Key takeaways
- Use an engaging subject line that explains how the email will help the reader or their business, it’s the first thing recipients see and drives opens.
- Never use deceptive or click‑bait subject lines as they irritate readers, generate complaints and can rapidly shrink your list.
- Use specific, sophisticated CTAs (avoid generic “click here”) that tell readers what they’ll get (e.g., “Choose from a wide array of designs”).
- Don’t spam: avoid sending multiple emails a day and develop a consistent sending schedule to maintain respect and deliverability.
- Follow these simple dos and don’ts (subject lines, CTAs, sending schedule) to improve deliverability and read rates with straightforward, engaging emails.
Introduction
Email marketing is a great way to reach potential customers, regardless of the size of your business. It’s also a particularly customizable strategy that can be interconnected with other forms of marketing, and as straightforward as needed.
Whether you’re sending a dozen emails or launching a full-scale campaign, email marketing is an easy and cost effective route. However, there are several rules to follow when conducting an email marketing campaign. Learn about these simple dos and don’ts to ensure your email marketing game is as effective as possible.
DO Use an Engaging Subject Line
Your subject line is easily one of the most important parts of an email marketing campaign. Subject lines make or break the interest for a reader, and they’re the first thing your recipient will see. Make a good impression and keep them curious to read what’s inside.
A good subject line grabs the attention of the reader and encourages them to open the email rather than send it to the trash. Since users receive so many emails, it’s likely that they scan through them quickly and delete the majority of them. This may seem like a downfall to email marketing, but creating an intriguing subject line is a skill to master. To keep your readers interested, use subject lines that describe how the content inside will help them or their business.
DON’T Use a Deceptive Subject Line
We’ve all seen the “click bait” article titles that use something outlandish in the heading just to catch our attention. Don’t be that person! Your subject line should offer your recipients value and insight into what they can expect to read. If you create misleading subject lines and then write about something completely different, you’re going to irritate your readers. That dissatisfaction can quickly lead to a lot of complaints, and you might find your email list rapidly dwindling.
DO Use a Call to Action
CTAs are a great way to encourage readers to visit your website and sign up for your service — but be sophisticated with them! Instead of using a simple “click here” to direct your readers, try using something more specific to your subject. Something like “Choose from a wide array of designs”, for example, tells readers what they’re clicking on, what they can expect to see and offers them a way to purchase the product or service in question.
DON’T Spam Your Readers
If there’s one thing that irritates recipients and motivates them to unsubscribe from your list, it’s spamming them with emails. Instead of bombarding readers with multiple emails a day, develop a schedule that you can refer to when sending emails. Not only does this help gain respect from your recipients, but it also keeps you from triggering the spam filter and wrecking your deliverability rates.
As you can see, there are lots of things you should avoid when creating an email marketing campaign — but there are also a lot of things that you can do to help increase your deliverability and read rates. Follow these email marketing tips to create a straightforward email that engages readers from start to finish. Watch your business flourish as a result.
FAQ
Make the subject line the first priority: it should grab attention, keep recipients curious and describe how the email content will help them or their business so they choose to open it.
Avoid deceptive or click‑bait subject lines. If the subject misleads recipients about the content, they’ll become irritated, may complain and your email list can quickly dwindle.
Be specific and sophisticated with CTAs. Don’t use generic phrases like “click here.” Instead tell readers what they’re clicking on and what to expect. For example, you could say “Choose from a wide array of designs.”
Don’t bombard recipients with multiple emails a day. Develop and follow a sending schedule so you respect subscribers, reduce unsubscribes and avoid triggering spam filters that harm deliverability.
Using engaging, honest subject lines, clear and specific CTAs and avoiding spammy sending patterns. Together these create straightforward emails that help increase deliverability and read rates.
Yes. Email marketing works regardless of business size: it’s customizable, can be interconnected with other marketing and can be as straightforward or full‑scale as needed while remaining cost‑effective.
