How do you sell your products through email? Email marketing is a powerful tool, with an estimated 5.2 million active emails across the world by 2018, according to a report from Radicati. That’s a lot of potential customers.
But, selling your product or service through email requires more than a picture of your product and a link to the checkout. You have to convince customers to buy.
To help companies sell their product or service via email, here are four improvements you can make to promotional emails to land a sale:
1. Focus on the benefits
Many email marketers use email as a way to pitch their product or service to a customer. But customers aren’t interested in a sales pitch; they want to know how your product or service can benefit them. It’s important to make your customer understand that you’re providing more than just the product. Explain to customers how your product solves a problem, eases their workload, or helps them achieve a task.
Take a look at the email below that encourages subscribers to use a tool to schedule Instagram posts. The benefits are clearly laid out in four different subheads concluding with a link to an instructional video on how the product works.
2. Spend time on the subject line
Your subject line is your first impression. You want it to be impactful. Many marketers create an email and worry about the subject line at the end. At that point, you’re in a rush to send the email and may not spend much time on it.
Write the subject line first. This ensures that you’re focused on the point of the message and are spending time on the first few words that a subscriber sees. Summarize what’s in the email, keep it short, and don’t be afraid to be funny.
Here are a few examples:
3. Add a clear call to action
Once a customer opens your email, you need to provide a clear message and show the subscriber what you want him or her to do next. You need a clear call to action.
The call to action, or CTA, should be a button that stands out. Inside it should have two to three words that explain what’s next. For instance, “Buy Now” tells subscribers that they’re going to make a purchase, or “Learn More” tells subscribers they’re headed to a website to read more information. Subscribers often scan promotional emails, so creating a clear call to action is important. Take a look at the email below. The two CTAs at the bottom of the email are prominent and clear.
4. Tell a story
Why do suppose so many people love to go to the movies? It’s because stories are captivating. You can relate to the characters and get lost in the story that’s unfolding.
To a certain degree, marketers must do the same thing with their emails. Your messages, even though they’re short, could tell a story. Consider telling subscribers about how your company was formed, or about a charity that you support with every purchase. Show the human side of your business.
For example, TOMS explains how the purchase of a pair of shoes can help someone in Haiti. It’s a compelling story, even though it’s brief. The image of the Haitian worker is partially captivating as well.
With these four improvements, your next emails will garner the attention they deserve all while landing a sale at the same time.