Email marketing is more than a good bet. It yields an average ROI of $38 for every dollar invested according to Litmus Labs’ 2016 State of Email Report. That’s a 3800% return. It’s simply one of the best opportunities available for companies engaged in digital marketing.
So how can you, as a marketer, make the most of it? First, it makes sense to pay attention to where and how those emails are getting opened. And according to the latest statistics, readers are checking their email on mobile devices at increasing rates.
According to IBM’s 2016 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study, 49% of emails worldwide are now read on mobile devices. Numbers were higher in the UK, Australia, and developing countries, while US numbers came in right at the 49% average.
Litmus labs found that in 2015, both Android and iPhone opens increased to collectively make up 43% of all emails opened. And Outlook opens in January fell 43% to make up only 3% of the total share in December.
Here are 5 ways you can gain the email advantage.
With more and more readers checking in on their phones, knowing how to optimize for mobile will give you the edge over your competition. Try these strategies to help your prospect stay glued to the screen long enough to get your message.
1. Use larger fonts.
Readable fonts are critical to UX. Go for at least 13-14 pixels. Test your copy on multiple devices to make sure it’s easy on the eyes. And if your readers are over 40, be generous.
2. Write short subject lines.
Copyblogger suggests using a total of 40 or fewer characters or at least making the first 40 the most important.
Use your pre-header as an extended headline to draw your reader in. It’s one of the most neglected and useful parts of each email you send. Not sure what a pre-header is? It’s the first few words of your email body text. Pay attention to the message you send here, and watch your open rates rise.
Email may be the easiest way to make a 3800% return on any investment Click To Tweet3. Put your CTA in a button – not an image.
Make it pop with a contrasting color, and make it easy to click with a fingertip. Apple’s iOS User Interface Guidelines recommend making custom icons a minimum 44 x 44 pixels. The best placement? … near the top of your email.
Also, limit each email to one main Call To Action. At the very least, don’t place CTAs right next to each other. Trying to click only one at a time can be like playing Operation with giant tweezers.
4. Keep it concise.
According to MarketingSherpa’s recent stats, readers spend an average of only 15-20 seconds reading an email. Their results came from EmailLabs, who tested millions of emails from over 300 companies.
The Sherpa team recommends making emails copy-centric and testing the kinds of emails you’re using now against single topic messages. Your next email? Try a short, focused version and test for yourself.
5. Skip the images.
With only 15-20 seconds to prompt action, getting quickly to the text is crucial. And using multiple images can interfere with response.
Also keep in mind that your images may be blocked on Android devices. So unless you want readers to see a huge white gap between paragraphs, plan to make your emails work both with and without them. Add an image description, only use one or two, or leave them out altogether.
Email may be the easiest way to make a 3800% return on any investment … make the most of it.
