Email Marketing 101: The Basics of Developing Engaging Digital Content

Amidst the myriad of marketing emails we receive, only a handful truly grab our attention. You know the ones - they draw you in and make you curious to learn more. What’s the secret, you ask? Let’s unpack the art of email marketing.?

Put simply, email marketing is a combination of digital marketing and direct mail that communicates information about your business to consumers in your electronic database. Classically, we use email marketing to introduce new products or services, announce specials, or share educational blogs. These emails foster deeper relationships between you and your audience, improve brand recall, and create avenues for boosting traffic to other online platforms like your website or social media accounts. The ultimate goal of email marketing is to drive conversion by keeping your database engaged between purchases or to entice first-time buyers to take action. We achieve this through a tried and tested approach to email marketing development.?

Your Purpose and Your People: Objective & Audience

Before you get started, it’s vital to set clear and measurable goals. What exactly are you aiming to achieve? While the broader goal of any marketing initiative is to drive positive action, in email marketing, this often translates to increased open rates, click-throughs, and redemption of exclusive offers like discount codes. These metrics, updated in real-time, provide invaluable insights into your campaign’s effectiveness, offering opportunities for real-time tweaks. Alongside your objectives, identifying and understanding the unique characteristics and preferences of your target demographic is paramount to a successful campaign.?

First Impressions: The Subject Line

Your email subject line is your digital handshake. The few words that make up this statement can make or break your marketing objective. In fact, data indicates that 33% of recipients choose to open an email based solely on the subject line. Coming up with the perfect subject line might feel overwhelming, but by adhering to a few key principles, you can simplify the process and heighten your email’s appeal.?

• Personalisation: incorporating the recipients name or recent activity can make the email feel tailored just for them, increasing their desire to open.?
• Prompt Action: starting your subject line with verbs like ‘Discover’, ‘Learn’, or ‘Grab’ motivates readers to take immediate action, injecting a sense of urgency and excitement.?
• Ask Questions: posing a question, such as ‘Ready for our biggest sale yet?’ piques curiosity and encourages readers to open the email for more information.?
• Short & Sweet: a concise subject line ensures your entire message is visible in most inboxes, preventing vital information from getting cut off.?
• Relevancy: always align your subject line with the content of your email. Misleading subjects can frustrate recipients and harm your credibility.?
• Avoid Spam Triggers: steer clear of spam words like ‘free’ or excessive capitalisation, punctuation, or other special characters, as they can trigger spam filters. ??

From Open to Engagement: Crafting Copy??

Once you’ve hooked the recipients into opening your email with a catchy subject line, the next challenge is keeping them engaged. This can be achieved through the use of tactful written content. Using concise, impactful sentences and avoiding jargon and complex terminology is key when producing your copy. Lists, bullet points, and subheadings are great for breaking down information into digestible chunks, improving readability. Consider the structure of your dialogue, including at least a headline, body section, and conclusion.?

Visual Storytelling: The Impact of Imagery?

Ever heard that a picture is worth a thousand words? This rings true in email marketing. The significance of visual elements throughout your email cannot be understated. Studies have shown that recipients are substantially more likely to recall information if it is accompanied by a graphic. Images make easy work of communicating complex messages in a digestible format that viewers can relate to. They can also convey emotion that text alone may fail to describe. For example, a quiet cafe might use an image of a pair of hands cradling a steaming mug that evokes feelings of warmth and comfort to accompany details about their latest specials. Beyond images, the overall design of your email - including typography and colour schemes - needs to reflect your brand’s identity. Maintaining a consistent visual theme not only enhances brand recognition, but also boosts credibility and recall among your audience.?

Directing the Digital Conversation: CTAs

A Call to Action (CTA) is a directive that invites the user to take action upon a message. The ultimate goal is to keep the conversation going between your brand and the consumer. Whether it’s ‘Shop Now’, ‘Read More’, or ‘Contact Us’, your CTA empowers recipients to take the next step in the purchasing process. In email, CTAs are best utilised as clickable buttons that send viewers to another digital platform, such as your websites. When adding a CTA button to your email, it’s important to consider the placement, size, copy, and colour:?

• Placement: strategic positioning of your CTA button can impact its effectiveness. Display prominently at the top of your email for straightforward messages that require little comprehension, or below engaging content if your message is more complex.?
• Size: ensure your CTA button is sized proportionately with the rest of your email. It should be large enough to stand out, yet balanced so it doesn’t overshadow the rest of your content.?
• Copy: the language used on your CTA should be action-oriented and concise, inviting readers to take a specific step like ‘Shop Now’ or ‘Learn More’.?
• Colour: as with all visual components of your email, ensure the colour used for your CTA is tied in with your brand image, the rest of your email, and contrasts the background of your email to improve visibility.

More Than Just A Number: Personalised Content?

Personalisation goes beyond addressing a viewer by their first name - it’s about tailoring content to match their interests, preferences, and past interactions with your brand. By segmenting your email list, you can deliver relevant content, offers, and product recommendations that are targeted to different groups of subscribers. A customer who repeatedly purchases or engages with your range of sustainable products is more likely to react to an email highlighting your brand’s most recent sustainable initiatives, for example. This approach can foster deeper connections, enhancing user experience and building stronger brand loyalty. Regularly updating your database allows for more accurate, targeted content, resulting in improved conversion rates.

Diving into Data: Testing & Metrics

You’ve perfected your email and are ready to send. However, in a dynamic digital landscape, what worked yesterday might not be as effective tomorrow. Marketers can use email testing to assess the effectiveness of their campaign. A/B testing, for example, allows marketers to send two slightly different versions of an email to see which one performs better amongst their audience. Whether it’s different subject lines, imagery, or CTA buttons, these tests provide invaluable insights. By understanding what content or design elements engage subscribers, marketers can refine their strategies over time, ensuring they’re delivering the most effective message.?

From here, understanding the metrics behind your email campaign is crucial to gauging its success. Key performance indicators such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates offer a window into subscriber behaviour. For instance, a high open rate indicates that your subject line was compelling, while a low click-through rate suggests that there is room for improvement in your email content. Assessing these analytics provides you with actionable insights that help you tailor your marketing efforts strategically.?

Email marketing offers an innate opportunity to enhance connections with your customer database. Through strategic design and content, you can improve brand recall, promote credibility, and turn intrigue into action. From copywriting and graphic design to database cleansing and image sourcing & editing, Kwik Kopy offers a comprehensive suite of email marketing solutions tailored to your needs. Ready to get started? Get in touch with your local centre today!??