Before we begin, consider these three facts:
- Targeted email campaigns have an open rate that is 14.32% higher than non-targeted campaigns. (Mailchimp, 2016)
- The open rate for e-mails with a personalized message was 18.8%, as compared to 13.1% without any personalization in 2016. (Statista, 2016)
- Brands that personalize promotional marketing emails experience 27% higher unique click rates and 11% higher open rates than those that do not personalize. (Experian, 2016)
Email marketing is an inexpensive and effective way to get in touch with prospects if you take the proper steps in crafting them. The information you relay in your email and the way you share it has a direct impact on how well your email will perform with recipients.
You don’t have to be a professional writer to get attention or to create a successful email campaign, but you should be concise and include compelling information. Most prospective buyers are bombarded with emails from a variety of businesses, on a daily basis. Incorporating the right details allow you to break through the clutter and helps ensure that you make a connection. Craft a compelling subject line and consider each of the following questions as you draft your next sales email.
How clear is my value proposition?
Why do customers buy from you and what is your unique selling proposition? Having a handle on what differentiates you from your competitors and what motivates your clients to buy can help you convey your message in a compelling manner. Once you understand what triggers the buying behavior, you can make sure your messaging clearly relays your value proposition. The more closely aligned your email and value proposition are, the more it will resonate with recipients and the more effective it will be.
While every business is unique, some common value proposition areas are defined below:
- Superlative Customer Service: In an industry that sell similar products at similar price points, your superior customer service sets you apart from the crowd. If this is where your brand lands, you need to let the recipient know right up front what you’ll do for them.
- Aggressive Low Prices: You are all about the bargain and your customers can’t get enough savings. Make sure your email messaging clearly reflects this with a tempting offer the reader can’t refuse right in the subject line.
- Amazing Selection: Your clients love you because you have the items they want in every color and every possible combination, allowing for one stop shopping. Your messaging needs to showcase just how much variety and selection you can offer in one convenient location.
- Coveted, Hard to Find Items: Items you just can’t get anywhere else are your specialty. Whether you have limited editions, one of a kind offerings or just carry lines that are tough to find, your customer craves the different and exclusive. Highlight those finds in your subject line and email messaging to make sure your messages are getting read.
What keeps my prospects up at night?
Every buyer you encounter has a problem that scratches and claws at them as their head hits the pillow. Maybe it is falling ad revenues, worries about network security, or concerns about their brand’s image. Whatever it may be, discover what keeps your prospects up at night and find a way to alleviate their discomfort. Incorporating their issue into your email can help trigger a response or at least grab their attention long enough to read your pitch.
How and when am I going to help?
Identifying the problem is just the beginning – you still need to present your solution. This is your opportunity to showcase a product or service and to relay how adopting your solution will benefit the prospect in the future. Outlining the benefits of your offer in a timeframe that is clear and understandable allows your prospect to visualize success in a real way. They’ll be able to imagine not only their troublesome issue solved, but the impact that solution will have on their life in the near future.
Attaching a timeframe to your program also brings your solution to life. The proposed date of completion allows your prospect to visualize success in real terms and adds a sense of urgency; most of us want to see our problems go away sooner than later, and you’re giving your prospect a chance to do just that.
What do I want my readers to do?
This is an elementary question at its base level, but easy to overlook if you’re not careful. Remember to identify the true purpose of your email. Simply closing without asking for a commitment is throwing away an opportunity; in most cases, a prospect or customer who read all the way to the close is invested enough to take another step. Think about this and decide; Do you want the reader to make an appointment? Click a link? Reply to your email? Or take some other action? Ending your email with a firm call to action, that is specific and easily followed, can help you achieve the results you desire.
Email marketing had a big year and is only continuing to grow. It is projected, that before 2019, the email user base will balloon to 2.9 billion worldwide (Statista, 2016.) This combined with the aggressive growth of advertising campaigns will ensure that companies who do not recognize the importance of this impressive medium will begin to lag and fall behind. Make sure you’re asking the right questions to maximize value to yourself and your prospects each time you’re about to hit “send.”
