With the introduction of easily accessible personalisation and automation of emails for brands, email marketing still plays a key role in marketing campaigns globally. But whilst targeting technologies are developing at record pace, and personalisation is rising to almost ‘creepy’ levels, it’s important for marketers to keep up with the basics of good email campaigns.

1. Set a clear goal Before starting with writing witty content or a kick-ass design, it’s important not to forget the reason you are sending the email. Internally you must consider what you want to achieve with the campaign, and the action you want the recipients to take. Whether your goal is for subscribers to use a promo code, read your latest blog post, or get in contact regarding an offer, if it isn’t clear to those writing the email, it certainly won’t be clear to those reading. It also makes measuring the success of the campaign so much easier if you know what metrics you want to track. Do remember though that your readers will be using a variety of devices to read your email, so make sure the goal is actionable on mobile, tablet & desktop.

2. Be honest In the era of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’, building trust with consumers is increasingly difficult, but arguably more important than ever. Using misleading subject lines is as frustrating as clickbait news headlines, and sure, you may have an increased opened rate on the first email, but readers will quickly click away once they realise the subject was misleading. This will negatively impact your open rates in the future, so keep it catchy, but never misleading.

3. Use numbers to draw attention Studies have shown that irregular patterns in blocks of text, such as numbers and unusual punctuation, attract attention and can stop the eyes wandering. So, use them in your email subject lines where appropriate to stop recipients skimming through their inbox. But remember, the numbers may reduce recipients missing your email, but the rest of the subject line must still be compelling enough to open it.

4. Don’t be a time waster Time is money, precious and of the essence, so nobody likes theirs to be wasted, especially with emails containing useless information. Only send emails when you have something important to say, and segment your lists to ensure you are only sending them to people interested in that topic. The increase in personalisation of emails means more than just using their first name, it means consumers expect you to use their data target campaigns rather than bombarding them with unhelpful information. If your subscribers don’t think reading your emails is worth their time, they will soon stop.

Need help with email? Whether it’s a one-off seasonal campaign or part of your ongoing marketing activities, Digity can help to increase brand awareness and results through targeted use of emails. Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how effective use of email campaigns can benefit your business.