It’s no secret that the vast majority of email marketing pieces get ignored. The average open rate for branded emailers (also known as email blasts or eblasts) is about 20-40%. Don’t let that discourage you. Successful email marketing has a very high ROI. In fact, email marketing is only behind SEO in terms of highest average ROI. Understanding what makes email marketing effective is essential to gaining clickthroughs and increasing conversions.

Fortunately, there are plenty of steps you can take to make your eblasts stand out from the rest. Taking advantage of our 7 email marketing tips below will dramatically improve your open rates, as well as your conversions.

Seven email marketing tips for creating engaging pieces:

1. Be Concise and Direct.
Keep all your content short and concise. This includes the subject line and headlines. People will often scan emails quickly to determine if there’s anything they want to follow up on. You need to catch your customers’ attention immediately with intriguing lines that get them interested in what you have to say.

If you’ve ever opened a lengthy text email, you probably understand why keeping it short is also important for the main body of the emailer. A large block of text can seem unfriendly and overwhelming. You must ensure your content gets your message across immediately. This means using short, catchy subheads, minimal text, focusing on visuals and providing links where sharing additional information is necessary. Using bullets or numbering your main points also makes it easier to scan an email.

2. Share engaging content.
The key to email advertising is the content you share. Provide something your customers will find valuable. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to offer a discount on your products or services. If you’re running a promotion, by all means share it. However if you’re not currently running a promotion there are plenty of other interesting things you can provide to your customers instead. Links to relevant articles, videos and social media feeds are all good options.

For instance, if you’re selling boots, consider sharing an article about the latest fashion trends and tips on how to style your boots. If you’re selling financial services, tips on saving might be a good idea. Whatever your products or services are, provide complementary content. Providing relevant content, even if it’s not directly related to your products, makes your brand seem helpful and accessible. Even if it doesn’t mean immediate conversions, these types of emails keep your brand on your customers’ minds and strengthen brand loyalty.

3. Make your email blasts visual.
Aside from making your emailers stand out, visuals break up text and make your content seem lighter. Email blasts should be a quick touch point with your customers; they should not be dense or copy-heavy. Keep your email advertising light on text and focus on using graphics. If you want to provide more in-depth information, provide a link to a landing page. Graphics ensure your email marketing doesn’t seem overwhelming and allows your customers to scan it quickly to find relevant information – such as links to articles that interest them, social media icons, sale information, and so on.

4. Optimize for mobile.
15-70% of emails are read on mobile devices, depending on your target audience. If your email marketing isn’t optimized to be viewable on smartphones and tablets, you’re instantly losing out on a large percentage of readers who don’t want to deal with the hassle of reading an email that isn’t properly formatted for their screen. Wide emailers or slow loading pages can pose problems for mobile devices. Focusing on graphic-based eblasts is a good strategy for email advertising when it comes to content, however be sure to check that your graphics are easily viewed on all screen sizes and that they load quickly and smoothly. Another thing to keep in mind for mobile devices is the ability to click your links. Ensure buttons are large enough to easily tap with a finger.

5. Keep in touch.
Your customers have given you their email and permission to contact them by providing an email address. Don’t be afraid to use it. Too often companies don’t take full advantage of their mass email lists. According to top email marketing experts, sending an email once a week is ideal. It keeps your brand fresh in your customers’ minds, but isn’t so often that it feels like spam. Even if your email blasts are just to share links to interesting articles or videos related to your business, keeping up consistent email marketing is the key to building a long-term relationship with your customers.

6. Personalize your content.
If you have the capability to personalize your email blasts with your customer’s name or other relevant information – such as items your customers might be interested in based on past purchases – go for it! It’s a proven fact that people are much more likely to open eblasts that address them directly. The digital nature of email marketing makes it one of the simplest methods of utilizing one-to-one marketing strategies.

Being personal goes beyond just slapping someone’s name at the top of a generic email, as well. Be sure to make the content of the email feel personalized as well. No one likes feeling like they’re reading a generic mass email. You want your customers to feel like your email blast is intended for them alone, no matter how large your subscriber list may be.

7. Don’t be too assertive.
A recent split test done by MECLABS revealed that even subtle changes in wording have the potential to drastically increase clickthrough and conversion rates. They created two identical email blasts, changing only the call to action. One had a button reading “Shop Now.” The other said “View Details.” The second option proved more popular.

The reason why is quite simple. The phrase “View details” requires less commitment from the customer. “Shop Now,” on the other hand, implies that the customer plans to purchase immediately. Feeling less pressured, your customers may be more willing to click through. No one wants to feel like they’re constantly being pitched. Showing what your brand has to offer and letting your customers seek you out when they’re ready can often be more effective than a direct sales pitch.

Have you found email advertising a successful way to market your business? What email marketing tips do you have to share based on your experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments.

If you’d like to build an email marketing campaign for your business, Eden Advertising has the content and design expertise you need to do it effectively. Our team is well versed in creating email blasts that get your business noticed and convert views into leads. Contact us at 1-800-844-0106 to discuss how we can help your business.