Email Marketing Content that Begs to be Read!

As you mail to your list and review your graphics, analyze the opens, forwards and bounces have you noticed, even with your most active list subscribers, there is a growing trend of unresponsive list members; less email is being opened which can really hamper your email campaign success.  Are you thinking about revamping your entire email program as a remedy?  Do you really know why your list has declining “Opens” or are you satisfied just to get the “Opens” you have?  Rather than settle lets investigate probable causes of unresponsive list members and find a solution to keep your “Opens” growing.
First, rule out your controllable factors:

1. An attention grabbling subject line
2. Using a familiar FROM address
3. Mailing frequency and scheduling
4. Segmentation
5. Triggered mailings

As you know controls are not enough, as received email still gets trashed or worse yet saved to be read later, but later never comes.
The fact is there is a direct correlation between subscriber engagement and relevant message content and most marketers come to this realization after a few irrelevant mailings.  There is truth in the saying “Content is King” and even more so with email marketing.  Our Society is a now society, people want instant gratification; they don’t want to waste time on certain tasks such as reading an irrelevant email.
How can you be sure that each mailing you send out has the content that begs to be read? Start by understanding the behavior and interests of your audience. You cannot second-guess what value a reader expects to glean from your emails, as people are multi-faceted with an individual complexly that elude most physiologists.  However, you can ask your subscribers what they like, how often they want to hear from you and their other interests that you can feature in your marketing campaigns.
Therefore, use all the different methods available to you to collect data such as the likes and dislikes of your individual subscriber.  Ask your subscriber about their interests right on you email subscription page.  Collect information in surveys or ask them their preferences in a later email that follows your Welcome Letter. Provide a place online where your subscribers can go to update their information, including any changes to their email address.
The key to sending relevant messages: Know your subscribers.
Relevant messages will motivate your subscribers to not only read your content, but will inspire them to pass it on to their online friends.  It will keep them engaged with your list, product and company.  As you create content consider, is the information your sending valuable to your customers and prospects?  Will your message or offer motivate your recipient to stay on your list and have that “I can't wait to see what I receive next “attitude?
Create content that solves a problem (information) or presents a idea (announcing a new product), or offers a solution (testimonials and coupons) by keeping your message

1. Direct
2. Conversational
3. Personal
4. Targeted
5. Well written

Leverage all that demographic analytical data you collected so you can customize the same message to your entire list by individual preference. Review and refine your messaging strategy and:

1. Verify that your email is directed to the right person
2. Write to the individual by segmenting and targeting
3. Differentiate messages between your customers and prospects

Remember not everyone is a customer, yet.  Emphasize basic benefits, such as simplicity, competence, customer service or financial advantage to those list subscribers who have not used your products or services.
To those subscribers already using your product or service, create informational content that expands on their knowledge and capabilities of your product or provide detailed examples on how to improve their experience with your company.
Review your campaign statistics and remember,

1. Irrelevant content equals higher unsubscribe rates
2. Relevant content equals more “Open Rates”
3. Content that works equals higher “Response Rates”
4. Badly written spammy content equals SPAM complaints (not everyone take time to unsubscribe)

As you can imagine, most online surveys, indicate the majority of list subscribers actually like receiving email from the companies they have subscribed to.  Keep your subscribers happy by sending personalized targeted emails that surpass their expectation with content that is relevant to their interests.  Improve your “Opens” with content that communicates directly to them.  Good written content will help you reengage your unresponsive list subscribers and keep them on your list. Use highly advanced email tools such as in Lyris listManager with Dundee Internet, to segment, target, send and analyze the success of your email campaigns.