Campaigns are a daily occurrence. From election campaigns and movie promotions to product advertisements, there are campaigns everywhere. While every campaign has a different targeted audience and a different method of running it, email campaigns are one of the most widely exploited methods to run a successful campaign.
We will look at what makes an email campaign successful a bit later in this article. Let us first try to understand what a campaign is. According to the dictionary:
A campaign is a concerted effort to accomplish a goal.
In simpler words, it is an effort to win people’s consent or sway public opinion.
One of the most important elements of a campaign is the element of persuasion. When you run an online marketing campaign, you are trying to persuade your readers and subscribers with your words.
Isn’t it strange that some people are easily able to persuade others while others struggle? What is the technique or art of persuasion? As marketers and salespersons, we all ought to know the secret to persuasion. History says that Alexander the Great was a student of persuasion and applied three techniques to win arguments and conquer territories:
Ethos
Ethos simply means selling yourself. Online marketers all face competition and there must be one solid reason a reader would choose to subscribe to your email list. When you deliver good quality content, valuable information, and noteworthy pieces of writing, you build a name for yourself.
The reader looks up to you and prefers you over others. The subscriber will not only look forward to your emails, word-of-mouth will also play a major role in enhancing your email list. Remember, the key is to be an expert and deliver quality content over time.
Pathos
Storytelling has been one of the most sought after ways to attract huge audiences. Psychology says that stories attract people more than anything else. Why not use this in email marketing? Tell your prospects a story they will love, a story that is enticing, exciting and something they can relate to. When you keep your audience engaged with juicy stories, you are likely to keep them connected. Continue offering more stories over time to keep your readers engaged.
Logos
This is yet another important technique to use in email marketing. When you set out to build trust and consent among your subscribers, give them enough reasons and proof to believe in you. This includes displaying facts, figures, and statistics. More people will sign up for your email list if they know that there is already a group of people interested in your content.
Using these techniques well in your online campaign will work wonders. However, there are also a few attributes that make an ordinary email campaign successful and exemplary, like that of Barack Obama. A smart marketer keeps in mind these few things very well:
Use a strong and unique subject line.
The subject line of an email acts as its face. It has to look good. Subject lines that are catchy, unique, and beneficial get the most clicks. Learn to give away the benefit (and the reason you’ve emailed) in the subject line itself. No matter how interesting the body of your email is, a boring subject line will leave it unread.
Address the reader personally.
An email addressed to a group or a large audience will hardly attract a reader’s attention and is very likely to be spammed soon. However, when a marketer speaks to his or her reader individually and directly, it gives a personal touch to your message. Readers like to read emails specifically addressed to them.
The reason you’re emailing a person is to give out information that might be of some value.
Beating around the bush and telling unworthy stories will not help to get a reader’s attention, especially if it is your first email. Get to the point quickly and give your reader the benefit of opening your email in the first few lines.
Tell a story that your audience can relate to.
Make them believe that by subscribing to your email list, they are going to be a part of something that’s going to benefit them. The reader should look forward to seeing your email pop up in their inbox.
The most crucial part of running a successful email marketing campaign is usually in the first step, in getting that first click, in getting that permission into your readers’ inbox. Once they’ve let you into their inbox, it’s time to send them valuable information.
Never let your reader become disappointed in having opened your email.
Further reading
The Top Email Marketing Softwares for your business.
The Secret to A Growing Email List
Train Your Readers to Open Your Email Every Single Time
Best Practices in Email Marketing