Olivia Savage — May 4, 2017 Hidden somewhere in the depths of your website is a white paper, webinar or infographic that you and your team put a whole lot of heart and soul into. Sorry to break it to you, but it’s not getting any clicks (and, likely, it isn’t going to, either).
Alas, there’s still hope that your creation will see the light of day. Enter email marketing.
Let’s make things clear – I’m not talking about spam mail. Personally, there is nothing I hate more than receiving an unsolicited email from a company, after I briefly looked at its website, which demands I, “download our new white paper” or “watch our latest webinar,” with nothing else there to convince me why I should follow through.
However, when one of the them gets it right, it’s glorious.
Below are our top three tips for crafting a click-worthy email campaign that will get your content the attention it deserves.
Clarify the “why.”
Knowing why you want someone to engage with your content is the most important step when developing your email campaign – and the only way to avoid spamming people. What is the purpose of this piece of content, and why should readers care? Will downloading your white paper help them solve a common problem?
Consider your purpose, as well. Are you trying to nurture someone who already interacted with the content on your site? Develop new prospects? Some other objectives include:
- Keep analysts up to date on recent news
- Book sales meetings
- Re-engage with a prospect who’s gone dark
Setting a clear goal can help you better determine who should get which piece of content and when, as opposed to sending out a generic email to your entire database.
- Keep analysts up to date on recent news
Set the tone.
If you want your email to result in clicks, don’t even think about using any marketing jargon – especially the kind of buzzwords you’d use in a sales pitch, like “cutting-edge” and “revolutionary.” The email should come directly from an email account associated with a recognizable human and sound like it, too. Whether it’s a CEO or your sales rep, be sure the text doesn’t sound too corporate or robotic. Keep it short, simple and sincere.
KISS spam mail goodbye.
When I was in college, one of my professors at Boston University lived by the acronym, “KISS” or, “Keep it simple, stupid.” I know. It isn’t revolutionary, but it was probably one of the most important lessons I learned as a writer…. and now as a marketer, too.
Subjects lines should be no more than 65 characters to avoid getting cut off in the inbox. Be sure those 65 characters are thought-provoking. Ask yourself, “would I open this email?” If the answer is no, keep going back to the drawing board until you say yes.
In total, the email itself should also be less than 200 words, with one clear call to action (CTA) – not two, or three, or four. Trust me when I tell you no one is going to read a short story about why they should check out your white paper, register for your newsletter or view your webinar. No one. But if you can get your message across in a couple of sentences, there’s a good chance you’ll see click rates rise.
Speaking of CTAs, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for the latest marketing news and tips.
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