As we move through 2024, email marketing continues proving its worth, standing tall amidst newer, flashier marketing trends. Why? Because it works. HubSpot's State of Marketing Report 2024 confirms this: email marketing remains the second-highest ROI-generating channel.
You can cut through the noise and grab your audience’s attention with targeted messages and eye-catching custom Mailchimp email templates. With preferences for email jumping from 42.0% in 2021 to 75.4% in 2023, email marketing has become an excellent way to build relationships and convert leads into customers.
Image Source: Mailjet
Plus, unlike social media, where algorithms decide your brand’s reach, email marketing ensures your message lands right in front of those who signed up to hear from you.
Read: Effective Marketing Strategies for Businesses
But sending emails isn't enough. Many marketers have experienced sending messages that they expected to perform well, only to see them fall flat. To boost engagement, you need effective email marketing strategies.
If you want to boost email marketing engagement rates, you need effective email marketing strategies to solve any issues impairing your email engagement. Here’s your toolkit to do it:
What is Email Engagement?
Email engagement is all about how deeply your subscribers connect with your messages. Do they click links? Forward your message to friends? Spend quality time reading your content? These actions signal that your content is compelling and relevant.
Here's why email engagement matters:
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High engagement leads to better email delivery. Service providers track user interactions. Emails with frequent opens, clicks, and positive engagement will likely land in the primary inbox, not the spam folder.
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Engaged subscribers are more likely to convert. This could be a purchase, event signup, or any desired action. High engagement often translates to a better ROI for your marketing efforts.
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Engagement metrics also provide valuable audience insights. By tracking clicks, forwards, and read time, you discover what resonates with your subscribers. This intel helps you refine future campaigns and keep your audience hooked.
Your email marketing dashboard is full of different KPIs to measure email engagement, such as open rate, click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, bounce rate, unsubscribe rate, share rate, and so forth.
But here’s the thing.
Tracking email engagement is not always straightforward.
Lakesha Holloway of Atrium Health notes that click rates and open rates are often misleading due to email bots and preloaded images. To truly understand your audience, analyze behavior patterns, use UTM parameters, and personalize messages. This deeper insight will help you craft campaigns that truly resonate and drive results.
Jen Kazin, a Pardot consultant at Greenkey, agrees. She emphasizes that top marketers track stronger actions like form submissions, webinar registrations, and content syndication downloads, not just clicks.
The takeaway here is clear: The days of "batch and blast" strategies are behind us. The evolving landscape of email engagement demands more than just collecting addresses and sending emails en masse.
How can you thrive in this new era? Here are eight data-backed strategies to boost your email engagement.
Read: Examples of successful customer retention email campaigns
Top 8 Strategies to Engage Your Email Subscribers
1. Start With a Hygienic, Quality Email List
Too many marketers focus on filling the sales pipeline with new leads, prioritizing quantity over quality. But adding 20 engaged subscribers is far more valuable than adding 100 unengaged ones.
That’s because engaged subscribers are more loyal to your brand, more likely to buy more from you, and more likely to refer you to others.
Simply put, a high-quality email list equals engaged subscribers. Take Unbounce, for example. Their email list consistently generates 80-90% of landing page traffic for new campaigns.
Here are some tips for maintaining email list hygiene:
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Update your signup forms to collect valuable subscriber data (birthdays, locations, job titles) for future personalization. Don't overwhelm subscribers with excessive fields; gather enough data for personalization.
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To maintain a healthy, engaged list, regularly remove unengaged subscribers (no opens in 6-12 months).
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Assign tags to categorize subscribers based on interests and behavior for targeted email campaigns.
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Segment your email list by dividing subscribers by demographics, behavior, or preferences for targeted campaigns.
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Consistently launch campaigns to attract new email subscribers.
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Let go of inactive and unengaged customers from the list to prevent spam flags, decrease bounce, and boost email engagement.
2. Personalize Your Campaigns
Think about how you engage with your own emails. How often do you open a message that doesn't seem relevant or tailored to you?
A little personalization goes a long way, which is why it's a staple in every list of email marketing tips.
“Personalization is no longer a nice-to-have, but an expectation. Subscribers and customers expect personalized experiences in the inbox. Consumers are more aware of their data and how it could be used to improve their experience with your brand. Plus, with inbox service providers taking engagement into consideration for inbox placement, personalization is a proven tactic that will help you improve engagement to keep you out of the spam folder.” - Jaina Mistry, Director, Brand and Content Marketing, Litmus.
Read: How to Produce Emails in 10+ Languages at Once
Adding subscriber names is a good start, but true personalization delves deeper. Here's your personalization toolbox:
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Grab attention with subscriber-specific details like an employer, business name, or city in the subject lines.
Ex: "[Industry] Trends You Won't Miss, [Company Name]"
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Craft highly relevant offers based on buyer personas, location, or purchase history.
Ex: "Sun-Kissed Makeup: Must-Haves for [City Name]'s Summer Season
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Match calls to action and message content to subscriber lifecycle stages.
Ex: Welcome offers vs. re-engagement incentives
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Send targeted emails based on website behavior.
Ex: Abandoned cart reminders or product recommendations
3. Craft Killer Subject Lines
In a sea of emails, what makes you stop and click? The answer: a captivating subject line. It’s your chance to grab attention and stand out in a crowded inbox. Here's how to craft them for maximum engagement:
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Keep subject lines concise and clear. It should be brief and informative. Aim for under 50 characters for optimal readability.
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Avoid spammy words like "free," "clearance," or "fast cash." These trigger spam filters and land you in the dreaded junk folder. Use free online spam checkers to ensure clean subject lines.
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Write compelling subject lines that pique interest and make recipients want to learn more.
Ex: "Subject: Psst... We've Got a Secret Sale Just for You.
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Numbers add specificity and entice readers to open your email. Use them to highlight discounts, savings, or interesting statistics. Ex. 5 Summer Styles Under $50!
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Don't be afraid to highlight the value proposition in your subject line.
Ex: "Subject: ✈️ Travel Hacks You Need to Know Before Your Next Trip
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Avoid all caps, excessive exclamation points, and overly promotional language. You want to inform, not scream!
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Personalize subject lines with the recipient's name to make them feel valued and increase the likelihood of them opening your email.
Ex. Miranda, Your New Favorite Dress is Here!
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A touch of humor (when appropriate) can be a great way to differentiate yourself and add a smile to your recipient's day. Use this tactic carefully and tailor it to your brand voice.
Read: How to Write Email Newsletters
Ex. Your Shopping Cart Is Judging You (But We Won't…)
4. Optimize Pre-header Text
Your subject line grabs attention, but the pre-header text seals the deal. This short line, appearing next to your subject line in most inboxes, concisely explains your email's content and encourages recipients to open it. Something like this,
Here's how to craft high-impact pre-header text, along with examples:
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Keep it short and sweet, ideally under 55 characters, for optimal display on most devices.
Ex. Don't miss out! Save an extra 20% on your favorite items.
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Don't reveal everything in the pre-header! Tease the content of your email in a way that piques the reader's interest and leaves them wanting more.
Ex. Get a sneak peek! Our hottest summer styles are here.
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Briefly showcase the benefit your email offers and encourage the recipient to take action by opening it.
Ex. Lemon Meringue Pie: New Recipe & 5 Creative Twists!
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The preheader should build upon your subject line, not simply repeat it. Use it to offer additional context.
Ex. Subject: "Travel Hacks You Need" Pre-Header: "Save money & explore like a pro!"
5. Nail Your CTAs
Clear calls to action (CTAs) are the invisible salespeople within your emails, guiding subscribers toward your desired actions – a website visit, a purchase, or a free trial signup. Effective CTAs cut through the noise, telling recipients exactly what to do next and removing confusion by providing context to the surrounding content. Here's how to craft CTAs that supercharge engagement and drive conversions:
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Your CTA should be crystal clear, informing recipients what will happen when they click. Highlight the value proposition: what benefit do they gain by taking action?
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Use strong verbs that inspire clicks, such as "Shop Now," "Download," or "Learn More."
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Make your CTAs stand out visually. Consider using buttons, increasing font size, employing bold or underlined text, or incorporating a contrasting color to grab attention.
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Ensure ample white space surrounds your CTA, preventing clutter and facilitating easy clicking on all devices.
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For mobile users, add padding or margins around your CTA to create a larger tappable area. Apple recommends a minimum clickable area of 44x44 points for optimal mobile interaction.
In the example below, Apple's CTAs excel in three ways: clarity, urgency, and user choice. They're clear and concise, guiding users towards "shop now" or "learn more" actions. The "shop now" button likely uses a contrasting color to grab attention and create urgency with the word "now." Finally, offering two CTAs caters to different preferences, increasing user engagement on mobile and desktop devices.
6. Write Fun Email Copies
Ever yawn your way through an email? Yeah, us, too. That's why ditching the snooze-fest and crafting fun, engaging email copy is guaranteed to boost engagement.
Here’s how:
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Ditch the jargon and write like you'd talk to a friend. Short sentences, an active voice, and a sprinkle of personality go a long way.
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Focus on the positive! Highlight your email's benefits and use upbeat language to keep readers smiling.
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A little humor can go a long way (if it fits your brand voice, of course!). A funny anecdote or witty phrase can break the ice and make your email more memorable.
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Feeling stuck? Craft a list of your key points, then use them as a springboard for writing engaging email copy.
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mile (and results!) to your readers' faces!
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Leverage email writing tools! These AI tools can help you pick the right tone and style, giving you a head start crafting fun and engaging email copy that reflects your brand.
Read: Why Your Business Needs Cold Email Outreach Software
7. Make it Mobile-friendly
In today's world, most emails are opened and devoured on smartphones. Yet, many emails still feel clunky and frustrating on mobile devices.
Image Source: Smartinsights
Here's how to ensure your emails are displayed correctly on mobile devices:
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Opt for responsive design. It ensures your emails automatically adjust to any screen size, offering a seamless reading experience on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
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Make those buttons and links BIG! Mobile users have fingers, not pointers, so ensure your CTAs and other clickables are large and easy to tap with a single touch.
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Keep your content short and sweet. Mobile users are busy and have shorter attention spans, so get to the point quickly and avoid lengthy blocks of text.
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Images are powerful, but they can also slow down mobile load times. Optimize your images for mobile by reducing file sizes without sacrificing quality and ensure mobile-friendly designs.
Read: How to Develop An Online Bidding Web App
So, ditch the struggle, embrace these tips, and find the joy in crafting email marketing campaigns. By focusing on clarity, conciseness, compelling CTAs, mobile-friendliness, and empathy, you'll transform your emails from click-throughs to cheers, fostering stronger connections with your audience and fueling your success.
Now get out there and write fantastic emails that bring a smile (and results!) to your readers' faces!
8. Put Yourself in Your Reader's Shoes
Before hitting send, ask yourself a powerful question: "Would I be happy receiving this email?"
It's easy to get caught up in design trends or crafting clever wording when creating marketing emails. But true engagement comes from connecting with your audience on a human level. Here's how empathy can boost your email engagement:
Does your email offer something genuinely beneficial to your subscribers, something they'll find useful or interesting?
Is the offer you're presenting truly enticing and relevant to their needs? Don't just push promotions; provide valuable content.
Does the email's tone and message align with the relationship you've built with your subscribers?
Email Marketing Doesn’t Have to Feel Like a Chore!
Here's the secret: When you're passionate about your message and enjoy the writing process, that enthusiasm translates into more engaging and effective emails. People can pick up on genuine passion, and it draws them in.