Due to the proliferation of social media many people erroneously believe that email marketing is finished. This is also party due to diminishing email marketing response rates. Do. Not. Believe. It. Nothing could be further from the truth. Lemme ask: did you open an email today? Of course you did!

In fact along with responsive web design and social media, email should still be a main focus today for all your online marketing campaigns. To put it bluntly: The money is still in the list.

Today we’re going to share with you four more ways to boost your email marketing response rates.

Four Simple Ways to Improve Your Email Marketing Response Rates

Before you can get a response

… you have to get the reader to OPEN the email. Whenever we talk about email marketing, we have to at least mention subject lines. No matter how many tips you learn about getting better email marketing response rates, nothing will work unless your subscribers hit OPEN.

Subject lines have to be engaging, provoking, and stand out in a crowded room. Easy peasy right? Hahaha. If you need help with crafting subject lines, visit How to Write Million Dollar Headlines and practice, test, and tweak until you see better open rates. Now, we can get back to the content of your emails. The content is what’s going to get you an increase in your email marketing response rates.

Number One: Link Your Messages

If you’re creating an autoresponder series, try to link one message to the next so each message builds upon the last one.  If you’re sending out weekly newsletters, you can do something similar by just reminding readers what was discussed the previous week. For example, you might say “Last week I shared with you the 3 steps to planning your content publishing schedule. If you missed it, click here.” Then you can link it to your email archive.

By linking messages, you encourage readers to read each one as they might miss a ‘step’ in their learning journey. In addition, this method helps create a relationship with your reader. They will learn to trust you and value your opinion and information which means they’re more likely to buy from you.

Number Two: Make It Easy to Read

Forget what you learned in school (gasp!). Reading large blocks of text is difficult no matter if it’s online or in print.  Your prospects are busy and probably have overflowing inboxes so chances are, they will quickly scan your message.

[Tweet “When crafting emails to your list, break up chunks of text with images, bullets and simple formatting.”]

That’s why it’s important to break up your information into smaller chunks. Add subheadings, numbers, bullets and other simple formatting to increase the readability of your messages.

Number Three: Include a Call to Action

Do not overlook this step. It’s unique opportunity to connect with your reader and further your relationship. You don’t have to sell them something in every email. Instead ask them to visit your blog to read a new post, to download a free guide, to like you on Facebook or to watch (and then tweet about) your new video.

[Tweet “#Emailmarketing tip: You do not have to sell something in every email you send.”]

By offering free information most of the time, when you do ask them to buy a product or service, they’ll be more likely to do it. Whether you’re sharing a freebie or asking for a sale, you simply need to tell your readers what to do next.

Number Four: Write in 3 Parts

Similar to article writing, your email messages should contain an introduction, body and summary.  This three-part structure will help make sure each and every email message is communicated clearly.

1. The introduction should quickly tell you readers what you are going to share with them.  This part typically determines whether they keep reading or not so be sure to make it clear and intriguing.
2. The body of your email contains the information you are sharing with them.  It’s the meat and potatoes part of the message.
3. The summary is your wrap-up section.  It quickly summaries what you’ve talked about and includes a call to action.

There you have it. Four simple ways to increase reader response with simple tweaks in your emails.

If you haven’t created your plan yet, I encourage you take a little time this week to do so. Once you have your plan in place, you are ready to create your content.

If you’re already sending regular emails, it’s not too much extra work on your part. If you’re not sending regular emails, it’s probably high time you start! Your email marketing response rates can only increase if you’re actually sending emails to your list!

Ciao,
Miss Kemya