How to Keep Your Email Marketing Simple

When an online form prompts you for your email address, we're quick to feel guarded and protective of giving away this type of access, whereas in the past it was given without a second's worth of thought.

The reason for this hesitation is because people are tired of being sold to and bombarded with these in-your-face marketing messages. They're tired of giving away their information and allowing you to commandeer their digital peace. This reluctance is still prevalent today, but when you've unlocked the idea that email is to further your relationship with your reader rather than to pitch them, you've entered a dangerous level of freedom with how and what you communicate.

Why Is Email Marketing So Powerful?

The advent of social media has empowered everyone's digital voice, and while it seemed that email was pushed aside, it actually gained more clout over the years. Email is the third most influential source of information for B2B audiences, behind only colleague recommendations and industry-specific thought leaders. It remains a powerful engine for every marketing strategy.

Checking email is an involuntary thing – we do it all the time. It was the original social media. And if you think that this communication vehicle is lost on the younger generation – think again. Seventy-three percent of Millennials identify email as their preferred means of business communication.

If you want to interrupt someone's day with something powerful, you better make sure that it's worthwhile and doesn't have a way one ticket into the spam folder.

Keep the KISS Method Alive

Keep it simple – well, you know how it finishes.

From a marketing standpoint, it can be easy to fall victim to the overthinking trap. Simplicity is the best form of content, because you aren't trying to cram a lot of messages into one email. You might only have a few seconds to capture someone's short-lived attention – especially in this digital cycle. So it's best to write your copy for the smaller screen with one crisp call-to-action stemming from one key thought. Can you answer the "why should someone care" stress test within three seconds? This will help you trim the fat on any excess copy that doesn't belong.

5 Creative Email Marketing Ideas to Implement

Being creative with your emails doesn't mean that you have to stray so far away from simplicity. Having a high-powered real estate CRM allows you to always be keeping in touch with your network with a stream of fresh, high quality marketing content that greatly enhances an agent's marketing efforts – and also takes the pressure off of having to create regular email touch points from scratch.

1. Embrace Giving Back

In a recent study, 91% of respondents said they wanted to hear about a company's social responsibility and progress, and want to hear about this in their marketing.

Question: Why do most PR campaigns fail?

Answer: Because the company is trying to raise more awareness about their brand than they are the cause they're getting behind.

When it comes to giving back, don't make it about you – make it one hundred percent about giving back to the community, and helping those less fortunate than you. That is the root of a sustainable and a worthwhile public relations plan because it's genuine and comes from a good place.

If your reasoning is thin, your audience will see right through it and can have a damaging effect on your brand.

2. Relevance as a Weapon

Email marketing allows you to be agile and get in touch with your massive database instantly. News, such as regulatory updates or policy changes, really engages your audience. This type of news provides a brilliant opportunity to put your own spin on it in layman's terms on what it means for your audience and how it will impact them. Jump on these regulatory updates and make a habit of turning out content quickly by cutting through all the industry jargon and giving it to your audience straight. They will value your perspective more than what they read in the news.

3. Showcase Your Case Studies

The power of case studies in marketing is a rather simple, yet profound, marketing tool. It is the practice of putting happy customers in front of other potential customers and sharing their story. It is relevant to your audience because they can relate to their situation regarding buying or selling a home, and it's engaging because it's the type of social proof that allows your clientele to pitch your value propositions for you. Make a plan to weave in some happy customers and share their story throughout your email marketing strategy.

4. Focus on Local

With satellite radio booming in recent years, there's one area where it cannot compete with the small to medium market stations – and that's the local content being produced. People want to know what's going on in their neighborhood in real-time and how it relates to them.

As a real estate agent, you've narrowed your focus so you aren't just casting a net far and wide; you stick to your niche and tailor your messaging accordingly. So deliver content that would hit the mark with your buyer persona. By establishing yourself as a key pillar in the community, discussing new developments, community issues and municipal news, you'll be viewed as a trusted thought leader in your area.

5. Make it Pop

You don't have to fall under the Millennial or Gen Z bracket to appreciate bubbly images and GIFs that put a smile on your face. We see them all the time across social media, in blogs and in the news – so why not in your emails?

The use of emoji in email marketing messages increased 775% from 2015 to 2016, and GIFs rose from 5.4% in 2015 to 10.3% in 2016. So clearly, this isn't just for social media and texting – it can translate well to the email marketing game. Why not put an emoji in the headline of your email to pack a punch? Why even limit your graphic game to images and emojis? Video is a perfect way to add a personal touch!

If you've gone to a conference recently, the best keynote speakers let their visual presentation add flair to their messages, not to inundate their audience with too much text. The same can be applied to your email marketing. Keep it simple, keep it visual and keep it easy to read on the smaller screen. And most of all – have fun with it! You're enhancing the relationship with your audience, not trying to cram as many people into your pipeline as possible.

Mastering the email marketing space for agents can be an art form, but once you hit your stride and find your voice, the authenticity will flow rather than being looked at as a chore to keep up with.

To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.