Is your email marketing strategy or lack thereof failing to help you achieve your e-commerce goals?

Email marketing is often criticised or even called obsolete, but what if I told you it's actually the secret behind some of the best online businesses? Newsletters provide actions that yield a high rate of return on investment while being a very cost-effective solution at the same time. This is why all kinds of companies from startups to large multinationals include email marketing in their sales strategy.

There are many intelligent tools make it easy for you to programme and send emails, while saving you time and energy. That's not to say that email doesn't require a human touch to really connect to users.

It's important to add personality and honesty to your emails and for that you need to understand who your target audience is. It can be challenging to know who you're talking to, understand what is their pain point, their worries and their interests.

The best way to gain their confidence and keep them subscribed to your newsletters is to provide value in the emails you send them. That's the first step. Then, you need to commit creatively and with dedication to ensure your emails generate sales for your online shop.

Email is a basic necessity for everyone, so it has become a daily task to check your email every day. You receive work emails, newsletters about your hobbies, emails from friends, event invitations... everything fits into an email and everyone has one. That's why you need to take advantage of this tool.

So then why is my strategy failing me? A number of things. It could be the style you're writing in doesn't flow or doesn't connect to your audience. Maybe you're not persuading your potential client enough to achieve a sale. Or maybe you simply don't know who you are directing your message towards.

First, you need to speak their language. Otherwise you won't be able to connect with them. Start by listening to them, read all their messages and comments, initiate dialogues with them whenever you can, learn everything you can about them.

Make your email marketing strategy efficient with these actions: 

1. Emotions sell

Your mailing list isn't interested in buying the characteristics of your product or service, they want to buy the reason for the product or service. People buy based on emotion first and then justify it with their own reasoning.

Which of these options do you prefer? "An 80cm oven" or "an oven so big you can cook tonnes of cakes with your kids". The one that sparked an emotional reaction is the one people will pick.

2. Irresistible subject line

If you don't get creative and break the ice with the subject line, then you will fail. The subject line is what will tickle the subscribers curiosity and make them open the email. Once they're in, you have your opportunity to wow them with your communication skills.

You can strengthen the potency of the subject line by using numbers, emoticons, bullet points or using language that gets their attention. Appeal to their emotional side: feel proud, avoid the trouble, satisfy your ego, etc. There's no limit to inspiration for catchy subject lines. Just make sure to make it short enough that they read the entire line. Your goal is to convince the subscriber that once they click to open they'll find super interesting content that will satisfy one of their needs.

Which of these emails would you open? “7 tricks to quickly improve a cake" or “products that highlight the aesthetics of a cake”.

3. Call to action button

The goal of CTA (call to action) buttons in your promotional emails is to achieve a click, a lead. The goal isn't to directly sell the product. Just try and write the benefit of a product inside a button. It won't fit and it will be ugly. What you should do is use verbs and action words to achieve the clicks you want.

Try these examples:

• Download them!
• Get your catalogue now
• Join the community
• Reserve your spot
• Sign up to the course
• Sign up free
• I want to join

4. Get to the point

Whoever receives your message will ask themselves, who sent me this, what do they want me to do, why... The email should be efficient in clarifying their doubts and fast. They won't spend more than a few seconds looking for the action or point to the message. So, get to the point from the start. Use the rest of the email to get into the necessary details.

You should have one goal for each email and no more than one goal. This makes you focus your content and makes it more effective. Design a strategy that nurtures your subscribers all the way until make a purchase.

5. Direct the message to one subscriber

The style of writing is important. Receiving an email written just for you feels more personal and you're more likely to trust the sender. So, write as if you're speaking directly to that one person. This way they don't feel like just another number among all your other subscribers. Make them feel important and close.

6. Write considering how mobile users read

Have you ever noticed how you read your email? You probably don't even read it, you scan it and focus when there's something that catches your attention. To get their attention, take care of the design in your emails:

• Use bold for important words
• Use bullet points and numbered lists, which make it easier to digest information
• Highlight relevant words or put emphasis by using italics
• Show the most important content at the beginning and then add the details below
• Communicate one idea per paragraph

7. Let your subscribers be the first to know

Lots of mailing lists capture new subscribers using the phrase, "be the first to know..." and it works, because it makes you feel little special, right? And whoever subscribed to your mailing list deserves to be the first to now about your news, updates, exclusive offers, events, etc. If they like what they get in return, then you'll be able to boost the loyalty of your followers, while making them feel special. This will make them more likely to want to be the first to use your products as well. So give these tips a try and make the most efficient email marketing strategy for your e-commerce.