15. Creating engagement with email 1. Feature star reviews from customers in your emails Use customer-generated product reviews, customer questions, or even featuring the products that are most highly rated by customers. 2. Add FTAF or Share icons to your emails. The original way to "share with your network" was the forward-to-a-friend (FtoF) feature, and it still works. Studies show consumers use forward to a friend when they want to share an email, in addition to posting to social sites. Recent data from ShareThis - states that subscribers share via email 38 percent of the time, which is the same percentage that people share content via Facebook.
16. Creating engagement with email 3. Add a pre-header message. Include a quick message in your email template similar to Crate and Barrel's, which says "Did someone forward you this message? Skip the grapevine. Opt in to receive Crate and Barrel email. Click here to hear it first." 4. Include a poll or survey and post the results on your social media page. 5. Make your emails audience "special' - by invitation only. People like to feel special, and they like to tell their friends about things that are cool. 6. Incorporate games, or interactive applications in your emails.
17. Preview pane and image blocking. Ensuring it works on mobile devices Email as it came into gmail – images disabled by default!
18. How many of your subscribers are on mobile devices? Ask with opt in at top of email to find out. What does your message look like on these phones?
23. Testing your program Version A’s offer-oriented subject line and benefit-oriented email copy generated 13.9% more ecommerce revenue … despite the fact that Version B had 8.3% more opens and a 14.5% higher click rate. Which just goes to show, you have to measure tests beyond the click.