Want to amplify your current email statistics and ensure as much of your list opens, clicks and converts as possible? According to #CMC18 speaker Elisabeth Willits of AWeber, it all boils down to one thing: relationships. She examined some of the ways that relationships matter in email marketing and how knowing and acknowledging your prospects needs and wants can help skyrocket your email statistics. Let’s learn how to create emails your prospects can’t resist.
It’s Not About You
If there is one key takeaway from Willits’ talk, it is that your content needs to be about the reader, not about you. People naturally gravitate to content and open emails that speak to their own interests, not yours. So, while you may want to share the fact that your team just got a new printer or that you just sealed a big deal, these details don’t matter, unless they benefit your reader and target prospect in some way.
Will that fancy new printer allow you to turn orders around more quickly for your customers? Then by all means, share it. If, however this piece of equipment is just a nice perk for your office, or something you’ve been saving for, leave this out – your readers won’t care enough to click unless the details are identifiably relevant and useful.
Shifting Focus
According to Willits, the most successful email campaigns provide entertainment and helpful information, not a blatant sales pitch. Brands that incorporate humor and constantly deliver something entertaining or funny are more likely to see consistent open rates than those that serve up the same boring message week after week. If your email communications are all one-note sales pitches, lightening things up and providing purely useful content could trigger more opens than you are used to.
Share News
It is tempting to send an email packed with sales pitches, promos and deals, but these are less likely to be read than emails with useful content. Sharing details from non-competing outlets about coming events, holidays and entertainment that your readers will be interested in will result in higher success rates. Think about what you like to receive from brands, suggests Willits, and what you are likely to open – and what you ignore entirely.
Research and Learn
You should already have audience research – and using buyer personas will help you understand what those groups are interested in and what they respond to and can help increase your metrics. When you’ve uncovered the trending topics that your readers actually want to learn about, you’ll be far more likely to make a connection (and have your emails opened).
Willits is a engaging speaker who packed plenty of information and detail into a single session; she was able to impart plenty of details and real world examples that reinforced the importance of taking the correct approach. Those in attendance came away with actionable steps and suggestions designed to ensure that their email efforts would truly begin to pay off in the future.
Samantha M has been a professional freelance writer and journalist since 1996, and specializes in B2C and B2B content for business. “My job is to help you grow your business by providing expertly written, search engine optimized and top quality content for your blog, site or guest post”, says Samantha.