Recent research from
Using over 2.1 million Constant Contact customer emails sent to more than 100 recipients during the course of 13 weeks, this latest research unveils that emails with three or less images and about 20 lines of text result in the highest click-through rates from email subscribers.
Click-through rates are perhaps the truest measurement of the quality of an email’s content and its effectiveness as a marketing tool,” said Christopher M. Litster, senior vice president, sales and marketing at Constant Contact. “Regardless of industry or customer base, click-through rates convey how often you are able to get your email subscribers to go where you want them to go and complete your call-to-action. This new research is a big step forward in helping small businesses craft email content that will result in even more successful campaigns going forward.”
While this new data shares insight that small businesses can lean on to better enhance their own email marketing strategies, considering what type of small business you are is still very important. Specifically, it's important to consider if you are a profit or non-profit business.
Different Strokes for Different Folks
For profit businesses versus non-profit businesses typically have two very different agendas when it comes to their email marketing strategies. The core reason for this is that their audience is often drastically different, with for profit businesses engaging with consumers while non-profits are communicating with volunteers and active members. Constant Contact shared additional data, offering a closer look at what separates certain industries from others when it comes to email marketing. It's important to keep in mind that 20 lines of text was revealed as the highest click-through rates from all of the data analyzed by Constant Contact when reviewing the points below.
- Association based emails don't drop off as quickly as other industries, with click-through rates remaining consistent between 20 and 30 lines of text.
- Membership organizations have an even broader range; with click-through rates for those organizations showing 15 and 30 lines of text having a strong click-through rate among their audience.
- Religious organizations saw little fluctuation in click-through rates based on the number of images they shared.
- Business product and services companies saw the highest click-through rates in emails with between 13 and 16 images - making it presumed that email subscribers want and expect to see products being offered by these types of companies.
- Restaurants, salons and spas have peak click-through rates in emails with 15 images, a considerably higher amount of images preferred than other industry email marketing viewers
- Office supply companies showed that click-through rates peak at 15 lines of text, suggesting their emails be short and sweet, so to speak, to connect with their audience
- Real estate agents saw their highest click-through rates at around 35 lines of text, with those emails specific to new listings gaining the most attention
- Retail businesses have an interestingly small window in terms of the number of lines of text that drive optimal click-through rates. Click-through rates improve over 50 percent between emails with 17 lines of text and 19 lines of text. Click-through rates then drop by 50 percent among emails between 19 lines of text and 21 lines of text.
Short and Sweet
Today, people communicate and engage in a more concise way than ever before. Just look at the rise in text messaging as an example. When my kids send me a text, I'm often scrambling for an interpreter to decipher some of the abbreviations for me. We're not suggesting your emails become as a brief as a text message, but certainly they should get to the point when it comes to delivering information," shares Cates.
- Keep it clear. Don't sway from your main point, but instead stay focused on what it is you want to communicate and accomplish in your email marketing message. To help, keep the click-through data in mind.
- Keep it concise. Being clear is one thing, being concise is another. Aim to quickly and efficiently deliver your message, avoiding too many unnecessary words. This said, you still want to keep your audience engaged - so make it worth reading.
- Keep it correct. Often, people mislead their audience by using words - or jargon - that simply don't offer a clear representation of the message being delivered. Be sure your choices of words are easy to understand, delivering a clear message to your audience.
- Keep it courteous. While every brand and business has their own "voice" in terms of communication, the general rule of thumb is to keep it nice and friendly. Sure, you can offer a sassy twist if that's your style, but keeping it courteous is always in style, as well.
Finally, as fellow Forbes contributor Jason DeMers explains, it's important to remember that while mobile marketing, social media marketing and marketing in general should still be a part of any small business's strategy, email marketing must remain on this list, as well, despite what some marketing experts have predicted.
Many marketers projected the end of email marketing altogether; since people were using email less often and email marketing tactics were beginning to wear thin on an uninterested audience, it seemed reasonable to think that the medium was a dry well. However, numbers are indicating that email marketing is alive and well, and companies are seeing substantial returns on their investment in the marketing medium," shares DeMers.
Expanding on this, DeMers also states that, "almost any business in any industry can reap the benefits of a strong email marketing campaign."
