No one likes spam, and as a marketer, being associated with it is like an instant death sentence. No, we're not talking about that pre-cooked glob of meat that comes in a can, we're talking about all those emails you get that you throw directly into your junk box (yeah, you know what we are talking about!)

When internet users sift through their e-mail, and they spot an email that is weird or strange to them they are all too quick to ship it off to the spam folder. Say goodbye to all that hard work that you put into your marketing email because it was just cast away to the island of misfit toys.

How can you compel them to see that your email isn't like the others? Your email offers valuable information, deals, services, and, more importantly, a possible solution to all their problems. The hard truth is that you can't make customers open your emails no matter how stellar you think it is. But, you can craft your marketing emails in such a way that it becomes hard not to!

4 Tips for Crafting an Attractive Marketing Email.

Attention-grabbing subject line

Who sent out the memo that using a combination of asterisks, capitalized letters, and a run-on sentence in an email subject line would be a successful marketing strategy? And honestly, what serious companies decided that that was a good policy to adopt into their own marketing? (i.e. ***COME CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE NOW IT CAN HELP YOU IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS***). Aside from being an obnoxious email title, it's not effective, and can often turn viewers away from clicking and reading. While the email title is the bait that attracts the fish, it's useless if the reader doesn't gain anything from it. You should think of the title of your email as if it were a brief advertisement. You have one shot at convincing your reader to click through to the rest of your content, but no pressure. You need to grab attention with your email subject line, without sounding too pushy. Alert subscribers about new events, sales, or products, they might be interested in based off of their previous relationship with your company.Don't forget, your email title should be an easy to read summary sentence that sums up what your email is about.

Personalization

When it comes to marketing strategy, personalization is really changing the world of inbound marketing. Simply put, the more personalized an email is, the greater chance it has of generating a lead. Users love feeling individualized, and catered to for their specific needs. Adding personalization makes it easier for them to connect and build a relationship with businesses that they are found of. (Think of your shopping experience with Amazon, or your movie nights on Netflix.)

Isn't it nice when they offer you products, services, or in Netflix's case, movies tailored specifically to your interests, style, and taste? When it comes to emails, users enjoy that kind of personalized mentality.

So what can you do to cater your emails? Well, besides including their name in the email, you can also use any and all other information that's has to do with what your email is trying to accomplish. That could include having the name of their company, their location, and even previous items they've purchased all in your email.This lets users know that they are important, because how many other marketing emails are they getting that take the time to include this information? No one. Well, no one besides you!

Images

Have you noticed that there aren't many people who watch black-and-white television anymore, or listen to radio shows? Why do you think that is? Frankly, it's probably because that types of communication just can't compete with visual and color. You can drastically improve your email marketing just by applying simple details like adding visual and bold color elements to it. Black-and-white emails are bland and won't stand out to your target audience. In order to alleviate this try to spice up your emails, and think about inserting images into it (actually we more than recommend this). Make sure these images are relevant to the message you're trying to convey, and if at all possible, make them visually striking. Remember, your email is trying to separate itself from the countless spam and junk emails that flood inboxes.

Social Sharing

One of the most important – and likewise most forgotten – things you can do for your emails is to allow it to be viewed by others. This is called sharing, so let's be social and share with everyone! What good is a fantastic, colorful, and personalized email if it is only going to be looked at by one person? Giving your subscribers the option of sharing your marketing email can ensure that your content will also be viewed by others. After all, you did just put a whole lot of work into that email, so let your readers share your work load by passing your content around. Place social sharing links or buttons into your email where you know it is easily accessible, and will be seen. With the amount of social media sites, its best to include as many platforms as you can, whether its Facebook, Linkedin, Google+, or Twitter. Tis the season, so the more the merrier!

Get your marketing ready for the holiday season with our FREE online marketing holiday checklist!