Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and grow your business. In fact, it has an average ROI of 42:1, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available.

It’s so effective because it allows you to communicate directly with your customers and subscribers. You can send them targeted messages based on their interests and purchase history, and you can track the results of your campaigns to see what's working and what's not.

But how can you create email marketing campaigns that win big? The key is to focus on email content, email copywriting, and email campaign management.

Email Content

To create great email content, you have to make a good first impression. This means that your subject line should be strong, concise, and attention-grabbing. Your content should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. It should also be well-written and free of errors.

Subject Line

Consider this:

Which subject line sounds better? One or two?

1. Weekly newsletter

2. What’s new this week? Be the first to know!

Would you be more likely to click on an email with the first subject line or the second? Once you have your answer, ask yourself; if you wouldn’t click on it, why would you expect others to?

The first subject line is an example of what NOT to do. It uses plain language, has a flat delivery, and comes across as boring overall.

One thing to remember is that in email marketing, you have to stand out from the crowd. Who is going to see “Weekly newsletter” in a sea of unread emails and think it’s worth their time? Unless you’ve grown your brand awareness enough to be recognizable to your audience, very few people would be likely to stop and read based on a subject line as simple as that.

In contrast, the second option is a better example of an effective subject line. It conveys a sense of excitement and exclusivity that is more likely to get people clicking. The use of punctuation gives the subject line a bit of life that pairs well with the casual nature of the phrasing.

Don’t go overboard with punctuation, though. It can be appropriate but it's important to use it sparingly. Too much can make your subject line look spammy or unprofessional.

The type of business you have and your audience are also tied to how your subject line should look. If you run a law firm, for instance, your email subject lines might do better without exclamation points and casual language. However, if you run a game company, your subject lines might need to be more exciting.

The ideal length for an email subject line is between 41 and 60 characters, or 7 to 9 words. This is because most email clients will cut off any subject line longer than this, especially on mobile devices. Additionally, studies have shown that shorter subject lines tend to have higher open rates.

Informative Email Content

Informative email content provides your audience with valuable information that they can use to solve a problem, make a decision, or learn something new.

To make your email content informative, focus on choosing a topic that’s relevant to your audience. You’ll need to consider their needs, interests, and pain points when you make your decision. If you choose a topic that no one in your audience relates to, you’ve just wasted time and money on an email that no one clicked on.

Informative email content also has to do with research. If you’re going to provide information, make sure it’s accurate. Use credible sources when you write so that your audience is informed and you come across as knowledgeable and trustworthy.

Lastly, it’s best to organize your content in a clear and logical way. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and images to break up your text and make it easy to scan. You should also strive to write in a concise and easy-to-understand style, avoiding jargon and technical language when possible.

Engaging Email Content

Engaging email content is interesting and keeps your readers' attention. To make your email content engaging, you can…

• Tell a story. People love stories, so use them to engage your audience and make your email more memorable.

• Use visuals. Images, videos, and infographics can make your email content more visually appealing and engaging.

• Ask questions. Asking questions is a great way to start a conversation with your audience and get them involved. Why? Great question. Let’s talk about it…

Never underestimate the power of questions.

Simply posing a question gets people to think, and if they’re thinking, that’s one more moment they’re spending engaging with your content. Even if you never see a direct answer to your question, just by asking, you’ve planted a seed. And if they do respond, great news! Now you’ve started a discussion that could end up leading to a connection, and eventually, it may result in a business opportunity. 

Keep in mind that only 3% of your target marketing is in buying mode at any given point, so focus more on building up relationships with your audience and less on selling to them. Over time, you’ll cement yourself as the place they can go to for their needs.

Keeping your audience close allows you to create an understanding in both their minds and yours… While they’re learning about you, you’ll be learning about them in return.

This goes hand in hand with email marketing; you can’t advertise to people you know nothing about. Well, you could, but you would be blindly casting your net. For example, how much attention do you think an email about anti-aging cream would garner from a 16-year-old boy? Not much, likely.

Knowing your audience is very important for many reasons. You have to create content that both engages with your readers and is relevant to them.

Relevant Email Content

In order to be effective, your email content needs to be relevant to your audience.

What does that mean? It means that your emails should be tailored to the specific interests and needs of the people you're sending them to. Try to avoid sending generic emails that could apply to anyone and instead focus on creating targeted emails that speak to your audience directly.

Remember that 16-year-old boy? Don’t you think he would be more interested in things like sports or the latest PlayStation game? There’s no use in trying to market to those who aren’t very likely to buy your product or service. Focus on a smaller, more relevant group and you’ll get more results while wasting less time and energy trying to stretch yourself thin.

To make your email content relevant, focus on the following:

• Segment your email list. This means dividing your subscribers into different groups based on their interests, demographics, or behaviors. Once you have segmented your list, you can send targeted emails to each group. For example, you could send a different email to subscribers who have abandoned their shopping carts than to subscribers who have recently made a purchase.

• Personalize your emails. This means using the recipient's name in the subject line and throughout the email. You can also personalize your emails by mentioning the recipient's interests or purchase history.

• Write about topics that are relevant to your audience. This could include industry news, product updates, or helpful tips and advice. You can also use your emails to offer exclusive discounts or promotions to your subscribers.

• Use images and videos. Visual content can help to make your emails more engaging and visually appealing. Be sure to use high-quality images and videos that are relevant to the topic of your email.

Using relevant keywords is one more way to keep your email content relevant. Use keywords that your subscribers are likely to search for in your email subject lines and content. This will help your emails get noticed in their inboxes.

Once you've created an email, be sure to test it with a small group of subscribers before you send it to your entire list. This will help you to identify any potential problems and make sure that your email is well-received.

Well-Written and Error-Free Email Content

Well-written and error-free email content is professional and easy to read. To achieve this, make sure to proofread your email carefully before sending it. You can use a grammar checker to help you catch any errors, but you should also have someone look over it for a fresh perspective.

Use a consistent tone and style throughout your email as well, and avoid using complicated language and terminology. The goal of your email is to convey information easily. If your audience needs a dictionary to understand what you’re telling them, they’ll be more likely to just click off of your email instead.

Here are some common email errors to avoid:

• Grammar and spelling errors: Proofread your email carefully to catch any grammar and spelling errors. Once again, a checker for these can be helpful.

• Punctuation errors: Use punctuation correctly to make your email easier to read and understand.

• Typos: Typos can make your email look unprofessional.

• Attachment errors: If you're attaching a file to your email, make sure it's in a format that the recipient can open. Also, make sure the file is not too large.

By taking the time to write effective emails that are well-written and error-free, you can improve your communication skills and build stronger relationships with your colleagues, clients, and customers.

Email Copywriting

Email copywriting is the art of writing persuasive email content that gets results. It's important to write copy that is tailored to your target audience and that encourages them to take action.

If you’re going to write effective email copy…

• Focus on the benefits. What will your readers get out of reading your email? What benefits can they expect if they take action? Make sure your copy clearly communicates the benefits of your offer.

• Use strong calls to action. Tell your readers what you want them to do. Do you want them to visit your website, sign up for your newsletter, or make a purchase? Make sure your calls to action are clear, concise, and persuasive.

• Write in a conversational tone. People are more likely to trust and engage with brands that communicate with them in a casual tone.

• Use storytelling. Stories are a powerful way to connect with your audience and engage their emotions. Consider using storytelling in your email copy to make your emails more memorable and impactful.

Email Campaign Management

Email campaign management is the process of planning, executing, and analyzing email marketing campaigns. It's important to have a well-defined strategy in place to ensure that your campaigns are effective and efficient.

For effective email campaign management, you should set clear goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your email campaigns? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Once you know your goals, you can develop strategies to achieve them.

Segmenting your audience is important for email campaign management. Not all of your subscribers are created equal; section your audience based on their interests, demographics, and purchase history to send them more targeted and relevant emails.

Arguably the most important step is to create a content calendar. This is where you can plan and schedule your email campaigns in advance. Without this kind of organization, it’s harder to keep on top of things. Content calendars help you to stay consistent with your email marketing efforts and ensure that you are sending out high-quality emails regularly.

Finally, make sure to track your results. Sending out targeted emails does no good if you don’t have a way to collect feedback and metrics. It's important to track the results of your email campaigns so that you can see what is working and what is not. If you can determine this, it will help you to improve your campaigns over time.

Conclusion

Email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you reach your target audience, grow your business, and achieve your marketing goals. By focusing on developing your email content, email copywriting, and email campaign management, you can create email marketing campaigns that win big.

To learn more, read our article about how to unlock the power of email marketing to grow your business.