How to Make Your Email Stand Out from the Rest - Data Driven Strategies

How to Make Your Email Stand Out from the Rest - Data Driven Strategies

The email marketing world divides into those who struggle to get their emails opened (let alone read) and those who create subscribers willing to put their boss off an extra 10 minutes in order to hungrily digest that next nugget of wisdom the moment it hits the inbox.

Getting your emails to stand out isn't the challenge you might think it is when you know these vital, data-driven strategies.

How to Get Your Emails Opened

Let’s start with the obvious point that no one will read your emails if you don't successfully entice them to click the all-important subject line.

Words to Avoid: Testing has discovered certain subject line words hurt open rates. These include words such as free, help, perfect and donate.

Less is More: Since 40% of emails are opened on mobile devices, it's good practice to keep your subject lines to 50 characters or less.

Get Negative: Negativity often gains attention. You might use a subject line such as “Why your visitors hate your website”. Of course, make sure you provide positive and constructive ways to fix the problem inside your email.

Get Your Emails Read After They’re Opened

Use Bucket Brigades: Copywriters use what's called “grease-slide” copy in sales letters. Bloggers use it to get folks to read their posts. You can use this technique in your emails to encourage readers to continue reading.

Questions are one example. Other phrases include “Picture this”, “Just imagine”, “I've been there” or “You freeze in your tracks”. These are also called Bucket Brigades.

Use “Because”: A Helen Langer study found that people take action after hearing the word “because”. One effective email copy strategy is to state why your prospect should or shouldn’t do something and then immediately continue with, “because (the reason)”.

Use Humor: One marketing experiment saw an increase in sales when the final offer included “and I'll throw in a pet frog”. The lesson learned is that using a little humor helps readers feel compelled to not only read further, but to also take you up on your calls-to-action.

For more help about effective email marketing, contact us.