Did you know the average office worker receives over 121 emails per day? Yet, out of those 121 emails, the click-through rate is only three percent! That is a lot of competition in the inbox.
Creating amazing email content is absolutely necessary if you want readers to click-through your marketing email. Forget the spam; sending a well-crafted email can positively impact your customers, CRM, and help nurture leads.
Email campaigns do not need to be a daunting task! Instead, we want to teach you how to create an email campaign with ease.
We are here to help you write emails that people will actually read. From pinning down your audience to hitting the ‘send button, we have you covered. Here is how to create killer email content.
What is Email Content?
Email content is any message sent to your subscribers, customers, or prospect’s inbox. Email marketing helps connect your audience to your brand to promote sales and branding.
Essentially, any email sent to your clients that offer value is considered email content marketing. Content emails are part of inbound marketing that aims to nurture prospective readers into customers.
What are the different types of email content? Email content can include:
- Newsletters
- Welcome Emails
- Guides & Blogs
- Loyalty & Rewards
- Automated Replies & Behavior-based Emails
- Surveys
- Testimonials & Reviews
- Stories & Videos
The best email copy length depends on what type of content you are sending to your subscribers. The range varies significantly from short-form copy, about 50 words, to long-form copy, over 150 words.
What are the Purpose & Benefits of Email Content Campaigns?
What is the purpose of email content? A good email marketing campaign will get your subscribers to take action of some sort. Maybe your goal is to have clients feel more engaged with your business or buy a specific product.
What can email content campaigns accomplish?
- Traffic Generation
- Brand Awareness
- Lead Nurturing
- Revenue Generation
- Customer Retention
- Promote Values
Targeted email campaigns with excellent email content help businesses reach their short-term and long-term goals. According to The Direct Marketing Association, every one dollar spent on email marketing has a direct return on investment of 38 dollars.
In addition, email content marketing is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to communicate something about your brand.
How Do I Create an Email Campaign?
Effective email content marketing campaigns need to be clear and relevant to add value to a prospect’s inbox. However, if you are not sure where to begin, email planning templates may be an excellent start for you.
This is how you create a great email content campaign.
1. Identify Requirements: Targeted Email List and Business Goals
Any great campaign has clear planning requirements. First, draft a document with your team, including campaign goals, email list, tone, subject, personalization, and an email outline.
Do you already have an email list? If not, it is time to build one. Drive email signups through social media and your website. Successful email content campaigns are about engaging the right subscribers, so know your audience. (Google Analytics can be an excellent tool for this.)
To identify your business goals, think about what you want this email content campaign to achieve. Make sure your conversion goals align with your email campaign goals. For example, is your business looking to:
- Welcome New Subscribers
- Boost Engagement
- Nurture Existing Customer Relationships
- Re-engage Subscribers
- Segment Subscribers
Know your goals for your email campaign and your subscribers before drafting your email for a successful campaign. This first step is the center of your entire email content marketing plan.
2. Plan Email Timeline and Content
Whether you are running a long campaign or a seasonal one, content planning is a must. An important timeline feature is sending the right emails at the right time. But how do you know what the ‘right time’ is?
If your email campaign goal involves increasing sales, make sure to contact potential buyers at a specific time in the buyer’s journey. This means engaging a potential buyer during the cycle where they are deciding to purchase a product.
Be sure to tailor the length of your email and content to your specific audience. Some great content tips include creating content that is personal, brief, and relevant.
3. Write the Copy
Your email copy should always be relevant and brief; remember, people receive hundreds of emails daily! The email headline is the first thing a subscriber sees, so make it irresistible.
Here are some great tips for clickable email copy:
- Make it relevant to your audience
- Use a clear and powerful Call to Action
- Provide value
- Open a ‘loop’
- Pique subscriber’s interest
- Create great opt-ins
Be sure your email campaign has both beautiful content and responsive design. Opt to use a responsive email template or create your own, but be sure to use well-placed imagery and readable content.
Keep in mind the best times to send specific email content. For example, take note of when it’s the best time to send promotional emails and when to send a survey.
4. Test and Track
Once you have built your emails and follow-ups, be sure to test your content! Be sure your email content is desktop, mobile, and tablet-friendly before you launch your campaign.
Email servers are notorious for stripping styles and layouts from your emails. In email campaigns, content is just as important as style for engagement. Be sure you check emails across devices before you click send!
If you are already using email campaign servers, tracking is part of the package. If not, be sure you sign up for analytics to track advanced analytics and reporting.
Gather information about email content engagement and revise your strategy based on your findings. This will help your email content campaign reach its goals.
What is Great Email Content?
What makes great email content, and why does it work? Great email content is helpful, relevant, and interesting. Be sure to personalize and enhance email copy whenever possible.
The first step to a killer email is a great headline, so keep it short and interesting. One last tip: never forget to add a great Call to Action with a link, button, or easily-actionable next step.
For more information about email content marketing, visit our blog!
