Size does matter. At least with email marketing it does! Email response rates are typically between 3.5% to 10% and the length of your emails could be impacting your overall response rates. Studies show that your response rate goes up, when the length of your email message goes down. The longer your message, the lower your response rate. In other words, shorter emails are opened 50% more often than their longer counterparts so if you can get to the point faster and more concise you should see an increase
Reading Your Emails
Most people spend 15-20 seconds on each email opened. In that time, they decide whether to pay attention to the email or just delete it. That’s not a lot of time to strut your stuff! You want your email’s message to be reviewed and considered. As such, keeping your email message short enough that it can be read and understood within that timeframe is crucial to making sure your message is understood.
Continuing the Conversation
Longer emails do not only make it less likely that your customers will read your email, it also makes it less likely that they will tolerate receiving emails from your salon in the future. Just as you are starved for time, they have to make choices every day where they will prioritize their time and you need to ensure that you won’t be wasting it with too much unnecessary email verbiage.
Frequency
If you put everything you’ve got into one email, it reduces the number of things you have to talk about that are exciting. Break things off into bite size chunks that are all equally exciting and compelling, and send those emails when they are relevant to your clients. For example, if you send an email announcing a promotion you are doing at the salon, don’t also include a paragraph about the rebooking their next appointment. That last paragraph only applies to a certain amount of people that are due for their appointment and is just fluff to the rest. That’s annoying as it seems more like a blanket email and less like a personal invite. Instead, send out the promotional email without that paragraph and then create an email program that reminds clients without future appointments when they are due for their next visit.
Exceptions to the Rule
Just because it’s been proven that having a short, concise message has the greatest chance of having a high response rate doesn’t mean that’s the only consideration. Don’t start breaking your email newsletter up into tiny paragraphs and sending an email every other day – that’s annoying as well. Find your balance between frequency and content so that you are delivering the most value to your clients.
There is no perfect length. Shorter is better, but the research also showed that customers are more likely to read email marketing messages for a number of reasons including a history of online shopping or having a higher level of disposable income. However, when you are trying to reach the most people, and create an efficient email program, doing all you can to improve the chances that your email is read should be your top priority – not relying on chance.
Author Bio: Valorie Reavis
Social Marketer, foodie, closet geekA marketing professional who has focused primarily on the hair and beauty business for of the past decade, Valorie now runs linkup marketing, a digital marketing agency for the hair and beauty professional. Valorie works to engage clients in the marketing process and help them successfully engage with their clients and community. Energetic and passionate about the industry, Valorie focuses on blending traditional and digital media in order to bring salons closer to their clients.
