Since digital media will soon replace more traditional forms of media altogether, the way we approach and pitch clients and customers inevitably and constantly change. Digital marketing becomes increasingly important for every business due to the fact that it’s infinitely more affordable than traditional offline marketing methods. When, for example, you are set to make money blogging, digital marketing also allows you to easily track and monitor your results.

Even though email is considered to be old-school, it is still the best in the business when it comes to generating customer interaction and sales. An email (or social media) campaign can transmit a marketing message to consumers for the merest fraction of the cost of a TV ad or print campaign, and it can potentially reach a wider audience. Following the simple marketing fundamentals below, will help you optimize your email campaign and exponentially grow your business.

Tip #1: Personalize Your Email Communications

This is the fastest and easiest way to connect with customers. It is also one of the most effective. Why? Simply because this is the starting point for building trust with your readers. There is nothing that can boost open rates and click-through rates like personalizing emails that you send out. Just by adding the recipient’s name, you are increasing the odds of that person actually opening the email. To further humanize the communication, you can include some type of personalized content in the subject heading.

Tip #2: Segment Your Email List

If you want to boost leads and grow revenue on your website, use software to convert your abandoning visitors into subscribers and customers. However, when it comes to email campaigning, you must remember that you are reaching targeted individuals who opted-in to receive your content. Sending a targeted email through outreach automation tool, designed to reach people with a personal message about a product, business or event, is crucial for a successful email campaign. Keep in mind that every list has subscribers who are interested in different types of offers — coupons, news or special events, but not necessarily all three. Segmenting your email lists into smaller, niche customer groups, will personalize your message even further. By sending messages to targeted groups (based on location, gender, past purchases, and more) within your list, your audience finds your message more relevant and most importantly you give them what they signed up for. Ultimately, this will also help you achieve more favorable open rates and click-through rates.

Tip #3: Make Your Email Mobile Friendly

The days of business decision-makers reading their emails on desktops or even laptops is coming to an end. Mobile is rapidly catching up as the preferred way that business leaders read their emails. Almost 40 percent of users access email from mobile devices.

Moreover, customers and clients want to spend as little time as possible reading through their emails. And since the average read time for an email is 11 seconds, you will lose your reader if you overload them with long, text-heavy emails which are impossible to manage on a mobile device. That means you need to be optimizing your emails for mobile devices. Go for shorter, more visual emails with a very clear call-to-action. This is the safest way for your audience to open up your campaign, give it a quick scan, and decide within just a few seconds whether to delete it or click through.

Tip #4: Subject Lines

The more twisted and ambiguous you make the subject line the more you create the chances of your email not being read. Your subject line should be made simple and also very catchy.

The subject line is just like a heading or a headline, and it should be interesting and enticing enough to grasp the attention of your email subscribers. Also, ensure that your subject line reflects the content of your email content. Research shows that subject lines over 70 characters increase click-to-open rates, while those under 50 characters increase open rates.

However, keep in mind that great subject lines can drive opens, but if they are not relevant to the content of the email, an engagement opportunity has been lost. Even worse, an off-topic subject line could move a recipient to mark your email as spam.

Tip #5: Create Visually Interesting Campaigns

Since you only have a few seconds to generate a response from your reader, the more visually interesting your campaign is, the more likely the reader is to stick around. You have to select attractive images that would supplement your email content. But the images shouldn’t be so much that it would appear on the whole email content. Create links for all the images that are associated with a call to action, so people can click on the image and land on your website. In simple terms, any image you use in your email marketing campaign should be linked to your website. Invest in the way you communicate with your clients. Eye contact builds trust, so you can try incorporating video email signature. Due to the fact that this video is easily embedded in email (but also in websites and social media), it will help increase the conversation rate of your email campaign.

Tip #6: Write Great Email Messages

People get lots of emails daily, so you need to make your messages unique to stand out from the crowd. As emails are usually viewed in the preview pane, you should make your messages clear and brief, including a link to register and your call to actions. Make sure that your body copy clearly conveys what your offer is and why it is valuable.

Tip #7: Make Your Call-To-Action Copy Interesting

Call to action in your letter should be clear, concise and visible to the reader in any format. Make it easy for the clients to understand why to click through, and what they can expect on the other side. Give as many details as possible, introduce your offer. The readers will take action only if you tell them definitely what is in it for them. Use resonating benefit-based content in your call-to-action buttons. Generic words like “Download,” “Submit” and “Click here” are less likely to generate any meaningful lift. Instead, use copy like “Join the Fun” or “Enjoy the Benefits Now.”

Tip #8: Social Sharing Links

You want to encourage your readers to share your content. By making it easy for your email readers to share your offers with their networks, you are not only expanding your audience and your reach, but you are also broadening your opportunity to generate new leads. Best way to do it? Include social sharing links in all of your emails! Also, give your readers options — everyone has their own favorite social network. Include links for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest.

Final Thoughts

When you take the time to build an email list, email marketing gives you the ability to reach your audience at any time — everyone is within feet of their mobile devices 24/7. This is why email marketing has remained one of the most effective ways to convert prospects, as well as existing customers, into sales and revenue. Keep in mind that an email campaign is only as good as the follow-through you give it. So, if you don’t want to miss out on potential sales, be sure to use it wisely.