So you’re a digital marketer. Where once marketers had to depend on custom code to include pre-header text in their emails, that process has now become incredibly simple with the slew of marketing automation platforms out there. Emails have now begun taking inspiration from these smart messaging apps to offer content that’s tailored to every aspect of a user’s profile, making the email hyper-relevant to the user. From web browsing data to transactional data to a user’s profile data, companies sit on a gold mine of data sources waiting to be tapped and crafted into effective marketing messages. In addition to using “smart content”, you also need to “be smart” with your content. Embedded surveys Market research owes a great deal to email marketing over the last decade. Data shows that embedded email surveys increase survey response rate by 125% compared to traditional surveys that take the user out of their email inbox. Check whether your email marketing platform supports embedded surveys. These same design patterns translate perfectly over into their email campaigns, so recipients can easily recall their brand. Spirit’s colors also make them stand out from their competition, as many airlines tend to include more muted or standard colors, such as white, blue, red and grey.
So you’re a digital marketer. I’m willing to bet money on the fact that you (or your company) already use email marketing as a key tool in your marketing toolbox. You’re in good company too.
Email marketing ranks #1 in the list of methods or tactics used by businesses to reach out to new customers and build awareness.
This reliance on email is not without good reason. Not only is email marketing an extremely low-cost marketing tool, it’s also the one that offers the best bang for your marketing buck. According to a study by The Relevancy Group, Q2 of 2017 saw 21% of revenues for businesses come from email marketing alone.
That double digit figure however, doesn’t come with bland ol’ emails that look exactly like the previous one. As consumers’ exposure to personalized communications grows, what was yesterday’s “hack” has become today’s “must-have” or “fundamental.” Here are a few things you must look out for if you want each one of your emails to create an impact and bring in conversions.
Email Marketing Hack #1. Pre-header text
An oft-overlooked piece of email marketing, pre-header text (also known as “preview text”) is that bunch of words you see in your inbox, immediately following the subject line itself. Many otherwise-perfect emails run into a brick wall here, when they forget to remove standard text like “View in a web browser” from the beginning of their emails:
Leading email service providers like Gmail and Yahoo allow marketers to say a little more to their users beyond the subject line, before they even open their email. Consider it a bonus chance to reel in that elusive open, click or conversion!
Where once marketers had to depend on custom code to include pre-header text in their emails, that process has now become incredibly simple with the slew of marketing automation platforms out there. Most have WYSIWYG interfaces where you can type pre-header text into a form field, and voila, the pre-header text is set!
Things to keep in mind when optimizing your pre-header text:
- Think of pre-header text as your second subject line. Spend equal thought in crafting and perfecting it.
- Unlike subject lines, in many cases, the pre-header text will not be cut off and full sentences are often visible, depending on the device being used to view it. Don’t skimp on the length in favor of brevity on this one.
- Adding a call to action that builds on the introduction offered in your subject line is a great way to improve open rates.
- Last but most important, don’t miss out on adding pre-header text to all your emails.
Email Marketing Hack #2. “Smart” content
When speaking of smart communications, how can one not mention the iMessage app. From auto suggesting responses to auto filling personal information from phone data, there’s a wealth of capabilities it offers that make it a truly “smart” messaging app.
Emails have now begun taking inspiration from these smart messaging apps to offer content that’s tailored to every aspect of a user’s profile, making the email hyper-relevant to the user. And we all know that relevant content delivered to the user at the right time is a strong bet for a likely conversion. From web browsing data to transactional data to a user’s profile data, companies sit on a gold mine of data sources waiting to be tapped and crafted into effective marketing messages.
Spotify dug deep into users’ listening data,…
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