Elements of an Effective Marketing Email

Have you ever wondered how certain companies have mastered the art of Marketing Emails? Well, these companies have figured out a trick or two to generating the perfect email by dissecting the various elements it takes to develop one. So, what are these elements and how do they influence costumers?

Individuals receiving these marketing emails will unknowingly cycle through a process, based on various formatting elements, which will help them decide the importance or relevance of your message; whether, to follow through with your marketing efforts or send your emails to the spam folder- never to be seen again. From Header to closing, we discuss the elements of an effective marketing email.

Elements of an Effective Email Marketing Message

In most cases, when developing your emails message, you would view its content as a whole; however, it is far more productive to look at every aspect individually and how they influence each step the recipient takes. By understanding these elements and their basic functions, you can optimize them and make the most of your marketing campaigns efforts.

Who’s Sending the Email?

Your recipients will want to know who is trying to reach out to them; there are two ways you can distinguish who you are and where to contact you:

• Standard “From”: name displayed as it normally would be found on your business cards; for example, Jane B. Doe or your companies name.
• Address Field: like regular postage, there must be a return address; for example, J.Doe@CompanyProvidedEmail.com

Both aspects of this element can be personalized within your email settings and preference.

Engaging Subject Lines

As your recipient reads your subject line, they will make the pivotal decision to open your email or not. A great email subject line delivers information about your following message. Being the first piece of information provided, your subject line must engaging and provide incentive; because of its definitive influence, this is the most frequently tested aspect of marketing emails.

Preview Text

Some email providers allow for a short burst of preview text, this is known as the pre-header. A brief extension of your subject line, it can be used to further detail the emails message and provide further enticement to opening it. It is important to note that if not personalized, the pre-header will display whatever text presents itself first within your email. This could be the image URL of your email heading; which we can both agree, is not so attractive. Instead, develop this element with aspects such as action words and personalized consumer information; i.e. their name or business name, discount sales pitches, etc. Be sure to remind them of the potential value with what you’re offering.

The Envelope

These three ‘fore mentioned elements are known as The Envelope; the premise is the same as that of Postal mail, the prettier the packaging the more likely the recipient is to open it. As such, the most attractive envelopes are opened and more customers are likely to follow through with promotional offerings.

The Header

Your email message can be most effective with a well-designed header to engage the consumers peaked interests once they have decided to open it. A great logo placement or personalized header image can help customers recognize your brand; they may also be found in plain text or URL form within your preview text, which is why they should be synonymous with your business.

Navigation Bar

An optional feature, navigation bars can be incorporated into email with various offerings and can provide outbound links to additional resources. Even though it is required, it definitely makes for an easier read, makes for great formatting, and encourages consumer engagement. You can draw attention to failing products or guide customers through your most important landing pages.

Index

Let’s look at fashion marketing campaigns. Oftentimes, they send out email catalogues with the latest designs. With such varying content, an index makes for an easier read as well by providing quick access to sections within the email. The index will be constructed of inbound links that can direct readers to areas of interest within the catalogue.

Body

The body is where you follow through on promised value. With online publications, they can provide multiple articles pertaining to a specific topic within a newsletter or catalogue their most popular archived posts. The body is where the major decisions are made, going from peaked interests to engage readers; taking your potential leads and turning them into loyal customers.

Promotional Offerings

The purpose of a marketing email is to offer customers something; the most effective are those that come with a great promotional offering or freebie. There are successful in building your subscription list and acting upon consumer interests. Promotional offerings can differ with them including deals, discount codes, and other marketing strategies; all of which play a large role in how customers interact with your emails in the future.

Images

Imagery can play a subtle role in how recipients respond to your email campaigns, especially in field such as graphic arts or home design. In which case visual aides are a necessity; however, some email service providers don’t show images by default. In such cases, you must ensure your emails message is ideally crafted to carry on without it.

Call to Action

With all online marketing, no campaign is complete without a clear call to action [CTA]; this informs customers as to what you require them to do in return for your invaluable content. Normally displayed as an outbound link or action button such as “read more” or “shop now”, the simple click –through features stand apart from the overall marketing text and are known to generate the most activity.

Footer

The closing of the email does not end with the call to action; as required within marketing emails, footers offer the option to unsubscribe from future marketing emails. It may also provide disclaimer information and company entitlements such as copyrights ownership of marketing content.

Social Network Communities

Most businesses implement a well-rounded online marketing strategy, which means you’re sure to find them on your favorite social media channels. This can include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, Periscope, and YouTube. Even visual apps such as SnapChat have been found useful in offering short burst of information streaming. The social networks can be incorporated as easily as call to action buttons and link directly to your company’s social pages.

Notes to Remember

It’s important to remember that no one element is greater than the next; however, improving upon them one at a time ensures maximum ROI from your email marketing campaigns. You should also note that consistency throughout your email marketing strategy is the only road to successful conversion rates, so be sure to test these various elements extensively and frequently.