{"id":7426,"date":"2012-08-08T08:30:26","date_gmt":"2012-08-08T13:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crazyeggblog.wpengine.com\/?p=7426"},"modified":"2018-03-06T17:11:57","modified_gmt":"2018-03-06T23:11:57","slug":"high-converting-email-marketing-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/high-converting-email-marketing-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Steps to a High-Converting Email Marketing Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe money\u2019s in the list!\u201d Marketing gurus croon.\u00a0 But just creating a simple opt-in form and hoping that \u201cif you build it, they will come\u201d is not enough to base a solid email marketing campaign on.\u00a0 You need real, proven, actionable steps that not only attract subscribers, but get them to stay \u2013 and act \u2013 on your messages.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, help is here.\u00a0 Print off this list and use it as your own personal \u201cemail marketing campaign checklist\u201d of how to not only launch a profitable mailing list, but keep subscribers hungry for more.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Create Your Sign Up Form<\/h2>\n

The sign up form is your \u201cfirst impression\u201d to your subscribers \u2013 so what kind of an impression is yours <\/em>making?\u00a0 Like with your website, a professionally-designed opt-in form, complete with a visual representation of what people get as a result of signing up, can go a long way to inviting subscribers in.<\/p>\n

Whether you ask for name and email address, or simply email address, is a matter of testing to see which information visitors will part with.\u00a0 If your sign up form doesn\u2019t look trustworthy \u2013 or asks for too much information right from the start, you\u2019ll be turning away more visitors than you subscribe.<\/p>\n

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An example of the opt-in form on iElectrify along with e-covers featuring the two reports subscribers get when signing up.<\/em><\/p>\n

In some cases, people are more willing to part with valuable contact information (such as their cell phone number) if you throw in a few carrots along the way \u2013 such as member exclusives, notifications, contests or other events that only subscribers are privy to.<\/p>\n

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Charlotte Russe encourages teens to sign up for BFF text alerts on deals, contests and other sales.<\/em><\/p>\n

Step 2: Place Your Opt-In Form on Your Site<\/h2>\n

What\u2019s the Best Placement for Opt-in Forms?<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve likely seen most opt-in forms placed either in the top right, or at the top of the sidebar of a website \u2013 and for good reason.\u00a0 This is the second area that our eyes are naturally drawn to (the first is the logo in the upper left corner).\u00a0 Placing your opt-in form \u201cabove the fold\u201d in this area makes it more noticeable and compels users to take action before they read the rest of the site.<\/p>\n

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An example of the opt-in form on QualityStocks, placed within the header itself, where a logo might typically go.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some sites place opt-in forms in both the sidebar and near the header, to encourage sign-ups from both \u201cscanners\u201d and sidebar readers.<\/p>\n

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Ideally, you\u2019ll want to test what works for your particular subscriber group.\u00a0 Remember that you\u2019re not trying to cast a huge net over every person who could possibly be interested in your offer \u2013 you\u2019re trying to target the right people who have a dilemma and need your expertise \u2013 right now or in the near future.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Designing Your Opt-In Form and Newsletter<\/h2>\n

Email marketing providers like Aweber<\/a> and Constant Contact<\/a> provide their users with plenty of templates to customize their opt-in form, as well as the email newsletter itself.\u00a0 But should you use these pre-made templates at all?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A selection of Aweber.com\u2019s email templates provide you with a default style to start from<\/em><\/p>\n

Most opt-in and newsletter templates that come by default with your mailing list provider are made to simply give you a starting point.\u00a0 They may not match your site design or may look out of place.\u00a0 That\u2019s why it\u2019s better to create a more uniform, branded look, by choosing the default \u201cblank\u201d opt-in form, and then using the full HTML editing possibilities (rather than a quick Javascript version) to further customize your opt-in form to be uniquely your own.<\/p>\n

The same applies to the actual newsletter design \u2013 the more you can pull away from the default template and personalize it as yours, the smoother the transition subscribers will have from the design of your site to the similar design of your newsletter.\u00a0 You\u2019ll then be less likely to accidentally be marked as spam or junk \u2013 which can in turn affect your email\u2019s \u201csendability\u201d and decrease conversion rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cSign Up for Newsletter\u201d Doesn\u2019t Cut it Anymore<\/h3>\n

When the internet was new and novel, the idea of being able to receive a newsletter in your email was a welcome addition.\u00a0 Now, with the glut of newsletters, e-zines and other demands on your inbox, it\u2019s not so welcome.\u00a0 That\u2019s why a simple \u201cSign up for Newsletter\u201d button rarely works well.<\/p>\n

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An example of a simple \u201cSign up for Newsletter\u201d form, which gives the user no incentive whatsoever to part with their contact information.<\/em><\/p>\n

Instead, you now have to work harder to get visitors to give up their contact information.<\/p>\n