Since Inbox Zero was first introduced back in 2007, we have all learnt to keep our inboxes empty (or at least ‘almost’) empty in a bid to be more productive, which is great - but bad news for marketers, right?

What if we told you that Inbox Zero is actually good news for marketers? Would you
believe us? Knowing how to get people to open emails and actually pay attention is a
constant struggle for marketers, but Inbox Zero has in fact, made the whole process
easier.

Marketing emails are no longer fading into insignificance. Think of it like this - all emails now have their own sections, which people can go to in their own time. Recipients will be less likely to unsubscribe from emails because they are no longer filling up their primary inbox. They are now kept neat and tidy in another section of their inbox for them to read at a time that suits them. To take full advantage of this and to win at Inbox Zero, all marketers need to know is what kinds of emails to send.

The subject line

Does the length of the subject line really matter? Not according to research from Emailcenter, which found that from 2011 to 2014, open rates for emails with subject line lengths from 2-9 words saw a consistent year on year improvement. So rather than the length of the subject being the all important make or break factor, it shows us that it really isn’t that important. What is important is that the subject line is clean and succinct.

Subject lines need careful consideration. They need to be specific for your industry and your audience. It’s not necessarily about being clever, it’s about simply stating what it is in the email in a clear concise way to encourage those who are interested in your offering to open.

The length

So the length of the subject line isn’t the make or break factor but the length of the email
could be. Long emails can destroy your recipient's interest so edit rigorously. Keep it compelling and keep it relevant. If your content isn’t relevant, your subscribers are more than likely to lose interest in your emails and begin to ignore or unsubscribe to them.

The text to image ratio

The 60/40 rule is good for this. Aim for a text to image ratio of 60/40. Although it doesn’t necessarily affect your deliverability, it’s a good balance to aim for. Yes, images are eye-catching but you can’t just ditch the text. There needs to be sufficient text in the email to grab the attention of the recipient and explain what the email is about.

The use of ‘buzzwords’

According to research from Mailchimp, which looked at the effectiveness of subject lines,
there are 4 words that marketers need to avoid:

  • Free
  • Help
  • Percent off
  • Reminder

These four words should be avoided wherever possible as their research found they have
a negative effect on open rates.

The behaviour based email

Triggered behaviour based emails are not only sent in a timely manner, but they are segmented, which ensures they are relevant to the subscriber. So it’s little wonder these types of emails have been known to produce an open rate as high as 70%. That’s almost four times the general open rates seen in 2014. So if you really want to win at Inbox Zero, the key is to send more individualsied emails based on customer’s interests, as well as individually timed and triggered emails. Build relationships with your subscribers as this will allow you to personalise content to meet their individual interests.

Personalisation is a hot topic in the marketing world. Consumers want more. They want their content relevant to them.

The mobile friendly version

The number of smartphone users worldwide will exceed 2 billion in 2016 so it’s essential
that emails are responsive and optimised for small screen sizes. Try using a single column
template, have one call-to-action or use larger text.

 

By Rupert Adam, Marketing Manager at ​Emailcenter UK. 

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