Email is still king when it comes to B2B marketing communications. In fact, 93 percent of B2B marketers use email to distribute content. So ask yourself, do your marketing and sales emails stand out in their recipients’ inboxes? While we’ve discussed best practices in email marketing, methods to boost engagement and even detailed the best ways to stay out of the dreaded spam folder, we haven’t covered an often overlooked, yet important, aspect of a marketing or sales email: the closing.
Why Does Your Last Line Matter?
With so many other elements such as subject line, sender name, introduction and body, you may be wondering, “does the last line of an email really matter?” Of course! Studies have shown that most people scan their emails rather than read them thoroughly. Often, readers will look at the first line, scan the body and any graphics and end on the last sentence. Since the closing is the final place for their eyes, the right ending can mean the difference between another scanned email versus one that receives a response.
The Best Response Rates
To maximize the effectiveness of your emails, consider the following best practices:
- End with “thanks.”
The email experts at Boomerang conducted a study testing the results of 300,000 emails. They discovered the following three closings provided top response rates:
- “Thanks in advance” (65.7%)
- “Thanks” (63.0%)
- “Thank you” (57.9%)
Clearly, there’s something to be said for gratitude. Email recipients are most likely to respond to emails when the sender has expressed gratefulness for their attention and their requested response. After all, it’s a professional courtesy and subliminally indicates your team is interested in becoming a trusted business partner.
- Provide a call to action (CTA).
We love calls to action. They help inform readers about what to do and where to go next. A good CTA even informs the user why the next step matters and the potential benefit they will experience. Consider these CTAs to enhance your outreach results:
- An invitation to visit your website.
- Schedule a call with a representative.
- An educational download.
And don’t forget to use a graphic. Consider that button-shaped CTAs created a 45-percent boost in clicks for CreateDebate, while SAP found that orange CTAs boosted their conversion rate by more than 32.5 percent.
- Give readers a way to connect.
You’re already contacting the recipient via email, but providing a reader with exactly how to connect is important. It’s worth letting the reader know if they can simply respond to the email since many marketing emails are from automated “no-reply” addresses. Provide the best contact name, title and email address if your email comes from an automated space.
Alternate ways to connect are important too. With so many emails per day (the average email user receives about 121 daily), your marketing or sales email may not make the cut on the “respond to” list. By giving the recipient alternative ways to connect, such as LinkedIn, Twitter or signing up for your company newsletter, you give them the option to engage, even if they’re not yet ready to start a conversation.
Of course, if your prospect is ready to start talking, it’s great to let them know how exactly to do so. Provide your phone number(s), extension, Zoom profile or a link to your calendar to schedule a time to talk.
Email Smarter
More than half of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel for generating revenue. But how you craft your email makes the difference between “effective” and “ignored.” Ensure your emails have a meaningful purpose, encourage the reader to engage or start a conversation and provide readers with clear next steps. Don’t forget to express gratitude, and you’ll find your email response rate and lead generation efforts grow.
