Email marketing is still a staple in online advertising, despite competition from up-and-coming strategies or even those that have already arrived in full force. In a recent blog post for Econsultancy, Adestra’s Account Director Parry Malm explains that although email isn’t the sexiest practice today, it’s reliable. Why? Nine in 10 consumers check their email accounts at least once a day and 87 percent use their accounts to communicate with individuals and brands, according to eMarketer. Malm reveals how marketers can make sure their branded content stands out in recipients’ inboxes and receives those coveted clicks.
Drawing from 2.2 billion emails, Adestra’s report identifies 287 keywords that elicit the best response rates. Here is an abridged version of that list:
1. “Free Delivery”
Emails featuring this term had an open rate 50.7 percent higher than average, as well as 135.4 percent higher click rate and 56.3 percent stronger click to open rate.
Other words like “Gift,” “Sale” and “Voucher” are also winners with customers looking for exclusive deals. However, “Free” and “Only” had lower metrics. It’s important to use these words sparingly when sending web content to prospective customers.
2. “Daily”
Content leading with this word had a 27 percent higher open rate, a click rate 100.3 percent better than average and a click to open rate that’s 56 percent higher.
Because emails that include the word “Daily” in the title outperform others with “Monthly” or “Weekly” in the headline, Malm asserts more content is better.
3. “Alert”
Emails titled with this noun are opened 38.1 percent more than average, have a click rate variance 61.8 percent stronger than most messages and a 17.2 percent higher click to open rate.
Consumers are also more likely to open emails promising “Bulletins,” “News,” “Videos” and “Issues,” suggesting they are interested in companies’ content. However, they are less enticed by “Reports,” “Webinars” and offers to “Learn” something, the data reveals. Malm suggests this is because audiences have already become desensitized to certain types of digital content that marketers promote heavily at the dawn of their strategies.
Therefore, it’s important for companies to keep it fresh if they want to see impressive open rates. Just like every other aspect of web marketing – quality is paramount. Content must be created with each company’s unique target audiences in mind and delivered with valuable information, or internet users will inevitably click away.
