Email marketing, you got a sec?

Online we are inundated with content. Our attention spans are but a few seconds. News, blogs, ads, and emails we flip through in seconds. Recent news – scan, annoying rich media overtake ad – scan (and close), Check your email – scan. Digital advertising has some challenges. Banner ads are one thing; the consumer is drawn to that page for a reason, so they may be sticking around. The personal nature of sending an email is particularly challenging: it’s in their private space. Speaking about corporate emails Kevin Scott of AMR Research says, "[As with] any other ad, you have three to five seconds to get their attention.”

Just imagine you’re in the grocery store to pick up some cereal and all the boxes are the same size, same color, and same font. How would you pick? Now go to your inbox. An email from Zara is next to a Banana Republic. There’s no visual enhancement to differentiate between the two, and ALL CAPS… is not design.

So how do you make a good impression, one that entices them to open the email? Informative subject lines, they’re your foot-in-the-door, even with trusted brands. Here are some thoughts in making that right first impression:

1. Know your audience, and let them know you do.

2. Know what they want before they do.

3. Keep it simple; get to the point/offer/incentive right away or it’s sayonara.

4. Oh, and… be able to write. Keeping in mind, what you don’t write is just as important as what you do.

Let’s say the subject line was successful – they’ve opened it. Congrats, but the challenge continues. First nobody’s reading a novella. Second don’t forget the scan that is about to happen. Once you’re in, you had better get your key points across. Up front headlines, a prominent call to action and a layout that doesn’t frustrate them.

There’s been a lot of research done on this subject. The marketing agency MailChimp is known for their email campaigns. On their site they have listed the Average Email Campaign Stats of their Customers by Industry. They offer a pretty interesting chart that can be found here.

Perhaps after reading this you might be kinder to those offer peddling marketers and take your scan up to 6 seconds. Then again maybe you haven’t even made it through this post. :/