Our trusty friend Google tells us that the most commonly searched phrase when it comes to B2B email marketing is – is email marketing still effective? We’re not surprised. We often hear marketers say email marketing is dead, while others rejoicing it’s alive and well. The truth? It probably lies somewhere in between. After all, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another.
While we’re not an email marketing agency per se, and we don’t offer targeted email marketing services, we do know that a creative email can make a world of difference.
We can even prove the ROI of injecting creativity into an email. When granted permission to try something new, our copywriting has doubled open rates and click-through rates within just three months. We’ve done this by using our creative muscles to connect the seemingly unconnected.
Above all, the email subject header is what drives open rates. That’s why we make our subject headers all about intrigue. If you give too much away in the subject header, people have no reason to open it. Intrigue trumps trust.
When was the last time you were inspired by an email? When have you looked at an email and thought, “Wow, they really get me”? You probably haven’t. While it’s basic sales 1-0-1 to show potential buyers you understand their problems, very rarely do emails show that, at least authentically. Just because it’s digital and not face-to-face doesn’t mean you can’t show emotion, our copywriter’s know how to achieve this.
Just because you know your product can help your audience doesn’t mean your recipients will automatically trust you – humans are hardwired to be cautious. So how can you build trust? If your recipients are Data Scientists, our B2B copywriters might read job descriptions to find out how their performance is evaluated. If your recipients are pharmacists, our copywriters will visit pharmacy groups on social media. We find a window into your recipient’s world.
We know sales and marketing don’t always see eye to eye, but there’s no denying they are linked. Helping sales achieve more business is the most important thing a marketing team can do, especially now that we face new challenges. More sophisticated martech options might help secure qualified leads, but you still need to convert those leads, and that’s where effective copywriting that is not forceful, or boring, can help.
To catch attention in a crowded marketplace, email marketing needs a shakeup, especially in the era of “the new normal”. As businesses race to reinvent themselves and speak to new audiences, we recommend revisiting the cookie-cutter mould. If a creative approach doesn’t suit your brand, then rather than spending time and money on emails that are ignored, we recommend other forms of content marketing.
Email marketing tends to get a bad rep due in part to spam emails, but email marketing is still alive and kicking. Having said that, a successful email marketing campaign is definitely not set in stone. To do email marketing well, it’s important to take into account that the average open rate, click-through rate, and click-to-open rate varies according to the industry that you are in. So, make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Interestingly, it’s been reported that governments, non-profits and financial institutions tend to have higher engagement rates so we always recommend our copywriting services to clients in these industries.
If you’re expecting a definitive answer, we’re sorry to say – no dice. The recommended frequency of your email campaigns hinges on the type of product you are selling, the type of audience that you are targeting, and what the context of the email is. Just remember, towing the line between helpful and annoying is like walking on a tightrope – it’s no easy feat.
Once again, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the length of the email buuut, it’s been proven email copy written between 50 to 125 words can result in response rates over 50%. That doesn’t mean that an email that has 500 to 2,000 words is going to perform poorly, at Etymon we believe the quality of the copywriting is more important than the quantity.
When it comes to copywriting for emails our biggest tip is not to neglect your subject and preview lines. Subject lines make or break the recipient’s decision on whether to open your mail or to bin it.
Other than that, the truth is finding an email copywriting style that works for you is like finding a good skincare routine. There is no magic formula, and just because it worked for someone else, does not mean that it will work for you. So, play around with different copy lengths, experiment with subject headers, and throw in out-of-the-box visuals to see what works and what doesn’t work. Test. Tweak. Repeat.
