With the many changes to advertising and the way we consume media, it’s perhaps comforting that in light of all the adjustments and new features out there, email marketing is still a tried and trusted way of reaching your audience. But while the format of email hasn’t changed much since it was introduced, how we’re consuming such content has.
With more people looking at their mobile screens as well as desktop, it’s important to adapt your content so that it’s accessible to both audiences.
Focus On The Subject Line
For one, while there are similarities like email headings and such, you will need to consider how long you make the subject header. If it’s too long, it will cut off and if it’s too short, you mightn’t have enough to entice people to open the email. Finding subject lines that meet all criteria is difficult in itself so instead of worrying about all of them, focus on one or two aspects.
Depending on the type of email app you’re using, the character limit could range anywhere from 30 to 50 characters altogether. This puts further restraints on what your subject line is going to be so if it’s between 50 – 70 characters, then the keywords that pulls people in should be at or near the beginning. Placing it near the end means there’s a greater chance of it not appearing, meaning a lost opportunity.
Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out whether your readers will use mobile or desktop, but keeping it shorter will improve the chances of it being read. That ties into the next point.
Know Your Audience
Or in some cases, learn about your audience. When you’re starting off, you will have a rough idea of the demographics you want to reach, but when you’ve already sent out one or two, then your analytics will begin to paint a picture of who’s reading and receiving your emails.
Refer to them regularly – every week would be a good start – to see what devices people are using to read, when they’re opening them and what the CTR is. Using that knowledge is important if you want to improve your service.
Design Is Key
Regardless of what content you put in your email, if it’s difficult to read or fits awkwardly into a mobile format, then you’ve lost your audience. Screens may differ in size, but ultimately they will scale down to the same level. If you’re putting together a newsletter, services like Mailchimp allow you to create templates that work on both mobile and desktop, but if you’re designing a custom version, you will need to do some testing to ensure things go smoothly.
This also includes font size too. Consider what the optimal size is for a good reading experience and place yourself in the shoes of those reading your mail for the first time or send it to some of your colleagues or friends to get an objective opinion and shape it through that.
Touch Vs Click
When you’re reading through an email on desktop, the mouse allows for more specific clicks and easier navigation. Mobile doesn’t have the same practicality since fingers don’t have the same accuracy at clicking as a mouse and the smaller screen only adds to the problem.
Therefore, if you have links or buttons that you want readers to click on, design it so that they’re of sufficient size and are spaced away from other buttons to avoid accidental clicks.
Timing Is Important
It’s no surprise that the same type of rules for normal email applies for mobile email and timing is one that crops up time and time again, and for good reason too. While it will vary with your audience, generally the best times to post it during the working day between Tuesday and Thursday with the afternoon working best. The infographics below from a previous email marketing article we covered will give you an idea of when people send and check their email accounts.
Check Content For Spam
A small but important piece of info to remember before you send a mail out for the first time. If your email is filled with links, your email provider may flag it as spam and filter it into a different section, meaning it’s not seen by your audience. Test out your mail first through services like Email Spam Test to ensure that your email isn’t going to be flagged before you send it.
Set Realistic Goals
While the format is popular, you should bear in mind that the open rate and CTR for email tends to be rather low. People are normally overwhelmed with new arrivals in their inbox that they will either ignore it or quickly scan through the contents. An even smaller percentage will open click on links so brace yourself for potentially lower than expected open rates. Over time, it will build up provided the content you’re placing in it is interesting in its own right.
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