The importance of email marketing design and how to get it right in just five steps

First impressions count

You’ve built up a database, worked hard on identifying who your clients are and put together a solid content plan – and now that all the background work is done, you’re eager to start sending marketing emails to your accounting clients and leads. But before you whip one into a bulk email on your desktop email server and hit send, there are a few things to consider. First impressions count when it comes to marketing emails – you only get one opportunity to capture your readers’ attention, and getting it right can be the difference between your email getting opened and read or hastily deleted. So, save that draft and read on for five simple steps to nail the design of your email marketing communications:

Step 1 – Use an engaging, impactful subject line

With the average office worker receiving 121 emails each day, your subject line must capture the recipients’ attention. Avoid generic subject lines such as “… ‘insert your firm’s name’… newsletter” and use it as an opportunity to pique their interest so they can’t resist opening the email. A great subject line should:

    • Be concise – shorter is better for the subject line, particularly as many recipients will be viewing their emails on a mobile device. Most marketers recommend this be limited to around 50 characters.
    • Avoid spam triggers – excessive punctuation, special characters, capitals or phrases like ‘free’, ‘act now’, and ‘credit’ can cause your email to be flagged as spam. 
    • Be consistent – make sure your subject line doesn’t stray too far from the content of your email. If you’re not delivering what’s been promised, recipients will lose trust in your firm.
  • Be the last thing you write – leave writing the subject line to last. That way, you’ll have a solid understanding of the content it’s summarising and the value it can offer your readers.

Step 2 – Craft the right content for the platform

People consume email content differently from website content and typically expect short, punchy text that is easy to read. Numbered and bulleted lists help get points across effectively. If you have a lot of information to share with recipients, include a compelling introductory paragraph that links to your website for them to read more. 

Keeping your email marketing communications clear and concise will show recipients that you value their time, making them more likely to read future emails from your firm. 

Step 3 – Inject personality and keep it consistent

Your firm’s unique personality sets you apart from competitors and is a key to why clients engage in your services. Allow this personality to shine through in your email marketing communications, making them feel less generic and more reflective of your firm. It’s essential to keep this personality consistent across all your client communications. This should be reflected in your tone, any imagery used, colours, fonts, logos and links to your firm’s website and social media accounts. If you’re using BOMA, a consistent email template is at your fingertips. Fonts and colours will be drawn from your firm’s logo to create a colour palette for your emails.

Step 4 – Timing is important

While emails can be opened any time, day or night, sending an email at the right time can play a huge part in open and click-through rates. Unfortunately, there isn’t one magical ideal hour for all, as it varies depending on your audience, your business and the content of your email. Finding the ideal time to send marketing emails for your firm will come down to trial and error and comparing your open rates over time.

Step 5 – Final checks

Before you fire off your perfectly crafted, consistent and engaging marketing email, don’t forget to:

  • Check external links – ensure these are working correctly before hitting send.
  • Ensure your email is optimised – it should display correctly and read well on any device. BOMA will automatically optimise your content for all devices.
  • Send a test email – always send a test email and get a second set of eyes to check it over before sending it to your database.

Ready to hit send?

What with subject lines, consistency and templates, ticking all the boxes for an effective email marketing campaign can seem like a lot. Let BOMA take some of the strain. BOMA’s content library has hundreds of ready-to-share business advisory and compliance articles. The articles can be injected into your email templates, customised to add your brand tone of voice or perspective and shared with clients and prospects.

We have templates, scheduling tools, content and analytics to make a successful email marketing strategy a breeze, so find out how BOMA can help your firm today.