Email marketing is one of the most valuable marketing tools that a business can have. There are a few factors that separate good email campaigns from great email campaigns. Here are 5 email marketing tips that will help you start creating more effective and engaging email campaigns. 

1) Segmenting Your Contacts 

Before you even send your first email, you can set yourself up for success by segmenting your contacts. Each client on your list of contacts has specific interests and circumstances. When segmenting your contact list by these interests and circumstances, you can send very specific messages to different groups of contacts. The more data you have about your clients, the more specific and targeted your email campaigns can be. Generic emails often go unread because they do not stand out enough to catch a reader’s attention. Emails that appeal directly to the reader’s interests are far more likely to be opened and read. 

One way to segment your contacts is to manually add additional information about your clients. This can be a bit tedious but sometimes it may be the only option. A far more efficient way is to utilize detailed lead capture tools that ask and collect relevant information about clients and prospects. A good lead capture tool will automatically segment your client list for you, making your email marketing efforts that much easier. 

Here are some ideas for ways to segment a contact list in the mortgage industry: 

• Location 
• Prospects vs closed deals 
• Loan type – Purchase vs refinance 
• Specific loan program 
• Credit score ranges 
• Income ranges 

Even this short list will allow you to send targeted emails to very specific client groups. Every time you add a new client to your contact list, ensure you are segmenting appropriately. 

2) A/B Test 

One of the most valuable email marketing practices that you can learn is split testing or A/B testing. Split testing involves sending two different emails to similar contact groups so that you can evaluate the results and effectiveness of various components of each email.  

Some different components that you should consider split testing are: 

• Subject Line 
• Email body 
• Calls to action 
• From Line 
• Email Layout 
• Images 
• Offers 

For the most effective testing, you should send your emails to the largest contact groups possible. Small groups can skew the results. Do not hand-pick recipients either. Make sure that the lists are random.  

After sending your emails, you can evaluate metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Once you have this information, you can use these results to help build more effective email campaigns in the future. 

3) Personalization 

Always try to add a bit of personal information in each email you send. Take advantage of shortcodes to always include your client’s name in any emails you may send. Even something as simple as using a client’s name can boost your opening rates and engagement. This personalization can make client’s feel special or exclusive. Try using a client’s name in both the body of your email and in the subject line. 

Personalization goes beyond names. The reason we segment our contact lists are so that we can send personalized messages. Use the information you collected about your clients to send emails that are relevant to interests. The more relevant you can make your emails, the higher the chance of engagement. 

Don’t stop and just client information either. Add your own personal information as well. Instead of using a company name, use your name. Consider adding a picture of yourself to email headers or footers.  

4) Keep Your Emails Precise  

If you’ve done all the right things to get a client to open your emails, it is important not to lose them once they do. Most often, the goal of an email campaign is to get clients back to your website where you can provide additional information, and eventually convert and close someone who is interested in what you are offering. Emails should offer enough information to make readers aware of what you are offering, without overwhelming them. If they are interested, they will continue to your website where you can provide the added detail that they need. 

Also, in today’s world, emails are being opened from mobile devices more than ever. Even shorter emails can appear very lengthy when first opened on a mobile device. People who open emails on their mobile devices are generally on the go and may only have a few moments to review the details of an email. Keeping your message short and to the point will help convert these types of readers. 

5) Have a Dedicated Landing Page for Your Campaign 

When you’re considering an email campaign, one of the first things you should do is ensure you have a landing page setup specifically for that campaign, offer, or product. One of the quickest ways to lose the interest of a reader is to direct them to a non-specific page on your website, such as the homepage. A dedicated content page is a better solution, but this can also leave room for clients to click around your website and get distracted. 

A dedicated landing page can offer all the information a client needs without the added distractions. They are also a great tool for a capturing client information and tracking the results of your email campaign. A/B Testing can be applied to different landing pages that you can create. Over time, this will help you build better landing pages for future email campaigns as well as other projects such as paid ad campaigns. 

Next time you start an email campaign, be sure to take these 5 tips into consideration. We are certain they will help improve your results.