Welcome back to Part Two of our "10 Top Tips For Highly Converting Email Marketing Campaigns". In Part One, we examined some of the facts and myths surrounding great email campaigns and we laid the foundations for creating emails that people were  interested in and actually looked forward to receiving. Now let's delve a little deeper and get down to the finer nuances of what does and doesn't work.

( Didn't catch part one? – Read it here)

Ok, let's crack on …

10 (More) Top Tips For Highly Converting Email Marketing Campaigns

1) Avoid using All Caps, excessive punctuation or too much colour in your emails – all of this shouts 'spam'.

If you want to  play 'ultra safe' and avoid the spam filters, stick to the same font, size and colour (black).

However … for added effect use different fonts and italics – particularly for headings and sub-headings. Remember the 8-second rule. Selected formatting will help hold your reader's interest.

* Top Tip: Open yourself a gmail or yahoo account – both have pretty agressive spam filters – and email everything to yourself first before sending it out. If it reaches your inbox safely, it's probably good to go, otherwise go back and revise.

2) Work with the end in mind and make sure you include a strong, clear call to action.  

What is it you want people to do after reading your email?? Make sure all roads lead logically to that one single outcome. Remember, choice creates confusion and if you confuse 'em, you lose 'em.

3) Sandwich your sales message between good quality content and stories.

Make sure your stories connect to people's emotions and speak directly to your audiences wants, needs, desires or problems. 

4) Don't exaggerate the benefits.

ALWAYS under-promise and over-deliver. Get away from the notion of creating customers. Aim to create advocates and raving fans. nobody spreads the word quicker – or comes back faster - than a delighted customer. Make it your mantra to always give 10X more in value than you expect to receive.

5) Remember the point of our email is to 'sell the click', so make sure you include at least 3 links to your website or landing page.

The first early on – for people who are impatient and just want to cut to the chase (or particularly for those readers who may be accessing their email from a moblile phone and can't be bothered to scroll down. The second in the middle and the third towards the end. For good measure, also include one in the P.S.

(My favourite ever email came from someone who actually wrote, "P.S: Here's the link if you are too lazy to scroll back up to click through (don't laugh, that's me all over – the lazy scroller)" – Absolute classic!)

6) Tease your reader.

If you are sending an email series, at the end of each one always tease your reader with details of when they can expect to receive your next email and what secret you will be revealing. (We are programmed to respond to suspense, the need to 'know the answer' or find out the 'secret' is hard-wired into all of us).

7) Remember not just to repeat your biggest promise or benefit but to word it in as many different ways as you can.

People respond differently to different wording so try and speak to as many different people as you can by incorporating as many different triggers as you can. (But be careful that your underlying message, your theme, is still congruent. – See point number 2 – we don't want to create confusion).

Be Relevant.

Don't waste people's time with offers or content that bears no relevance to their interests. An email list should always be about quality not quantity.The quickest way to switch people off is to send them offers for stuff that they have absolutely no interest in. It shouts that you do not know who they are and do not care what they want and like.  Always segment your list. As you get to know your list, 'fine-tune' it even more by sending people questionaires and asking their opinion so that you can laser-target their wants and needs. Show that you are interested as well as interesting.

9) Finish your emails with timely bonuses.

Remember everyone love a limited offer or money-off coupon. Something as simple as 'Click Here to redeem your limited offer money-off coupon' can work wonders at piqueing peopl'es curiousity and making them want to at least sneak a peak.

10) Make sure your email marketing campaign is properly integrated with the rest of your online marketing activities.

Include links to your social media sites as well as your blog. (Your signature is a great place to do this). Include testimonials or snippets that your customers are sharing on your social media sites inside your emails. Remember, nothing builds the trust bond quicker than social proof.

So there you are, a by no means exhaustive list of tips, hints and best practices on creating email marketing campaigns that actually work. But hopefully at least a few ideas to set you off in the right direction. I would love you to add to the list, so please share any questions or pearls of wisdom below.

Happy Marketing,

P.S – Don’t forget to leave me your questions and comments & the top tips you use below … and Please, if you found this advice valuable, take a second to hit the 'share' button. I appreciate you.

To your Email Marketing Success