For email marketing to be effective, it is important that you know what you are doing. Following these best practice email marketing strategies will ensure that you get the attention of your customers the right way.

Be Personal

You are 22% more likely to get a potential customer to open an email if their name is included. The best way to collect this information is by pulling information from online transactions and asking customers at the store if they would like to be added to your email list. The direct address is much more likely to catch your customers eye.

Another way to be personal with your customers is to offer information about things that they may like. If you sell clothes, for example, and you are having a sale on an item similar to something they have bought, let them know.

Follow a Good Format

If you can get your customers attention enough for them to open the email, then it is important that you deliver important information in a format. Your subject line should contain information without being too specific. For example, if you are trying to get customers to come to a charity benefit, begin with Join us this Saturday in CityName. In the first line, add information such as who will attend the event, what it is for, and what time it will begin. Adding this information first will ensure that the customer finds out what they need to know before they send the email to the trash folder.

Timing Is Everything

The day and time that you send an email are huge influencing factors in whether or not a customer reads it. Statistics shows that customers are more likely to open an email that arrives between 6 and 10 than any other time during the work day. Additionally, it is believed that it is not a good idea to send out emails on Monday when customers are de-stressing, or on weekends, when they want to relax. Follow these guidelines and test out the time and day that works best for you.

Be Clear

Checking emails is a task that is often rushed through. For this reason, it is important that you are clear with customers. Let them know what your email is about. If there is a sale, tell them right away. If you have a new launch of a line they may be interested in, state this clearly in the first line. Then, provide some general information without making the email too long. Information in an email must be easy to digest to be effective.

Ask the Right Questions

A great way to engage with customers is to ask questions. Creating a follow-through link to provide feedback or take an on-site survey is a great way to do this. Another benefit of this is that it allows you to get feedback. Dissatisfied customers are a lot more likely to leave a review than a happy one, unless you ask them for their opinion. Make it easy for them to leave reviews and if you are asking for specific feedback, keep it around 3 to 5 questions.

Do Not Forget Mobile Customers

Many emails, especially those checked in the middle of the day, are checked from cell phones. This makes it important that your emails are easy to read for mobile users. You should also be sure that any of your click-through links go to pages that are compatible with mobile phones. Otherwise, it is a lot less likely that you are going to communicate with your customer.

To learn more or start a conversation about the ins and outs of email marketing, check out Kreativa.co, an online marketing community.

About the author:

Lautaro Martinez a marketing agent and freelance writer is always looking for new and innovative ways to market. If you would like to learn more about Lautaro, you can check out his google+ profile.