 Have Your Subscribers Lost That Loving Feeling?
How To Keep Readers Engaged With Your Emails
You know how a song gets stuck in your head and you can't get rid of it? Well, I've got the Righteous Brothers' song, You've Lost
That Loving Feeling, running through my brain. Except in my version, the lyrics
are slightly different. It goes
something like this ...
 You
don't open my emails anymore when I send to you.
And
there's no click thrus like before even when you do.
You're
trying hard not to trash it, (baby).
But
baby, baby I know it...
You've
lost that lovin' feeling,
Whoa,
that lovin' feeling,
You've
lost that lovin' feeling,
Now
it's gone...gone...gone...wooooooh.
OK, so I'd never make it a songwriter, but you get
the picture.
Subscribers can lose interest in receiving your
emails. If that happens, they may eventually unsubscribe. But that's not the
worst thing that could happen.
Email Engagement Can Affect Email Deliverability
Your subscribers' disinterest can actually affect
the deliverability of your future email campaigns. That's because
there's a new measurement tool being used by ISPs to determine the delivery
path of your emails. That new tool is called Email Engagement.
Basically, ISPs are using Email Engagement metrics
to measure the relevancy of your emails. So when your subscribers delete your
email before opening it or let it sit for days in their inbox without opening,
it affects your email deliverability.
Now it's more important than ever to keep your
readers are engaged with your emails. So how do you keep subscribers interested?
Here
are five things you can do to make sure your readers don't lose that loving
feeling.
Build
Rapport With Your Subscribers
We all prefer to do business with someone we know and like. So be personable. Include a profile picture in your emails. Write in a friendly tone,
as though you were talking to a colleague or friend. Also use your subscriber's
name and other personalized information whenever possible.
Let Them Know What To Expect From You
Are you and your subscribers on the same wavelength about your email communications? To make sure there's no misunderstanding, let your subscribers know what to expect.
If you're adding them to your list, send them an initial email letting them how often you plan to communicate and what communications to expect ... a monthly e-newsletter, weekly discount offers, event invites, etc.
For those signing up on their own, make the callout in your sign up box or link specific. Then send them a welcome email with more details. (If you're using a service such as Constant Contact,
subscribers will automatically receive this email. However, you'll want to
customize the wording.)
Keep
Them Interested With Compelling Email Content
Every relationship has give and take. In your
relationship with your subscribers, give much more than you take. This doesn't
mean that you don't promote to them. But when they read your emails, leave them
feeling that you've helped them out. Whether it's by giving them helpful tips, exclusive offers or other valuable content.
Segment
Your List
Targeted promotions make your subscribers feel special. Because they are receiving information that addresses their particular interests and not someone else's.
To segment an existing list of subscribers, send out an online survey to find out about their preferences.
You can also divide your list based on click thru and open rate data.
For new customers signing on, ask about their interests in the sign up form.
Send Them A Valentine
Let them know how much you value them. Send them a sweetheart deal on Valentine's Day. Include the offer in your subject line to encourage them to open the email. It might be just the thing to keep them in love with you.
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