How to Design an Email Your Subscribers Actually Want to Read
Posted: July 24, 2019 - By Kalena McElroyDo you know what your open rate is for the emails you send? Often times, we send emails out to our mailing list, but don’t realize that people aren’t actually opening them so our message isn’t getting through.
If you want your patients to open and read your emails, you’re going to have to run a few tests to see what performs best. People receive dozens (often more) emails every day and if you want yours to stand out from the sea of generic messages, you’re going to have to experiment with your subject like and layout to find out what works.
Here are some tips to help you design a captivating email that will get your patients’ attention.
The Subject Line
This is the most important part of your email because it is pivotal to convincing people to open your message. Patients are more likely to read emails that provide value to them. That’s why it’s crucial that you take your time and make sure it’s the best it can be. The subject line should be catchy and enticing, offering the reader something they want or need. Get to know your audience so that you can create a subject line that gets your emails opened and your links clicked. The pre-header text is a short snippet that can be seen after the subject line and should work in conjunction with it.
Plan the Layout
Make your email readable. Plan and design the layout of each email so that the reader gets the most important information first. Make sure that the next place they go from there is your call-to-action. This is often a button or link driving them to visit your website, schedule an appointment, or make a purchase. There are many different layout designs to choose from. With Demandforce, you can pick from an extensive library of pre-made email templates or create your own from scratch. Then, all you need to do is focus on what content you want to include in your email.
Email Body Content
Keep it brief. The content of your email is just as important as any visual aspects. That means focusing on not only what you’re saying, but how you’re saying it. Some things you might want to keep in mind when you’re crafting the content for your next email includes:
- Crafting content that’s useful or solves a problem
- Providing statistics
- Using power words that stimulate emotions and attract attention
- Asking questions
- Adding a personal touch
- Using the word “you”
- Mixing up your greetings
- Adding a dash of brand personality
Be sure to keep things fresh and avoid following a strict formula. Generic emails don’t get opened nearly as much as personalized and targeted messages. Experiment with a few different tactics to find a strategy that works best for you.
Make it Visually Appealing
Human brains are wired to process visual information 60,000 times faster than text. That’s why it’s important to design your email so that it’s visually appealing and draws your readers’ attention. Also make sure you’re optimizing your emails for mobile devices. Sticking to just one column can help you accomplish this but if you use Demandforce’s templates, they are already mobile-optimized for you. Track the performance of your emails easily from within the Demandforce portal to make sure you’re hitting the mark. You can also use call tracking to assign trackable phone numbers to your email marketing campaigns to see exactly how many calls were generated from a specific email.
Images
Always use professional images that closely align with your overall brand. You want your images to complement your message, instead of just being there for effect. It’s better to have images that are specific to your brand, so if you have the budget, hire someone to take high-quality photographs that can be used for your emails, website, and other marketing materials. If you’re unable to do that, find quality premium photo sites rather than resorting to free stock photos that could diminish your brand and the impact of your message.
Make sure to add alternate text to your images (a short description of the image) so that if it doesn’t load, the patient can still get the gist. Images should be twice the width of the email dimensions so that they appear crisp and clean on high-resolution displays.
Video
According to Neil Patel, “No other marketing medium can communicate as quickly and effectively as video.” If you haven’t already, consider adding a video to your email marketing campaigns, it’s an engaging, entertaining way to:
- Inform your patients about new services
- Provide a tour of your facility
- Explain patient policies and procedures
- Provide quick updates about your practice
- Introduce your team members
Incorporating video into your email marketing campaign can help you increase brand awareness and help educate your patients. Adding the word “video” into your email subject line has also been found to give open rates a boost. Not everyone prefers to read, which is why video works so well for the general audience.
GIFs
As an alternative to video, consider using GIFs. GIFs have become a popular form of expression in both professional and unprofessional settings, which makes them great for email marketing. A GIF, if you’re unfamiliar, is an image that’s been encoded using the graphics interchange format that turns a video clip into a loop that plays over and over again. GIFs have worked successfully for many businesses and, when used correctly, can be a great way to get the attention of your target audience. GIFs can help you:
- Personalize your messages
- Increase click-through rates
- Spice up your email designs
- Engage with younger audiences
- Modernize your brand
Designing an email your patients want to open and read doesn’t have to be difficult. With the above in mind, you can begin crafting engaging content and planning the design and layout of your emails. Remember that many of your patients will be viewing your email on a mobile device, so make sure it’s optimized for mobile browsers and has plenty of visual appeal.
