Top 5 Email Marketing Practices to Boost Sales and Grow Your Business
Does email marketing really work?
Hint: The answer is yes!
It’s so effective that many well-known small business owners use it to drive sales, build connections, and boost engagement.
As more brands turn to marketing campaigns and newsletters, you may struggle to get your emails noticed in cluttered inboxes.
When you finally do sit down to build your first email campaign, the countless layouts and online tools make you feel too overwhelmed to begin.
You need to stand out. How can you dodge the spam folder and grab the interest of the customers your product will help the most?
Take the stress out of your next email strategy session with our favorite email marketing practices that actually work.
Write a Compelling Email Subject Line
Here’s a question:
How much do the contents of your marketing email matter if no one opens and reads them?
Zero.
If your emails aren’t getting good open rates (the average is 16–28%), you need to rethink your strategy—and find some simple ways to boost your sales.
Allow us to introduce you to your new best friend: the perfect email subject line.
Consider it the elevator pitch of email marketing. It’s your customer’s first impression of your brand—and an incredible opportunity to grab their attention.
Email marketing requires patience. Picking the best option on the first try isn’t easy. The only way to be sure which subject line is right for you and your audience is to test, test, test.
Luckily, there are countless tools available for testing your subject lines. One of our favorites is Coschedule’s email subject line tester.
Another way to test your email subject lines is something called A/B testing. You’ll break up your recipients into two separate lists and test a different subject line on each. The results of this experiment will help you determine what words and phrases your audience responds to.
Tip: Ask a question in your subject line. Your readers may be curious to know the answer.
2. Learn How to Use Effective Preheaders
One of the most powerful tools you can use in your email campaigns is the preheader (aka custom preview text).
A preheader is not the same as a subject line. It’s a short phrase that shows a sample of your email’s content.
Despite the fact that a strong preheader is proven to increase open rates, most email marketers don’t even use them. Don’t make the same mistake. For best results choose a subject line and preheader that complement each other.
What Is the Difference Between a Subject Line and Preheader?
Subject lines and preheaders are often mistaken for each other—but each serves its own unique purpose. The subject line is meant to be a bold first impression. It may be the only thing your customer reads before they hit “Open.”
For hesitant readers, the preheader offers more information on the contents of the email. It may answer questions or provide a valuable tip.
Tips on Crafting the Perfect Subject Line and Preheader Combos:
Treat your subject line and preheader as two parts of a whole. Make sure they work together to improve your overall message.
To grab your reader’s attention, place the most important points at the beginning of the preheader. Don’t waste their time—or your chance to capture their interest.
Put some real thought into it! Don’t just summarize what’s in the email. Remember, this is your best chance to convince them to click “Open.” Find creative ways to pique their curiosity and entice them to read on.
To optimize your preheader for both desktop and mobile, your preheaders should be 40–130 characters long.
Tip: Spill a secret in your preheader and see if your customers bite.
3. How to Increase Email Open Rates: Personalize Your Emails
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to boost your email numbers. Some of the most effective strategies for email marketing are mind-blowingly simple. In fact, data shows that one of the best ways to increase open rates is to personalize your emails.
In a world where every brand is battling for attention, many businesses treat their customers like revenue streams rather than people. And in a field as competitive as marketing, it’s not hard to understand why.
Don’t let yourself get caught up in the rat race. Stop competing and start connecting.
Become more than a brand by showing your customers they come first (aka become your reader’s inbox BFF). Consider their interests. Tailor the contents of your emails to them.
One easy way to personalize your marketing emails? Use their name. No one wants to open an email addressed “Dear Recipient,” let alone reply to it.
The Surprising Results of Being Real
Prove that you value your readers.
Build trust with your audience.
Strengthen the customer experience.
Lower unsubscribe rates.
Increase open rates (by 26%).
In modern marketing, authenticity sells. Being real is powerful—and completely free.
Tip: Get to know your ideal customers. Create a survey or questionnaire to find out how you can give them what they want.
4. Looks Can Sell — Optimize Your Email Layout
We often spend so much time and energy on what our emails say that we completely neglect to consider how they look.
The appearance of your email is just as important as the contents.
Think about it: In today’s fast-paced world, you only get a few seconds of your reader’s attention before they’re on to the next message in their inbox.
If your email doesn’t look good—muddled with lots of weird fonts, jumbled with a messy layout, or difficult to read—your customer may be too overwhelmed to take the next step. And they’ll delete the email faster than you can say “I need Canva Premium.”
If you want your viewer to stick around long enough to become customers, optimize your layout for your audience.
Ensure that it’s easy to read.
Use only a few simple fonts.
Employ clear calls to action.
Make it easy to subscribe and unsubscribe.
This will make sure your email is clear and effective—and that your recipient knows you value them and their time.
Tip: If you’re having trouble putting together a layout you like, try something simple! Often in the digital design world, less is more.
5. If You Want Real Results, Offer Real Value
You’ve optimized your subject line and preheader. You’ve personalized your email and tailored your content to your customer base. You’ve even designed a gorgeous layout. Your open rate is higher than it’s ever been.
But what’s next? How do you turn your opens into replies and your subscribers into loyal customers?
Here’s the secret: If you want real results, you have to offer real value.
If your marketing emails contain nothing but an empty sales pitch, your readers will get tired. They’ll stop clicking “Open”—or they’ll start clicking “Unsubscribe.”
In order to maintain interest and convert it into sales, make sure your marketing emails are well-researched, informative, and helpful to your audience. Providing value will make your emails feel less salesy and will build trust between you and potential customers.
Reasons They’ll Choose You Instead of a Competitor:
They’ll trust your product when they’ve seen that your content is reliable.
They’ll want to thank you for all of the value that you’ve already provided.
They’ll come to love your information, and they’ll want more.
Tip: For ideas on how to offer value to your readers, consider the needs you’re trying to meet with your business. Who are you trying to help? What can you do to help them?
What Is the ROI of Email Marketing?
Next time you scroll through your inbox, pay attention to how many huge brands are sending out marketing emails. From Apple to Amazon to Airbnb, all the big names are making use of this powerful marketing strategy. And it can work just as well for you as it does for them.
When you run an email campaign, you are expected to earn $38 for every $1 spent—an ROI of 3,800%. And that’s just the average.
Today, email marketing generates the highest ROI of any form of marketing.
What Does the Future of Email Marketing Look Like?
Where will email marketing go from here? It’s a competitive field, full of innovative ideas and constant change. But the basics remain the same.
By making just a few small changes to your email strategy, you’ll be well on your way toward skyrocketing email opens and conversions.
We’re cheering you on!
If you want to stay up to date on the latest trends when things do change, stay in touch!
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