In 2018, calling email marketing “challenging” is a gross understatement. Customers today are inundated with marketing emails, and getting them to open yours can feel like a Herculean task (to say nothing of clicking through or converting).

If you’re a marketer, how can you make your emails stand out from the crowd?

Here at Denamico, we spend a lot of time refining our email marketing strategies to find the secret to success.

Here are 5 best practices we always use for email marketing. (Have other tricks that have made you successful? Let us know in the comments!)

1. Craft a Clickable Subject Line

If you want anyone to read your great email, you need them to open it first.

The key? A compelling, clickable subject line that makes them want to learn more.

Looking for subject line inspiration? HubSpot has broken down 16 types of email subject lines that are likely to get your consumers to click.

You put a lot of work into each email. Make your subject line work for you so that your audience sees that great work.

2. Keep it Personal

Which would you rather get - a general email from noreply@companyname.com, or a personalized email from a real person?

Chances are, you prefer the second. And so does your target audience.

When most people receive general emails from a “noreply address,” they tend to skip over them. But personalized emails from real people can do a lot to pique your audience’s interest.

Try this trick and watch your email open rates increase. 

Another trick? Try using an email platform that allows you to include dynamic content. Starting off with “Hi Joe” rather than a general “Hello.” Adding this type of personalization token will make your emails seem like they were written individually for each contact.

3. Optimize for Mobile

Over half of all web traffic is now mobile. So, it’s important to think mobile first when crafting your marketing emails. 

What does a mobile-first approach mean? Mostly, it’s about formatting. How wide are your emails? Is the content responsive?

When a customer opens an email and gets something distorted or tough to read, chances are, they’re going to close out of it and ignore all future emails from that sender.

Thinking mobile first means that you’re aware of the width of your emails as well as how your content is responsive. When a consumer opens an email and it’s distorted or tough to read on their phone, their most likely going to go back to their inbox and never touch that email again.

4. Stay on Topic

Before you write your next marketing email, you should know what your main message is going to be. Pick one topic, and center your messaging around it.

Remember, your audience has a limited attention span, so keep it short and sweet. This isn’t the place to write your novel, or share a complicated description of what makes your product or service great. 

Another way to make your emails digestible? Use bullet points or a numbered list. Breaking things up visually helps your audience get value out of the email, even just at a glance.

5. Tell the Reader What to Do Next

What do you want your audience to do after they finish your email? Sign up for a newsletter? Request a free demo? Schedule a consultation? 

You probably have that next step in mind. But your audience isn’t made up of mind readers. So the only way they’ll know what step to take next is if you tell them.

Including a CTA in your email is a must if you want to lead your customers down the marketing/ sales funnel.

When drafting your marketing email, make sure to have a clear CTA leading to one of the following:

• Landing page
• Event sign-up
• Blog post
• Webinar
• Consumable content where you can capture their information

Then, analyze your landing page data to see who’s reading what, who’s clicking on your content, and what’s effective for your business.

Finding what works best for your marketing emails may take time and testing. However, keeping these five best practices in mind will put you on the road to success.