Email marketing is one of the most strategic marketing choices that you can implement, but you have to do it correctly in order for it to be effective. Today we’re going share with you a few tips to help you turn your emails into sales and turn you into an email marketing rock star.

Having great calls to action is the key!

1. Every word counts

Choose your words wisely in your emails. Readers want to know what you’re trying to say and what you want them to do about it in as few words as possible.  Your subject line is perhaps the most important because if you cannot connect to the reader right there, they won't even open your email.  Aside from that, the words you use in your call to action need to be chosen carefully so that they seize the reader’s attention and motivate them to follow your instruction. They need to be quick and to the point because your average reader has a very short attention span.

Some strong call to action words are:

• Order now
• Sign up today
• Download now
• Buy today
• Get your coupon here
• Activate your account now
• Continue learning

2. Size matters

While the words you choose are really important, the size of those words is also a consideration. Your call to action should be the most prominent element in the email. Many email readers simply scan emails, so you want your call to action to be big and bold so it stands out. Consider putting your calls to action in the form of a giant button like one of these:

3. Create a sense of urgency

Feeling a sense of urgency is a very powerful psychological motivator for most people. When used correctly, it can make your customers take the next steps quickly because they don’t want to miss out. One of the best ways to create this urgency is to give your customers a deadline. Combine that deadline with some clear steps they need to take with your call to action and there’s a really good chance they’re going to comply.

Urgency can also be applied more subtly as well. Perhaps sending a series of emails leading up to a big event will help continually remind customers that the offer is about to expire and they should get on it soon!

4. Use images wisely

While it seems like an awesome idea to put a lot of images in your email, totally relying on them is risky because many people have images turned off. Images can be very useful but it’s important to have a fallback. While we love having that big call to action button (which is an image) in your email, we also think you need to have something else incorporated just in case images are not enabled.

Of course, you can make the buttons non-image based with the use of a little HTML code too.

5. Define value and direction

Nobody’s going to click on anything unless you tell them what they’re going to get out of it. Simply having copy that says, “click here” is not ideal. There should always be attention drawn to the next step, which includes telling the reader what value they’re going to get from taking this step. So, make sure you give attention to what follows after a reader responds to your call to action.

6. Repeat your call to action

One way to make sure that more people follow through on your call to action is to repeat it. It may sound kind of silly to say something over and over again, but it truly works. And don’t worry. There are ways to do this so that it doesn’t look like a crazy person wrote your email. You can include links on multiple images, titles or anchor text.

It can also be something you put at the very end of your email as a postscript or P.S. In fact, that’s a fantastic way to highlight your call to action! Think back to your own behavior. A “P.S.” really stands out and you almost always read what it says. You don’t even have to explicitly ask people to click through. You can encourage your customer to take action by simply reiterating what you want them to do in the postscript.

For example, you could say:

“PS: You can learn about more great ways to save money on your favorite products by signing up for our rewards card!”

Whenever you’re at a loss for how to increase your conversion rates on your email marketing campaign, all you really have to do is check your own inbox. What gets your attention? What motivates you to take action and what stands out to you in the body of an email?  Use the ones you find most effective to guide your efforts, but always remember to pay attention to the numbers!  If an approach isn’t working, change it!