1. Set a goal
It sounds simple but you would be surprised at how many people don't have a clear aim when sending a marketing email.
So what do you want to achieve? It might be to get users to click through to a legal insight on our website, or to get them to RSVP to a webinar you have organised.
Be clear on what you want to achieve and you will then have a better email and an easier job in determining whether it was a success
2. Include a clear call to action (CTA)
Any email you send should have a clear call to action. If possible, try to stick to one CTA so that you do not cause your audience any confusion or a chance to come away from the main purpose of the email – we want to avoid "what am I supposed to click on first?"
Write CTAs that are between two and five words long. Try rearranging and eliminating words until you have distilled your message down to its essence. "Read more", "Sign up" & "Get the latest insights" are short, effective and clear.
3. Your mailing list: Segment, segment, segment
This is key. Many people still think that subscribers to their sector should all get the same content. It's one big list, with minimal effort put in. That minimal effort shows. If users are receiving emails that are not relevant to them, they may unsubscribe from our marketing lists.
We can segment our audience by job title, industry, geography and many more.
Segmentation leads to better engagement and improved interaction with your audience.
4. Be wary of short attention spans
The average person has an eight-second attention span. That means you have barely any time to grab your user and get them to complete your required action.
Users won't interact with your email content if you open with 10 paragraphs or an image that has no relevance.
Open with a clear title, brief synopsis and that clear call to action.
5. Keep your subject line short and personal
The subject line is the first thing users will see, so remember those short attention spans and keep it concise and engaging. Try and aim for fewer than 50 characters.
You can also include personalisation e.g. name or job title to entice people to open.
