When an email from a brand or organisation lands in your inbox, what’s your reaction? If you’re like us, we’re typically grateful that it’s arrived at our fingertips. We enjoy hearing about research and news that might have slipped our attention; recipes and resources that we can bookmark and share; hot tips on new apps and websites; and we also love a great motivational quote or success story!  

But email marketing goes two ways: incoming and outgoing. So we’ll ask: are you using this tool to reach out to new clients, and reinforce your relationship with existing ones?

Dietitian Connection has used email marketing as a primary communication vehicle since our inception almost six years ago. We’ve  grown our audience to over 7,300 nutrition leaders through this tactic. We’ve sent hundreds of campaigns – and learned from our mistakes. We stay abreast of trends in email marketing to remain cutting edge. And we constantly analyse our own data for effectiveness and feedback.

Based on this vast experience, here are our top ten tips on creating a winning marketing email:

1. Catchy headline

Create a headline that is going to stop people in their tracks and make them open your email. There are online tools that can help you  develop that winning headline. You should spend as much time on the headline as the email content itself.

2. Engaging content

Your content must provide value to the reader, so ensure you tailor your message accordingly.

3. Killer call to action

Think about what action you want your reader to take after reading the email, such as booking an appointment to see you or attending an  event. Make sure the call to action is clear and easy for your reader to take.

4. Succinct

Don’t try and say too much, and instead focus on a single message that is clear and straightforward.

5. Write in second person

[i.e. you, your] – This will further personalise your email.

6. Visually appealing

Use high quality images for visual appeal. Text-only emails can also work, if they are kept short and to the point.

7. Talk about benefits

Remember to outline the key benefits of why your reader should take the action you are recommending.

8. Mobile friendly

Most people are reading emails on their mobile devices so ensure your email is mobile friendly.

9. Review your results and continue to improve.

Monitor your open and click rates, and reflect on what is working and where you could improve. This way, you can grow your newsletter subscribers.

10. Personalised

You can personalise the email – most email software programs allow you to do this.

 Learn More about Digest here.