Sure, Erica. ‘Automation is everything.’ But I have REAL emails to send. How can I get THOSE to be more effective?

Listen friends, I get it. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but the MOST effective thing you can do to increase your ongoing email campaign effectiveness is create triggered, automated emails that nurture your existing audience in a way that feels really one-to-one.

But. if you’re still working on getting your email automation up and running, there are some simple things that you can do to optimize your ongoing “Push & Pray” campaigns.

Optimize above the fold

Could your customer easily take action within 10 seconds of seeing your email in their inbox? If not, you gotta optimize above the fold (or in the case of email, “above the scroll”). Write clear, compelling headlines that prioritize WIIFM, include an obvious button (aka “Call-To-Action”) before your customers have to scroll, and if you’re using imagery, be sure that it is high res but not ginormous. Large image files can take longer for inboxes to render, so if your customer is in a hurry, they may not wait to see your beautifully on brand image before moving on to the next email in their inbox.

Segment your audience and target your emails accordingly

EVERY EMAIL LIST SHOULD HAVE THREE SEGMENTS. Lurkers (people whom you have no evidence have purchased from you), customers (people who HAVE purchased from you), and advocates (your best and brightest customers who rave about you and willingly buy just about everything you put out there). ANd every email you need to send can be custom-tailored to these audiences in very simple ways that will instantly increase their relevance and effectiveness.

KISS your customers

Y’all we gotta keep it simple. From that copy you use to the number of messages you choose to include, find ways to make your messages as clean, clear, and concise as possible. If you are saying the same thing a few different ways in one email, find your favorite way, and only say it once. If you are tempted to throw in 3 postscripts and 2 secondary features, resist. LESS IS MORE. Send more frequent emails that are more simple, and your customers will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Which are you going to try today? Let me know in the comments!