Simple Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Email Marketing Efforts

You probably have heard all sorts of disparate predictions about the demise of email marketing, but what the evidence shows is that it’s still an integral component of your online marketing mix, both now and down the road. As reported by Sign-Up.to’s 2013 UK Email Marketing Benchmark Report, there has been a strong increase in average email open rates, rising from 18.35 percent to 21.47 percent within the past year. Also, (and more exciting) the average return on your email marketing investment is currently a mind-numbing $44.25 for each dollar spent. (iContact)

So how do you take advantage of this in your small business?

Here are 5 easy tips to get your email marketing efforts heading in the right direction!

1. Create great subject lines – Headlines matter, as your open rates will tank if you overlook this aspect. Take time to craft a subject line that makes people want to open your email. This is usually a combination of curiosity, excitement, urgency, beneficial and spam compliant.
2. Write amazing content – After your subject line, nothing will get your emails opened and read more frequently than delivering jaw-dropping content. Content that people can’t wait to open and read. I’m subscribed to several lists like this, where I open and read every word without delay. Aim to be one of those!
3. Put in social media share buttons – very easy to do, and also very easy to forget to do, this is a great way to spread your emails around, especially those packed with your best content. Put these buttons in there and encourage your users to use them. You will often gain new opt-ins the easy way!
4. Send mobile-friendly emails – Now that 64 percent of decision makers read their email on their mobile device,(TopRankBlog) and also the average person checks their smartphone some 34 times a day, do you need any more convincing to make your emails mobile friendly?
5. Send email more often – This is one we frequently hesitate at. No one wants to keep pestering people who don’t want to read your messages. Sure, if you’re selling some shiny new object every email. Rather, make sure you keep sending great content that people simply can’t wait to read. Copyblogger reports that often your unsubscribes actually decrease if you mail more frequently.