Page 129 - SKU-000506274_TEXT.indd

Lisa Shepherd

Keep important content in the preview pane. The majority
of B2B email readers use a preview pane before opening
emails. Design your messages with this in mind; put the most
important content (your key selling benefits and the offer) and
a call to action in the top 300-500 pixels of your email. Don’t
waste space with an oversize logo or header—use the format
to your best advantage.

Provide relevant content. The most important thing you
should do is provide content that is so interesting and relevant
to your readers that they look forward to receiving every email
you send. Your content should help them do their jobs: how-to
articles, best practices guidelines, mini-case studies, and
application ideas are effective email content.

Use images carefully. Images add visual interest and
relevance to your emails; thumbnails of white paper covers
and product images are a good way to introduce graphics that
will not distract from your content. But be wary of making your
emails too reliant on images, many B2B users disable images
in their email programs.

Write focused copy. Know the purpose of your message and
the action(s) you want readers to take before you compose
your email, and then write your copy with those key goals in
mind. Use bold headlines, short paragraphs and sentences,
and bullet points. Don’t include lengthy articles that force the
reader to scroll: instead, offer brief summaries and provide a
URL for readers to view the full article. This approach allows
you to track which articles generate the most clicks—telling
you what readers are interested in.

Measure and test. Track the key metrics of the emails you
send—open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate—and test
new ways to improve results. A good benchmark to start with
is 15-20% open rate with a 4-5% click-through. An easy way
to test a single change is by creating two different versions of
the email and sending each version to half your mailing list.

146

© 2012 Lisa Shepherd