Email Marketing – Making Sure People Read What You Write

 

Anathallo - just great music

 

If you’ve read any other posts on this blog, you know I’m huge on always having an email list at each of your shows. Its important to keep it in a visible spot (merch table) or pass it around the room.  Every email matters! More on this in the post “Drawing Traffic To Your Website(s)“.

By the way, you should know that there is a statistic out there that says only 13-15% of your subscribers will open any given newsletter.  Its true.  Some people will just never open your email…no matter what you do.  And Wednesday is the best day to send an email.  Wednesday is the busiest email-opening day.  More stats at EmailLabs.com.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when sending out a blast to your subscribers.

Subject Line
Two years ago, I went to an email marketing seminar and learned that the Subject Line of your email only has one purpose: to get people to open your email. Keep in mind that if you try to cram the most pertinent information in your subject line that could discourage people from actually opening your email.  Why? Because they already know exactly what you’re gonna say.  Or at least they think they do.

Lets say your band has a  show on Friday with  two other bands at Joe Squared Pizza Bar (venue in Baltimore).  Here are two subject line options

1. Subject 1: ” This Friday: Free Show at Joe Squared. 9pm”
2. Subject 2: ” This Friday: We’ll Sounds As Good As the Pizza Tastes.  Believe me…”

Admittedly, Subject 2 is pretty cheesy (because I couldnt think of anything), but you get the point.  Subject 2 causes the reader to ask questions (whose pizza? who’s playing? what are they talking about?).  Chances are, you’ll get more people to open your email if you don’t give them all the info in the subject line.

 

Important Information at the top
Once you get them to open your email, make sure your most important information is at the top!  So Important!  People rarely read an email all the way through.  What is the most important piece(s) of information you want to convey?  Put that/those in the beginning of your email. Least important information goes lower down.

 

Use Hyperlinks!
Use hyperlinks!  Don’t know what a hyperlink is? Definition:

• Hyperlink:
  a link from a hypertext file to another location or file;
  typically activated by clicking on a highlighted word or icon at a
  particular location on the screen 

Website addresses can be messy  most times.  Make your email as uncluttered as possible by including hyperlinks.  Examples:

1. This is a hyperlink: Anathallo 
2. This is not a hyperlink: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7695
   

Both links go to the same article but the hyperlink is cleaner.  Using hyperlinks in your email makes it more readable and less confusing. Don’t know how to make hyperlinks.  Read this short tutorial or look for a video tutorial. 

 

Feel free to leave your own practical email suggestions

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Tags: anathallo, baltimore, email marketing, emaillabs.com, hyperlink, joe squared, relevant magazine, subject line, traffic, website

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