The average office worker receives more than 120 emails a day. Many of them are flagged as spam, which is exactly what you want to avoid if you expect any return on your email marketing campaigns.
As inboxes become more inundated, email campaigns need to become more focused and more relevant to stand out. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet for a successful email campaign but using the following tips could very well save your messages from the spam folder.
Segmentation
Most, if not all, email services allow you to break your contact lists into different segments. This is a great way to make sure you are getting the right message out to the right people. Compared to emails that go out to non-segmented lists, segmented emails result in nearly 15% more opens and 65% more clicks.
Demographic segmentation
Age, gender, geographic location, income, etc. – are common metrics used in demographic segmentation. However, producers should consider digging a little deeper and segment their lists according to the needs and interests of their prospects. For example, create a “Life Insurance” segment that includes only those who have expressed interest in that specific topic. This will keep non-relevant content out of their inbox and decrease the number of people who click “unsubscribe.”
Subject Lines
The subject line you use can make or break the email within the first few seconds of delivery. A strong and concise subject is the best way to pique the reader’s interest and get them to open the message. A good subject line will tease the content of your email, but avoid coming across as spam-y or sales-y. Subject lines that ask an open-ended question, focus on something of value, or speak to a specific need or curiosity will typically generate more opens than others. For example:
- When You Can Actually Retire Vs. When You Want To Retire
- Saving Versus Spending: Why You Might Be Doing Both Wrong
- What You Need to Know About Retirement
- Why Planning Your Legacy Now Is Important
- How You Can Save Even with Debt
- How Your Retirement May Change Next Year
- One Big Thing Missing from Your Retirement Plan
Avoid using spam filter language (loan, free, mortgage, etc.), deceptive subject lines, exclamation points, and NEVER USE ALL CAPS!!!
Mobile
More than 80% of all emails are opened on mobile devices. The majority of mobile openers will delete emails that are not device-friendly. Emails not optimized for mobile are hardly worth sending in the first place.
Most email platforms offer a variety of mobile-ready and responsive templates that will make sure yours is designed with smart devices in mind. Use them. You also want to make sure you preview and test your email on as many different devices as possible (computer, smartphone, tablet) to make sure it displays properly on all of them.
Content
Content is king. The copy you write from the body of your email should be clear-cut, well-crafted, and plainly outline your value proposition. Obviously, grammar is of the utmost importance, so make sure you proofread at least a few times. Ideally, you will want a fresh set of eyes to go over your content at least once or twice as well.
Aim for a good balance of text and images. Too much of the former can come across as bland and unappealing, while an image-heavy email can take longer to load, increasing the chances they will delete or ignore your message. You also want to direct their attention to your call-to-action and provide multiple, clickable links to the site you want your readers to land on.
Personalize
Personalized emails can increase both your click-through rates and conversions. Your email platform likely has a feature that will automatically include the reader’s first name in both the subject line and greeting. This sort of personal touch will not only catch the reader’s eye but could also increase the sense of relevancy and emotional appeal.
Measure Your Results and Act Accordingly
Spend some time looking over the results of your previous email campaigns. Try to determine what it was about your “hits” that made them more successful than your “misses.” Was it the subject line? The time and day you sent the email? Even the design and placement of your links can affect how well your email campaign performs. By carefully going over the different variables at play, you can easily incorporate those things that worked into future campaigns.
Keep It Relevant
Relevancy is a vital part of any marketing campaign. This especially holds true for emails. After all, who is going to open an email if it doesn’t offer something of value or importance? Tapping into awareness campaigns can be a good way to keep your emails relevant to your audience. For instance, May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month. This provides producers with a good opportunity to discuss the benefits of incorporating a disability insurance policy into their protection mix. IAMS has an email crafted specifically for the occasion. As part of our Disability Insurance Prospecting Kit, we are offering a pre-approach email/letter aimed at getting the DI conversation started. The kit also includes:
- Sales concepts for agents
- A DI for Business Owners guide
- Consumer-facing flyers with essential details, stats and figures
- Turnkey social posts and fillable forms
- A pre-approach letter and prospecting emails from a trusted carrier
There’s still time left to request your complimentary Disability Insurance Prospecting Kit. Click below and start the conversation.
