
- Add inline styles - again, many email services will not allow anything else to show up correctly.
- Use structural tables to create columns.
- Make sure that the plain text version of your email is reader-friendly.
Timing:
- Don’t send email too frequently. This can cause recipients to tune out and ignore your email, or worse, annoy them to the point where they mark your emails as SPAM.
- Don’t send emails too infrequently, this can make your recipients forget you.
- Find the delicate balance between having your users forget you and having them annoyed by you.
- Send out your emails during regular intervals so the recipient comes to anticipate them, and is less likely to mark them as SPAM.
