Email dominates the field of outbound marketing. It’s estimated that anywhere between 60% and 90% of businesses use it as their primary marketing method, as email addresses are easy to collect, and nearly every individual or business has one. While the method is ubiquitous, concerns arise with click-through and conversion rates, which have historically been lacking. One of the easiest ways to sidestep this issue is to ensure that your company practices great email design — but that entails more than just a pretty header or eye-catching language.
Learn some of the best ways to make your email stand out and deliver value for yourself and your audience.
Email Design 101
Email design is a comprehensive strategy, one that takes into account many of the best practices of other marketing methods to deliver the most effective and efficient outbound material available. Almost every component of an email can be shaped to better reach and convince its target audience. Spacing, colors, and layout have a far greater impact on the effectiveness of email campaigns than many give them credit for.
Financial institutions can leverage email design in a number of ways, like helping to ensure that members are notified of new offers and kept up-to-date on their current services. However, many FI’s are missing out on the benefits of email campaigns by remaining too rigid, and using messaging that does not resonate with their target audience.
Below we’ve listed some of the best ways to tweak your email design to create maximum value for yourself and your audience.
Tip #1 - Prioritize Subject Line
We all know how important first impressions are. A well-crafted subject line can make all the difference when trying to engage with your audience. Emails with weak or unclear subject lines are often ignored or treated as spam, so be sure yours are clear, concise, and captivating. Subject lines should be no more than a few words, and present the audience with a clear picture of what’s contained in the rest of the message.
Tip #2 - Stick To Brand Messaging
Businesses are often told to communicate more informally through email to differentiate themselves from the rest of the recipient’s inbox. Financial institutions, however, may not have that luxury. If your institution wants to present itself as professional, serious, and reliable, as most FIs do, then the tone and content of your message should reflect that. This doesn’t mean you have to be a stick-in-the-mud, but maybe stay away from the emojis.
Tip #3 - Consider UX
Cluttered or messy looking emails can distract audiences from the content of the message. An appealing email is much more likely to grab their attention. Design features that enhance legibility, such as leaving space after an introductory paragraph, a header that encapsulates the core message, and a neatly organized footer with contact information, make audiences much more open to the messaging you’re trying to deliver.
Tip #4 - Include Call To Action
The inclusion of a “call to action” (CTA) is an essential component of high-performing email marketing campaigns. Including a CTA can help FIs initiate contact with members, increase engagement with specific products and services, or achieve any other campaign goal. CTAs should be big, bright, and serve as a direct link to relevant information. It is also important to choose the right language for a CTA, as “learn more” links tend to fare far worse than more thought-out and informative options.
Tip #5 - Utilize Responsive Design
When considering the amount of interaction that happens exclusively through mobile platforms, FIs must be prepared to adjust their marketing material accordingly. Confirming that your email design is compatible with mobile platforms can help you communicate with a wider audience (especially younger demographics), and ensures that your carefully considered design elements do not go to waste.
Why It Matters to FIs
FIs have the benefit of their members’ data sitting right at their fingertips. This makes it easier for them to make accurate predictions about the needs of those members. Email marketing campaigns that leverage this data and seek to preemptively address the needs and concerns of your members can help your FI retain its membership, generate interest in new products or offers, and guide members through complicated financial decisions.
However, your carefully planned campaigns go completely to waste if you don’t take the time and effort to design messaging with the audience in mind. As helpful or persuasive as the content may be, it is worth nothing if it does not reach the intended audience. These email design elements can help your messaging stand out amongst even the most crowded inboxes.
For our insight on other marketing strategies, check out our guide on the Do’s and Don’ts of SMS marketing.
Transform Your Email Marketing
Seems like a lot to consider? That’s why Prisma Campaigns is here to help.
Prisma Campaigns offers comprehensive marketing automation solutions that can assist your FI in communicating with its audience and delivering real value. Rapidly changing financial environments necessitate a marketing strategy that is adaptable and agile, willing to learn from the past while embracing the future.
Schedule a demo with us today, and discover how Prisma Campaigns can help you transform your marketing strategy, build stronger relationships with members, and prepare for the future.
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