When you first start out with an online business, everyone will tell you that the money is in the list. And they’re not wrong. Developing your email marketing efforts is one of the best ways to build an audience that wants to buy what you’re selling.

It’s one of the most influential and cost-efficient ways to reach out to your customers. But, here’s what they don’t tell you…

Your email marketing efforts are only as effective as the messages you send. If you’re not sending emails that get opened and clicked on, then your efforts are not going to be rewarded, and the money will definitely not be in your list.

Here are 5 tips to make your email marketing efforts more effective:

Tip #1: Create a clear call to action

Calls to action are an essential part of each email you send, and the sooner you get used to including a call to action (CTA) in message, the sooner you will see results from your email marketing efforts.

In its simplest terms a call-to-action is a way for you to show your customer the next step they should take. It should be specific, resonate with your customer, and align with your marketing goals. They are a crucial tool to be used in email marketing to encourage readers to take the action you want them to. They can be as simple as “check this out” or as complex as a countdown timer.

The most important thing to remember about a call to action is that it needs to be relevant and provide a clear link between what you’ve shared in your email and the next step your reader should take.

Tip #2: Create a subject line that’s click worthy

If you think about your email subject lines as the first impression your audience gets from you, then you’ll quickly understand how important they are. It is the only thing that a recipient will see before opening your email to read it.

The harsh truth is that a subject line can make or break your campaign. A bad subject line can lead to an uninterested audience. The best subject lines are short, catchy, and specific to the content of the email. They also need to be relevant for your audience. You could create the catchiest, punchiest subject line of your life, but if it doesn’t relate to your audience then it’s not going to get your message opened.

Tip #3: Personalize, but don’t go overboard

I’ll be honest here. Even though the marketing experts keep telling me that personalizing an email is the way to go, it’s not something I do for most emails, especially newsletters. I do try to write to a single person – I always have the idea of a certain person in my mind when I sit down to do the opening blurb of my newsletter, but I don’t use the automated name feature that comes standard in most autoresponder* programs.

The reason why I don’t use it is because pretty much everyone in the internet marketing space knows that it’s automated and not personal at all. And so it feels a little hypocritical to me to use that when I’m emailing 3000 people at once, and everyone knows I’m sending a mass email broadcast.

The two places I do use personalization are when I’m emailing my affiliates. It’s not a huge list, and I want them to know that even if it’s an automated field in the software that I’m recognizing them as individuals and not as a generic affiliate. The second time I use personalization is when I’m emailing customers of a certain product, such as when I email bundle buyers to give them added information or remind them that the download deadline is coming up.

The one place I rarely, if ever, use personalization is in the subject line. And that’s because it’s a pet peeve of mine when I see 100 emails in my inbox that all start with my name. It feels like everyone is yelling at me to give them my attention and honestly, it drives me nuts.  

All that being said, personalization can work if you do it right. You will need to test and see if it works with your audience, or if you’re better off not using it. I’m just sharing my feelings on the topic here.

One thing I will say is if you are collecting subscriber data to personalize your emails, make sure your privacy and data policies are in order before you start.

Tip #4: The length of your email matters

This is another area that comes down to personal preference, both yours and your readers. A lot of people will tell you that long emails don’t work and you shouldn’t use them.

I say that’s true up to a point.

If you’re sending solo emails or your newsletter is more of a story format, then yes, shorter emails probably work better.

But, if you’re sending a roundup style email that includes a collection of resources, a longer email might work better for you.

So, it depends on your writing style and on what your audience signed up for. If you tell them they’re getting a “daily deals” list and you give them a two or three paragraph email, that’s not really delivering to their expectations.

It’s definitely something you’ll need to test and see what works best for your audience.

Tip #5: Develop a consistent sending schedule

Here’s the best tip I can give you when it comes to making your email marketing efforts more effective…

The more emails you send and the more consistent your mailing schedule, the more successful you will be.

Personally, I try to email every day. Unless something gets in the way, sending out my daily newsletter is the first thing I do in the morning. It’s my main money task, and my second main money task is building that list so I always have new people to mail to.

Decide on a schedule – it could be daily, 3 times a week, or even weekly. Personally, I wouldn’t email any less than 3 times week, because you want to stay in your readers’ sights and not get buried under all the other email they’re getting.

Final Thoughts

Your email marketing efforts are only going to be as effective as you make them.  Using these tips to guide you in setting up your own email best practices will give you a good start on setting up a successful email marketing system for your business.

*Note: This post includes affiliate links, for which I will receive a small commission should you make a purchase.