Do you want to make your email marketing more effective?
Of course, you do. But how do you do it?
I’ve put together this simple three-step checklist to help you get your emails opened.
number 3 letterbox image via shutterstock
Step #1
Do you know the most important thing in getting people to open your emails?
It’s not some fancy-schmancy subject line.
It’s “Who” the email is FROM.
Take a look at your email provider. Where does the “From” show up?
What I know, is that with Gmail and Yahoo mail (2 of the most popular email providers), the “From” is on the far left. This makes it the first thing the email reader sees because we read left to right.
Many people are looking at emails on their mobile devices or tablets. In fact, Nielsen Research states that 41.6% of mobile Internet time is spent on email.
On the iPhone and iPad, the “From” is on the top, in BOLD — making it absolutely stand out above everything else. Take a look for yourself.
Action: Make sure the reader knows the email is from you. Did they sign up on a website? Are they expecting emails from a “Company” or a “Team Name” or a “brand”?
Make sure they know who is sending the email and be consistent.
Step #2
Gotta get the subject line right. That’s obvious right?
Run your subject line thru this quick “The 4-U’s” formula, from copywriters Bob Bly and Michael Masterson:
• Is it Urgent?
• Is it Unique?
• Is it Ultra-specific?
• Is it Useful?
By the way, it can’t just be one of these. It should be at least 2, if not 3, out of the 4 U’s.
Let’s put the headline of this post through “The 4-U’s” formula.
The headline is “Here Is Your Three Step Email Marketing Checklist — Get Your Emails Opened”.
• Is it urgent? Not really. Maybe if you are having a super-frustrating time getting your emails opened, it might feel urgent to you.
• Is it unique? Kinda. How many subject lines do you see giving you a 3-step checklist for email marketing that gets your emails opened?
• Is it ultra-specific? Yup. 3 Steps. Emails. Checklist. Opened. Those all scream specific.
• Is it Useful? You bet. This will help you.
Action: Spend more time on your subject lines and use the “4 U’s Formula”.
Stop using “Your June Market Update” or “Your Real Estate Monthly Report”.
Step #3
Your first sentence needs to be compelling.
The first sentence is so important for 2 main reasons.
#1 You know how important the “From” is. You know you need a great subject line.
The job of the subject line is to get the email reader to read the first sentence. The job of the first sentence is to get people to continue reading.
You are fighting for the email reader’s attention. Don’t get lazy after coming up with a great subject line.
#2 With certain email providers like Gmail, or mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, the first sentence of the email body actually shows up!
Even if the Reader is comfortable with who the email is “from” and the subject line catches their eye, the first sentence needs to be compelling enough to get them to open the email and continue to read.
Action: Invest some time creating a compelling first sentence that grabs your reader by the throat and makes them NEED to read your entire message.
For more info on email marketing check out this webinar recording from Chris Smith.
