Most recipients (69%) determine whether or not an email is spam based on the subject line. Because of this, it is important that subject lines sounds legitimate and important.

Make sure that:

• Your subject lines don’t sound overly sales-driven.
• You don’t send too many emails that sound like spam.
• You realize how important a good subject line is.

Email subject lines are similar to news headlines – they are meant to grab the reader’s attention. People are attracted to emotions. Depending on the purpose of your email, it is vital to understand what emotion best speaks to your market.

Urgency

• Deadlines
  •  Deadlines and “limited time” messaging can inspire immediate action.
    Example: Successful marketers will open this … before time runs out.
• The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
  • The “fear of missing out” is real, and no one wants to miss out on something good.
    Example: Limited spots available! Claim yours now.
• Pose a Potential Consequence
  •  Show your reader that it’s in their best interest to read what you have to say.
    Example: Don’t let your lawn suffer under the summer sun.

Curiosity

• Cliffhanger
  •  Leave out enough detail to instill interest, without telling the whole story.
    Example: Bob’s lawn got greener than ever using …
• Being with the End
  • Offer readers a conclusion that leaves them wondering how the story starts.
    Example: How did Bob’s lawn get so green?
• Question
  • Start with a question that can only be answered by opening your email.
    Example: What’s new at Bob’s Lawn Care Emporium?

Excitement

• Verbs
  • Use language that encourages people to take action.
    Example: Blast your abs for less at Dave’s Gym
• VIP Feeling
  •  Everyone loves feeling like they have important information. Make your reader’s feel the same way by giving them an “inside scoop”.
    Example: Can you keep a secret? Here’s some cool news coming soon …
• Make ‘Em an Offer They Can’t Refuse
  • Use an accurate, but hard-to-believe, statistic or incredible offer to generate excitement.
    Example: Did you know 73% of clients see improvement using this tactic? 

Joy

• Emojis
  • A well-placed emoji can be great for getting a chuckle, or showing that you are on-trend.
    Example: Aloha! Try our NEW Hawaiian BBQ Ribs 
• Humor
  •  Laughter is good for your health. Put people in a good mood and they’ll react more positively to your content.
    Example: So three marketers walk into a bar …
• Do Good Feel Good
  •  In the world we live today, people are all about giving back. Give your reader the opportunity to give to a good cause.
    Example: Make a difference with us for our local animal shelter

Overall, there are a few staple rules that are important to remember when writing subject lines:

1. Don’t Reuse Subject Lines
2. Try to Keep Your Subject 5-7 Words Long
3. Don’t Sound Like an Ad
4. Use Verbs
5. Use Humor
6. Surprise Them with a Stat
7. Be Clear
8. Be Human
9. Don’t Yell

Subject lines are tough, but they have a lot of potential. Often, writing short and concisely is harder than elaborating. Don’t make your client read everything in the subject line – keep the meat of what you want to say for the body of your email.

So above all else, keep it simple! Try different techniques out to see what works best for your business, and repeat what you like.

The post Increasing Your Opens first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

They had excellent traffic in front of their property so an outdoor banner was appropriate for this event. They “egged” their neighborhood by attaching plastic eggs with an invitation to their Easter events on a door hanger. They used the email list as a way of advertising for the event as well.

After the event was over we used their pictures to create this video as a recap of the event.

The post Promotional Items for Local Event first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

That may seem unbelievable, but read on and in this article you’ll discover 6 reasons why email marketing is the best way to reach people and make them aware of your business.

6 Reasons Email Marketing Will Grow Your Business

1 – Penetration 

When it comes to getting information about your business in front of someone’s eyes, there’s no better way than through email. There are more than 3.2 billion emails accounts today, 95% of online customers use email, and 91% of those customers check their email once per day. (Source: Exact Target)

2 – Return-on-Investment

The reason a business is more likely to choose social media as a marketing tool over email is because they think social media is free. Both email and social media have costs. The difference in their costs is that email is going to cost you a monthly fee. Even though you’ll be charged a monthly fee, the return on that is going to be high. Exact Target estimates for every $1 you spend on email you’ll receive a return of $44.25.

3 – It’s Effective

People voluntarily gave you their email address as a way of saying “I’m interested in you and your product.” You know they are already all in. They love your voice, appreciate your brand and look to you as an expert in your field.  Use your email list to connect with this highly targeted group of potential customers, offering sales, discount codes, exclusive pre-launch opportunities, etc.

4 – Engagement

When you think of engagement you probably think of Facebook or Twitter, but social media isn’t going to give you the type of engagement that you’re looking for with your customers. You want one on one engagement with them, and email is the best way to create a two way street with them. Whenever you attempt to create engagement with your customers through email there are two important keys to remember: (1) Do not send emails with a no-reply address, and (2) If there are so many replies that you can’t handle the volume at least set up a “From” address that you can check periodically.

5 – It’s Less Competitive Than Social Media

Think about how many emails you get in an average day. Maybe 50 to 100? Now think about how many social media updates appear in your various feeds each day. Several hundreds to thousands! You have a far higher likelihood of having people see, open, and click on your email newsletter than you do having them see updates you post on social media. It’s a lot easier to ignore a status update than it is to ignore an email in your inbox.

6 – Your List Is Your Own

Growing a following–a unique group of people who believe in the message of your brand–across multiple social media platforms is important. But ultimately, you don’t own Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. The developers of the platform can decide at any point to change the “rules of the game.” They have too much information to show users in their feed, therefore they have to be strategic with what they show when and offering businesses the option to purchase ads for greater visibility.

As social networks continue to grow, we’ll see more and more networks going this way. It’s not a guarantee that every follower will see every post. But your email list is your own and nobody can take that away from you! If social media platforms all disappeared tomorrow, what would you have left? How would you communicate with your followers? If your answer is, “I don’t know!!” you need to start growing an email list.

If email marketing is a tool you’re ready to begin using for your business but aren’t sure how to get started then McWilliams Media is here to help you. We have experience in growing businesses and reaching customers through email. To get on board with email marketing, contact us through our website and we’ll be in touch soon.

The post 6 Reasons Email Marketing Will Grow Your Business first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.