News flash! Email is still one of the hottest tools out there for growing your business – especially if you’re seeking maximum results for minimal moola.

Keep these eight email marketing basics in mind when you’re sending out your next email campaign:

1. Say It Loud, Say It Proud

The equivalent of a “Hello, My Name is … ” sticker, the “From” label on outgoing email campaigns should be a ringing declaration of identity – clear, concise and consistent. Using your first and last or company name is your safest bet.

2. Make an Offer They Can’t Refuse

Despite what their mothers taught them, a whopping 50 percent of email recipients do, in fact, judge a book by its cover (aka the subject line). Since subject lines are always subject to approval, hit ’em with a killer ice breaker that neatly sums up the content while also convincing folks to open and read more!

3. Toe the (Subject) Line

Start things off on the right foot with a thoughtful and complementary “pre-header” – it’s the yin to your subject line’s yang. The pre-header is the very first text line in your email, the stuff that comes before your header or greeting. Promo codes, offer details, blog post previews and anchor-linked articles are great pre-headers that’ll draw in your readers and compel them to open your email.

4. Get to the Point (Quickly)

Research shows that, on average, eight out of 10 people won’t read past the headline, so there’s no sense in beatin’ around the bush. Big, bold statements that explain what the email is about, plus a compelling call-to-action, get to the point and don’t waste your readers valuable time.

5. Put the Custom in Customer

Why not amp up your powers of persuasion with a hint of personalization? Plugging key subscriber info such as first name, a birthday, hometown or recently purchased items into your email campaigns will make ’em more engaging and relevant.

6. Remember Eye Appeal is ‘Buy’ Appeal

A sprinkling of well-chosen pics in various colors, shapes and sizes adds visual interest, facilitates scanning and could even boost open rates – as long as you:

• Strike a balance of text and images (steer away from using one big image as the only content)
• Hyperlink all photos (because people like clicking on pictures)
• Include alt text with every image, so that recipients can still get the gist of your email even if their email client blocks images by default

7. Get What You Came For

Do your best to seal the deal with a firm, hassle-free call-to-action driving folks to “Save an Extra 25%” or “Sign Up Today” at the click of a button. Use action verbs in your calls-to-action such as Read, Buy, Sign Up, Learn, Get, Download, Save.

8. Ensure All Roads Lead Back to You

Tagging every message with the appropriate social media icons is no different than leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for customers to find in a forest full of competitors. Round out your signature with hyperlinked icons inviting people to like you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.

And there you have it: eight back-to-the-basics ways of creating emails that get opened, read and acted on. Now get emailin’!

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