The basics of email marketing: Life Science Marketing 101
The success of your email campaigns depends on more than just the content of your message. To truly maximize the impact of your emails, it is crucial to understand the basics of email marketing that can make or break your engagement. By incorporating these into your email strategy, you transform emails from mere messages into powerful tools for engagement, qualification, and success.
Video tutorial: the 5 basics of email marketing đź“Ľ
If you prefer video content, watch this clip from the Life Science Marketing Society to get an overview of the content in this article.
1. Timing
Timing is a strategic advantage that is often ignored or treated as an afterthought. However, understanding when your audience is most receptive can drastically improve email open rates and engagement. Google Analytics charts can reveal the peak activity periods of your audience. For instance, if most of your followers are active between 6pm and 11pm this is the ideal time to engage them.
2. From Line
The first thing email recipients see is the from line. A suspicious or unfamiliar name can prompt recipients to disengage before even opening the email. This includes non-avatar examples, such as “sales@” or “contact@”. Using a real name rather than a generic company alias fosters trust and increases the chance of your email being opened—which is 90% of the battle!
3. Subject Line
The subject line is the gatekeeper to your email. Neglecting its importance is a common oversight, but this tiny snippet holds the power to entice recipients to open your email. A compelling subject line should pique curiosity, provide value, or pose an open-ended question. To check that your subject line is resonating, you may want to use A/B testing with a smaller sample audience before sending to everyone on your list.
4. The Rule of One
Keeping your email concise with a minimal, focused call-to-action (CTA) increases engagement and ensures that they do not experience choice paralysis. Less is more when it comes to CTAs—presenting recipients with one or two straightforward actions increases the likelihood of engagement.
It’s also important to consider the position of the CTA: don’t bury it in the middle; end with it so there isn’t a choice between reading on and taking action. Mobile-friendly buttons can also enhance the user experience, as they’re more accessible on various devices.
5. Connect
The ultimate goal of email marketing is not just to fill inboxes but to establish meaningful connections with prospects. A successful email will always transition into a deeper level of engagement with recipients. Examples of actions that encourage ongoing discussions include a reply email, video chat, or phone call. You could also use workhorse actions, such as downloads, sign-ups, and other possibilities.
Example email from Bitesize Bio đź’Ś
Below we have included an example of the fundamentals of email marketing in action. The email from line, subject line, and timing have been optimized by the Bitesize Bio team based on previous interactions with subscribers. Our team has also used a button and hyperlink to make the CTA accessible to phone and desktop users. Finally, with an average click-to-open rate (CToR) of 5%, this 1-2-3 newsletter encourages meaningful action from subscribers.
Key takeaways 🥡
By incorporating these five success factors into your email strategy, you will transform your emails from mere messages into powerful tools for engagement, qualification, and (ultimately) sales! Need help creating automated email nurturing campaigns? Bitesize Bio are experts in email marketing with over 15 years experience optimizing nurturing campaigns. Contact us today to book a 30-minute call with our team.
Further resources đź§
Declan Dunn. Qualifying and Closing in 90 Days with Email Marketing. Life Science Marketing Society, 2017.
Zara Puckrin. Free email sequence template: close leads in 90 days. Bitesize Bio Content Marketing, 2024
Zara Puckrin. Email isn’t dead: 4 Email Marketing Myths Debunked. Bitesize Bio Content Marketing, 2024.