In our previous post, we hit 3 of the top questions businesses are always asking in regards to email marketing.
If you missed that post, you can view it here.
And now for the top 2...drum roll, please!
Its not a bad idea to include multiple links in an email since each link is a call-to-action that could eventually lead to a conversion...as long as they're not obsessive in number, distracting, and competitive.
What do I mean by competitive?
You don't want those calls-to-action to compete with one another...which is why it's critical that you decide exactly what it is you want your email recipient to do when they receive and open your email. There should be one main action you want them to take.
That way, none of the links are competing with one another for attention - they're all contributing to the same goal!
For example, when we send an email, we might have multiple links contained in the email. But they are all phrased just a little differently, and they all are pointing to the same offer with the goal of moving the lead further down the sales funnel.
We've found that there are basically three frequency categories to consider:
Time of Day - Recent studies show that emails sent at 6 AM had the highest click-through rate. Emails sent from 10 AM-12 PM showed another small spike; and the later the time in the evening, the higher the click-through rate climbed. Most likely because those hours are when the recipient is home or on lunch break.
Day of the Week - Sending emails on the weekend is risky - true, the lack of competing emails coming through on Saturday and Sunday is much lower. But some people may see it as intrusive - kind of like getting a telemarketing call during dinner hours (my pet peeve.)
Personally, I look forward to the weekend when email slows down, and I can get caught up and catch my breath.
A recent article I read said that studies showed that the lowest click-through rate (and highest unsubscribe rate!) occurred on Tuesday...with Wednesday and Friday weighing in as the weekdays with the highest click-through rates.
Folks, this does NOT mean you should immediately stop emailing on Tuesday's and switch to Wednesdays and Fridays. The article failed to point out what industries were involved in the study...who was the audience? It makes a big difference. Use common sense.
Number of Days Per Week - Click-through rates decrease the more emails you send in any given campaign so our best practice advice here is to take it easy. Space your emails out so your subscribers don't feel bombarded. And make sure you've set the expectations clearly from the beginning...if you're sending a daily email, make sure your subscribers are aware of that.
With all this said, the best thing to do is...you guessed it - do a split test. And make sure that the only variable is time, day, or frequency.
If you have other questions regarding email marketing, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a comment below!
Seize the day!
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