With the constant expansion of digitalization and the high volume of emails being sent, there is a higher demand than ever before that your newsletter stands out from the crowd. Many marketers see Email campaigns as a hassle at first, and hence they are created with only little effort, which shows in how it’s received by the subscribers.. and it shows in the open rates and sales statistics. But once you see the results of emails full of enthusiasm on the editorial side mixed with proven design features, email campaigns will show as an extremely effective marketing tool. It’s a number one priority for every marketer to have first party data – having subscribers who gave you their email address is exactly first party data, making it even more important to dive into this exercise with your best efforts.

An analysis conducted by MailChimp demonstrates that the average email open rate for all industries is at a low of 21.33%. So how can we build confidence in the future of our email marketing campaigns, making sure that your emails are never to be missed?

The aim is to send out captivating emails with a focus on retention of the existing subscribers and attracting new subscribers to register and become part of your universe. As a marketer, you’re here to excite the audience and to enrich them culturally – isn’t that the main mission?

Experimenting with what results in the greatest success in terms of attracting your target audience is key, and therefore we have gathered 4 tips for you to achieve the most effective results in strengthening your audience engagement and expanding your customer base.

The Inverted Pyramid Structure

The inverted pyramid structure refers to a visual layout to allow for your text to flow with limited distractions and a higher likelihood of your reader staying engaged throughout the article.

Topped by an image, you should center align your text below the image and add a Call to Action button (CTA) so your reader can easily move through your content. The visual structure directs your reader to the most important elements of your email, from grabbing their attention with a captivating image to a headline and description of your event which builds the reader’s anticipation, and finally narrowing their focus to a CTA button. The inverted pyramid acts as a method of visually guiding your reader towards taking action by clicking your CTA, which leads the reader to buying a ticket or another desired action.

Amplify your “Call to Action”

It is crucial to know what exactly it is that you want your reader to be taking away from your email. If you have too many links in your message, you might offer too many distractions and the reader may end up clicking a link that doesn’t serve your desired outcome.

You may be attempting to convert your reader into a ticket buyer, or you may just want to engage them further, perhaps to go to your website to receive more information or sign up for a more segmented newsletter. A great way of doing this is by incorporating Call to Action buttons – also known as CTA. You might have previously experimented with them, and in that case, it’s time to further amplify them to achieve the greatest results.

Instead of simply stating that your tickets are available for purchase with a button stamped with the typical “Buy now,” you will gain better results leaving your reader with the urge to experience your event, and a fear of missing out on something great. “Your gateway to an unforgettable experience,” can be an effective and precise alternative and results in increased traffic to the site to which you wish to direct your reader. By using phrases like “take part in an unforgettable experience” combined with a “Buy ticket” CTA-button you actually offer the customer something. By just using a “Buy ticket” button, you are basically asking the customer to do you a favor by buying something from you.

Statistics show that CTA’s have a dramatic impact on conversion rates. A study conducted by HubSpot found that personalized Calls to Action which are optimized to reflect on the individual users’ preferences, convert with a rate of 202% better, in comparison to basic CTA’s.

Inclusion of User-Generated Content

Creating a more personal connection with email subscribers can be a challenge in email marketing, and incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into your marketing strategies provides an effective solution. UGC is a great form of allowing your existing audience to promote your events to other potential ticket buyers. It strengthens your brand by creating credibility and acting as social proof that your events are attractive.

Unlike paid, branded content, this is content delivered to you by your own audience. This includes customer feedback, reviews, ratings, testimonials etc.

Sharp headers to instantly engage your audience

Email headers improve engagement and produce higher open rates as they set the initial tone of the email. Taking them for granted will hurt your overall campaign, which is why they are important to nail.

A strong header could be a navigation menu which will visually guide the reader to the content of the email. By incorporating a navigation menu, the system should be clear and concise to follow through, offering the recipient guidance with finding their way around to further information.

The header could also feature a convincing and precise title text, an image/logo, and other valuable information stating a clear identification. As the header will provide the recipient with their initial impression of your email, it should identify your event or venue through an eye-catching visual element such as your company logo and perhaps another design element which sets your event or venue apart. Your header text should incorporate the essential information that you would like the recipient to be aware of before progressing to the rest of your email – it’s an appetizer to what you are about to communicate once the reader moves on to the body text of your email.

To test your headers, you can experiment with sending a small group of clients two identical test mails at the same time (A/B testing) with the same content but with different headers. The open rates will allow you to see which header had the most success. A/B testing is generally a great way to test your header in order to conclude whether option A or B generates the highest success rate in reader engagement. You could also take the process of A/B testing to other parameters, by testing this out on different designs for your CTA buttons, images and more in order to be aware of what works best regarding every aspect of your email design. Keep A/B testing simple – do not test too many parameters at once.

Taking action regarding your results will not only boost your current activity, but will additionally benefit the future success of your marketing campaigns as you will be aware of which content and approaches are most effective in generating the highest open rates for your emails.

Develop a comfortable approach to experimenting with your email design

You should always remember that although your recipient has opted in to hear from you, they would rather receive quality over quantity of content. Set your goals aside from generating sales and rather maintain all focus on your recipient. As a marketer, you should adopt an “outside-in perspective” – meaning that you write your emails having the preferences and needs of the reader in mind – and not prioritize your goal to sell tickets. This approach will showcase to your reader that they are your first priority. Once you have succeeded in thoughtfully engaging your reader, the success of converting them into a customer will become easier.

Get into it and watch the results flow in through an increase in reader engagement and interactions, resulting in the increased flow of traffic to your website and higher sales.