Creating Emails People Want To Open

With the introduction of smartphones and other wireless devices into the mainstream market, an increasing number of consumers are sending marketing emails straight to their junk email boxes.  This is no surprise—especially in consideration of how bombarded people are with advertisements and marketing through everything from their televisions to their cell phones.  

That’s why email marketing is all too often a hit-or-miss kind of scenario, where your email has a big chance of not being read.  While email marketing is an inexpensive way to meet your present and future customers, it’s the type of marketing that needs to adjust to the customers’ needs and wants if it is to be effective in its purpose.

So how do you create emails that you know people will want to open?  The answer is simple: the email needs to add value to their lives.  There are several ways you can do this:

1. Attach incentives to your emails, such as coupons or discounts. 

If customers know that most of the emails they receive from you are beneficial to their wallet, then they’ll be less inclined to shuffle your emails into their junk mailbox.  You can also use emails to announce weekly specials or remind customers of “Two for One night” or something similar.  

2. Make your emails educational by sharing your expertise.

This is a big one—what is one of the main reasons people get online in the first place?  If you answered for information, then you’re correct.  People use the internet to research, find out information, read news articles, stay up-to-date on their favorite activities, and keep up with trends that are important to them.  When you include important information in your emails that is relevant to your clients, your emails will then add value to their lives through the information you provide.  Share cooking secrets or recipes, discuss important trends in menus, talk about health benefits of certain foods on your menu, and show your expertise in what you do.  It will build brand image for your restaurant and build your customer base in the process.