It should come as no surprise that the vast majority of American adults use email; according to email marketing agency OptinMonster, 92% of American adults with an online presence use it. Of those, 99% check it every day – some as many as 20 times daily. In addition, 61% prefer to be contacted by brands through email as opposed to social media.

That’s good news for you. With many eyes on email inboxes, and people open to brand messaging there, here’s how to garner attention for your products, services and unique value proposition using email marketing.

1. Build a quality list.

Strengthen the performance of your email campaign by creating a list of those who have opted in to receive your emails. It could be a sign-up form on your website, blog or social media platforms; a downloadable white paper that can be accessed once a valid email address is entered; or a physical pen-and-paper sign-up at a trade show. Making sure recipients have opted in to receiving messages from you means they’re more apt to open your messages and engage with them.

2. Segment your lists.

Don’t send the exact same message to every recipient on your email list. Instead, break your primary list down into more targeted groups, depending on whether they’re prospects or clients and what industry they’re in. Then change the subject line, messaging and call-to-action to best resonate with your specific target audiences. An email that includes “thanks for working with us before” doesn’t make sense for a prospect who has yet to buy from you.

3. Write compelling subject lines.

The subject line is your first chance to make an impression and can be the difference between a recipient opening the message or deleting it. Test how different subject lines perform and how recipients respond to them – try a to-the-point, declarative version one week and then a more tongue-in-cheek, clever one the following and track open rates. If there’s a noticeable difference, it could be the subject line. Vary the types of subject lines too, to keep it interesting.

99%
the percentage of those with email who check it every day. (OptinMonster)

4. Focus on mobile optimization.

Chances are that recipients will be looking at your email message on their mobile device … and will delete it quickly if it’s not mobile-responsive. Keep the design simple, preferably in a single column that’s conducive to scrolling. Make headlines bold, don’t be afraid of white space, and avoid large images that can take a long time to load or could be flagged as spam.

5. Test different days and times.

Send emails on various days of the week and times of day and see how that affects open rates. When you find an ideal timeslot, keep it consistent, perhaps weekly. But don’t overwhelm recipients – sending too many emails can be a turn-off.