Mastering Email Marketing

12 Ways to hook and hold your audience. How to craft killer emails that get opened, read, love and acted on.

Ever poured your heart into creating an email campaign, hit send, and then ... crickets … nada!

And yet … well crafted, respectful, audience-aware email campaigns work. They build trust and connection. They can be the timeliest of prompts, the exact one your readers need to nudge them gently into action.

How do I know this? Besides keeping my own email list intrigued and engaged via email, I've created and managed hundreds of cracking good email campaigns on behalf of my fabulous (and very diverse) clients.

The art of crafting emails that get opened, read and acted on is a bit like perfecting your pavlova recipe. It takes fresh ingredients, confident testing and, above all, a light touch.

If your pav is not yet perfect, this recipe comes highly recommended.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by email marketing or your latest effort fell flatter than the proverbial pancake, read on. Here are twelve 'easy as pav' tips I cooked up earlier. 

Here are twelve 'easy as pav' tips I cooked up earlier. 

How to Hook Your Audience with Every Email

1. Intrigue 'em up front - smooth yet sticky subject lines rule

The subject line is your email's slam dunk first impression. If it doesn't say, "You're so going to want to read this", odds on your message is destined for the inbox abyss.

OptinMonster's 2024 research found that a whopping 64% of recipients decide to open an email based on the subject line alone. Take a squizz at their findings and a fair number of examples. Some of these are too salesy for my taste; I tend to avoid 'should',' must-haves,' and 'can't live without', which tend to set Australian readers' teeth on edge.  

Whatever words you use to craft your killer subject lines, keep them short, intriguing, and focused on a clear benefit. Here's one of mine that worked.

🚀 Example "{First Name}, Snag  5 Game-Changing Canva Tips!"

Got a couple of 'goodies' and not sure which one to use.A/B testing is your bestie! Send different versions to small groups and see which gets the most opens.

2. Pump up your pre-header - a sneaky snippet and secret weapon

The pre-header is that snippet of text you see below the subject line. It's like the cheeky, 'in the know' wink after a good joke. Don't overlook it.  The pre-header is prime email real estate, perfect for backing up your subject line and a tease for what's to come. In short, it's the trailer to your email's blockbuster.

Here's my pre-header to the subject line above

🎬 Example: "Who doesn't want hacks for creating stunning designs in minutes?"

3. Be skimmable - because nobody reads everything

Research from Litmus (2023) shows that the average time spent reading an email is 8.97 seconds.  If your email looks like chapter one of 'War and Peace' readers will bail faster than you can say "Leo Tolstoy."

Scanability is all about format. Loads of white space with:

✅ Short (mostly single sentence) paragraphs

✅ Bullet points

✅ Bold or highlighted key points

✅ Clear headers

The more scannable and digestible your email is, the more likely your audience will stick around.

4. Keep your subscribers sweet - offer them exlusive value

Your subscribers handed over their email addresses for a reason, so don't let them regret it! And give them a reason (or rather, regular reasons) to stay subscribed.

💡 4 'Thank you, you're wonderful' ways to appreciate your subscribers

• Early access to products or sales - who doesn't love an exclusive, early bird offer

• Exclusive discounts or freebies – pamper the people who support you

• Industry insights or tips – provide priceless insights for time-poor people

• Behind-the-scenes content – cos curious humans love a sneak peek

Make your subscribers feel special (because they are) by offering offer value they can't find elsewhere. And they'll reward you with their loyalty and rave reviews.

5. Don't blitz inboxes - volume doesn't equal value

HubSpot (2024) found that 78% of consumers unsubscribe because brands email too often. Ouch!

Don't bombard your audience. Aim for a consistent but reasonable schedule—weekly, fortnightly, monthly, whatever—set expectations and stick to them.

📅 Best anti-bombardment practices

• Tell subscribers how often you'll email them when they sign up.

• Only send emails when you have something valuable to share.

• Segment (fancy marketing term for grouping your subscribers by their interests) so your (endlessly impressed and grateful) subscribers only receive content that's relevant to them.

6. Have good timing - email when people are checking their inboxes

Whether you're catching a perfect wave or the attention of your busy audience - timing matters. And while the optimal time to send an email depends on your audience, use these general trends as a guide.

📊 2024 Best Email Timing Data (Campaign Monitor)

• Best Open Rates Tuesdays at 10 AM

• Best Click-Through Rates Thursdays at 2 PM

• Worst Times Weekends and after 7 PM

Just remember, these times may not reflect your audience's habits, so experiment with different times and track your results.

7. Test, analyse and tweak - leaern what works and lock in long-term success

No marketing strategy is ever perfect from the get-go. As a savvy email marketer, you'll always be testing and tweaking the following things:

📌 What to A/B Test

• Subject lines

• Sending times

• Email length

• Call-to-action (CTA) placement and wording

• Personalisation (e.g., using their name or location)

Use analytics tools to monitor open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. If something isn't working, tweak and try again!

8. Personalise, Personalise, Personalise!

How good does it feel to open an email that feels like it was genuinely written just for you? For starters, use your subscriber's name, but that really is just for starters. 

The power of personalisation kicks in when you understand your audience well enough to 'segment' them based on their interests, behaviours, and demographics. Armed with this information, you can send your subscribers relevant content they'll love and use and not annoy them by wasting their time with content they won't.

🎯 Example: If you're selling gardening supplies, why send emails about rose care to people who've only ever expressed interest in heritage tomatoes?

If you're unsure how or where to start segmenting your email list. This Hubspot blog offers 30 ways to do that.

9. Write clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs) - no-nonsense for the win

Get 100% clear on the purpose of your email before you start scribbling/typing/tossing ideas around. What do you want your subscribers to do? Read a blog post. Buy a product. Sign up for a webinar. Then say that - simply and concisely. If fun and funky is your style, there's certainly room for that, just not in your CTAs. Stick with short, active and clear.

💪 Examples: "Shop Now," "Read the Full Story," "Join the Free Webinar."

10. Tell a (short) story - tough to do but rewarding if you get it right

Humans are hardwired to love stories. Stories are engaging and memorable – they build connections. If you can write succinctly and cleverly, try weaving some 'features and benefits' into a catchy yarn instead of listing them.

📖 Example: Share a customer success story, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your business, or that time when you discovered something weirdly wonderful about your service or product.

This blog from Mailjet has  7 Ways to use storytelling in email marketing.

11. Keep it visual - you know why!

A picture tells a thousand words, right? Besides white space, captivating, quality images are the best way to break up and complement text.  GIFs or videos will also add oomph and energy to your emails.

🖼️ Tip: Ensure your entire email, including images, is optimised for mobile! Around 81% of people check their email on their phones (SuperOffice, 2024), so make sure yours looks schmick on all screens.

Need a heads-up on how to optimise for mobile. HubSpot strikes again.How to optimise your email in 5 steps

12. Encourage replies and feedback - kickstart conversations

Email marketing is a two-way street. Encourage your subscribers to reply to your emails with questions, comments, or feedback. Besides building engagement, this also provides invaluable insights into your audience's thoughts and wants.

💬 Examples: Ask me a burning question, and I'll get right back to you.Did something strike a chord here? Let me know. 

The last words on email marketing

At its heart, email marketing isn't about selling. It's about connecting and building trust and relationships. So, nail those subject lines, optimise for readability, and deliver genuine value. Then sit back, smile and enjoy how your email campaigns help your business thrive.

Too busy to get your head and heart around email marketing? Let us take care of it for you. Shout us an email to hello@theinspiredhive.com.au

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