We are seeing and hearing ads everywhere – from billboards to the radio stations we listen to on our drive to work, to the digital ads on our work computers; advertising never stops. It’s a constant fight amongst marketers and businesses for the attention of their customers.
However, one marketing channel, email marketing is a bit more streamlined due to the fact that the customers on an email list chose to be there by filling out an email capture form online or by giving their information to a store they’ve shopped at. These customers are expecting to hear from you and are already interested in your product or service.
Email marketing is still a very valid form of marketing (see Why Email Marketing is Essential and How to Grow Your Email Marketing List) to reach your customers online but how do we weed through the clutter?
Let’s start with a stat on email. How many emails does the average person receive per day? “According to a Radicati analysis, the average person receives between 120 and 130 emails per day.” That’s a lot of emails for a person to weed through, so it’s clear that your email subject line has to be something eye catching to gain their attention and it has to be sent to them at the right time.
In order to perfect your email marketing campaign, there should be two things you are testing in constant rotation: what day/time is the best for your customers? AND what subject line catches their attention?
If you only have one email list, this will be easy to test, however, if you have more than one – what works for one might not work for another, depending on the types of list you have. If you’re list is more B2B, your emails are best sent on a Tuesday, early morning, when people are settling into their work week. But why not Monday you might ask? Monday mornings are typically hectic and workers are catching up on their office emails. It’s best to not get caught up in this clutter.
If your list is more B2C, Saturday morning is the best time to send out updates and sales to your customers, right before they head out the door to run their weekend errands. Our recommendations are to send out emails during these days/times and tweak times for your industry from there.
Next is that email subject line. There are many factors that you can test here: language, call to actions, seasonal, customizing with names, and emoji use.
I’m sure everyone has seen an emoji or two in their email and while eye-catching, these can sometimes be a deterrent depending on the business. Tread with caution when testing these and make sure there are no negative connotations associated with any emojis that you choose to use. For B2B, it’s better to steer clear of emoji’s, but B2C should absolutely test this out. An example would be: If you’re a baker and sending out an email to announce your new fall flavor, pumpkin spice to your customers, by all means, use that pumpkin emoji! Emoji’s can help where words sometimes fail.
As marketers, we’ve definitely over saturated customers with urgent CTA’s such as “Act Now” or “FREE”. So if you’re subject lines are typically urgent, test out ways to get the point of the email across without using an urgent CTA. Your customers will respond better to something that is more genuine and something that will add value to their day.
Customization is a great way to catch the reader’s attention. While your email sits in their inbox surrounded by other emails, you can imagine that seeing their name while skimming will catch their attention. Just don’t use this technique every time, or the effect may wear off. Save this customization for important correspondence or your first email in your drip campaign.
When testing, make sure there is only one factor of the email you are testing. Switching up too many factors can make it harder for you to pin down what’s actually working. Make note of subject lines used and track open rates. Your customers may respond better to some humor, but remember to always add value in the body of the email. Once those emails are opened and your customers realize the value of your correspondence, they will continue to indulge.
Bottom line with emails and testing: Never stop exploring, as North Face would say. Even, when you find that subject line sweet spot, you’ll want to test another factor.
If testing is daunting, leave it to us! We specialize in email marketing campaigns and would love to help your email list grow and help you find the right subject lines that wow’s your audience. Click here for our free consultation form or reach us at (888) 632-4499.
