Email Marketing is pointless unless you’re promoting engagement. But to see some of the emails I receive it's obvious that engagement is furthest from the author mind, which seems to be firmly fixed on their bank balance.
To some, increasing engagement with emails is a daunting task it needn't be in fact it's as easy as ...errr ..writing an email!
Here's Proof
Before we go any further check out the image below, this is a 12 day re-engagement sequence I set up last week.
40 people who hadn't engaged for over 60 days entered it by, Email 4 there are only 5 people left who haven't reengaged.
And yes that really is a 29% and 25% open rate on emails going to disengaged subscribers... It's Voodoo Baby!
Get it right end even the most unengaged people can be engaged with.
Getting someone to open an email can seem impossible at times. And without a firm understanding of what it takes to increase engagement with your emails, you might find yourself feeling hopeless.
And that’s where this article comes into play. Throughout this post, we’ll discuss the strategies you should be implementing in your emails to increase engagement.
Interested in learning about the interactions your online presence needs to stay relevant and boost conversions?
Then continue reading and find out what you should focus on with your email marketing strategy.
Subject Lines
Keep The Headlines Short & Enticing
Your headlines are ultimately what will cause your subscribers to open your email. Without that initial open, your email is getting archived, and you’ve got nothing.
That’s why it’s essential to make your headlines enticing. No one is going to open an email with a boring headline, and that’s why you need to tempt your mailing list with something appealing.
Split Test
It's also a good idea to split test emails from time to time, below you can see that a curiosity based subject line got a 9% higher open rate
Provide your subscribers with something that catches their attention. Whether you’re highlighting something they need, something they want, or something unbelievable, make sure you captivate them.
Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out
Your mailing list likely gets tens or hundreds or even thousands of emails per day. As you create your headline, you need to think ‘What’s going to make this email stand out?’
Think about why your mailing list should open your email out of all the others they receive on a daily basis. When you think like this, you’re actively working to increase your open rates.
And when you have higher open rates, you have a better chance of getting the engagement you’re looking for. Higher open rates and higher engagement help ensure that your Email Marketing campaigns are successful
But there are so many more options when it comes to getting a group of people to open your emails.
FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out
You could tempt your list with a ‘fear of missing out’ headline.
If you regularly include great tips or bonus reports then you can instil a Fear Of Missing Out in your subscribers.
FOMO is a primary driver of growth in social media companies, so why not use it to increase your engagement rates?
Whatever strategy you decide to incorporate in your headline design, make sure it’s something people will feel inclined to open.
Test different types of headlines and see what works for you.
Look at what similar businesses are using in their headlines and test similar styles, you may find that your niche is driven to open by the promise of wealth or they respind better to the promise of knowledge.
By testing you'll find out what works.
If you keep your audience in mind as you write your headlines, you’re already way ahead of the game.
Put yourself in their shoes. Think about how they will respond to your headline, and make sure that response is an inclination to open.
Personalise Your Emails
As we all know, typical run-of-the-mill emails are usually undeserving of our attention. And this is precisely why you’ll want to personalise your emails.
While you might be sending out thousands of emails per week, adding a bit of a personal touch is always a good idea. And this can be as simple as understanding one common thing everyone in your list needs before crafting your emails.
For example, if your list is full of startup business owners, you know you’re speaking to a group of individuals who are focusing on growing a business.
You’ll want to consider what you can say that will speak to them on a personal level.
In turn, you’ll convey that you understand them intimately.
You might have sent the same email to 1,000 other startup business owners. But they feel the personalisation because you’ve considered and touched upon something they can relate to.
A primary key here is to avoid excluding people in your list. Be inclusive.
While it may sound contradictory to personalising emails, don’t be overly specific.
This can result in exclusion. And you’re looking for as much engagement as possible.
This means you know the people you’re emailing and consider their necessities when drafting up your email. You want to ensure everything you include in your email feels as though it is personalised in accord with their needs.
With this being said, segmentation will help a lot when it comes to email campaigns. By segmenting your list, you’ll target portions of your list with emails that are relevant to them.
Be sure to check out our guide to building segmented lists
As a result, you’ll avoid being overly specific and dodge the dreaded exclusion practice. So many entrepreneurs incorporate this by mistake. And these are opportunities lost.
Add A Message And Call-to-Action
The majority of people receiving your emails aren’t going to read through walls of text. That is, unless they know it’s going to provide value.
And let’s face the facts: most of the time, those walls of text aren’t as valuable as we hope they are.
Most people are going to skim through your email, meaning you should make sure to include an unmistakable message and call-to-action.
But why?
Because by being direct with a call-to-action you will increase engagement, there is no point in sending your email if you don't have a specific outcome in mind when you create it.
When i create an Email, I create the call to action first, then the opening paragraphs and body and finally I create a transition where I link the opening and body to the Call To Action.
You might incorporate several paragraphs of text in your emails. But you should expect most people to skip past a lot of it.
Most people would rather opt to digest the main points. The key is to take those main points and create a message paired with a call-to-action.
For example, if your email includes information about digital marketing strategies, you’ll show the ones you believe are the best. Then you might ask for your readers’ opinions.
You could highlight the main points throughout the article. But at the end, ask your audience, “Do any of these strategies work for your business?”
Under this question, you’d include the option to click “Yes” or “No.” When the user clicks either option, you can bring them to a landing page elaborating on the subject.
Now you’re engaging with your list. And taking them to some more relevant information.
You’re asking them a question based on the message of your article. And they’re interacting with you.
This is just one example. But there are many options when it comes to including a message and call-to-action in your emails.
Ultimately, how you’ll use this strategy depends on what you have to offer.
Concluding On Increasing Engagement With Your Emails
Email marketing is a fine balance between engaging with new subscribers while keeping existing subscribers engaged
Your email marketing success will depend on trial and error, meaning you will need to experiment to see what works with your audience. Hopefully, these ideas will help increase the engagement of your email marketing efforts.
Think like your readers, test, and continue to track your results.