So, you’ve been doing this email campaign thing for a while now.

So why is it that you’re not making a fortune from every email you send? – Said every small business owner, ever.

Most businesses see an average CTR of 2-6% on email campaigns, so you can use this as a benchmark for your own performance.

It goes without saying however, that the higher your CTR rate is, the better your exposure and sales potential will be.

Here are some ways to boost your email CTR.

NOTE: The strategies we are about to share with you are focused on increasing your email click through rate. They do not take into consideration the impact of spam filters.

Choose a Single Offer

When you send out an email to your list, it’s incredibly tempting to add in links to a few different products and services.

If your email gets opened then why not cram it full of links to various products to maximise email CTR potential, right?

If only it were that simple…

A recent study by WordStream shows that emails with a single call-to-action increased click through rate by a whopping 371%.

Read the WordStream article here.

By adding multiple offers into one email you dilute the importance of each link.

Of course, you can still include multiple links in your email, just make sure they all point in the same direction! (We’ll be discussing some clever ways to do this later.)

People Want to Be First

People have a natural desire to be first in line. This applies to everything, including products and knowledge.

A perfect example of this is the hoards of people that queue for the latest Apple products. People are competing for the opportunity to become one of the first to get their hands on something.

You can get more clicks just by letting someone know that you have something shiny and new and that they’re getting a first peek at what it is.

It allows you to create a buzz around what you are linking to and getting someone excited about the fact that this is something new, and that they are potentially one of the first people to get their hands on it.

Make It Scarce

This strategy (and the next one) appeals to people’s overwhelming fear of missing out, or as trendy folk would say FOMO.

[bctt tweet=”Scarcity refers to any limitation placed on a product or service with the goal of increasing sales through pressure placed on the consumer.” username=”@neilpatel”]

By simply showing someone that there is a limited quantity available, you are letting them know that they have to act fast!

These are some of the best methods to implement scarcity:

Show a live feed of available quantity.

Show how many people have already purchased.

Showing how many people are interested in purchasing vs. available quantity.

Booking.com use this last method (along with the other two) extremely well.

Make It Urgent

[bctt tweet=”Urgency is giving the sense that time is going to run out.” username=”@ResponseSuite”]

You may have been selling a product or service for quite a long time now. You’ve sent out multiple emails to your list giving them all the tantalising details. But no bite!

All of a sudden, this product or service is only available for another 48 hours, after that it will be gone. You’ll miss out!

Immediately, anyone who has shown even a little interest or fleetingly considered purchasing is now in panic-mode. They will now be more likely to click your link to find out more.

Some of the most effective ways to use urgency in your emails are using deadlines, countdown timers and limited time offers. A really great tool for creating these is NiftyImages.

Use Different Types of Link

Sending an email with a very clear, bold link to click on is fine, however…

… studies show that you can increase your CTR by up to an impressive 25% by including multiple links to the same offer in a single email.

So, how do you include so many links without it looking like a big, cluttered sales pitch?

You’re no longer restricted to using old fashioned text links in your emails. There are a number of snazzy ways to make your links really pop.

Our FREE guide ‘6 Ways to Dress Your Links for Increased Clicks’ is available to download here.

Tell Them What to Do

Being clever with how and where you place your links is important, but there’s nothing wrong with being direct sometimes.

By actually telling someone what you want them to do they are more likely to do it.

It’s important that you don’t make the assumption that people reading your email will know what you want them to do.

If you’re promoting a new podcast – [su_highlight background=”#f88379″ color=”#ffffff”]Click the link to listen now[/su_highlight]

If you’re promoting a new vlog – [su_highlight background=”#f88379″ color=”#ffffff”]Click on the video to watch now[/su_highlight]

If you’re promoting a new article – [su_highlight background=”#f88379″ color=”#ffffff”]Click the button to read now[/su_highlight]

And the list goes on.

Use Benefits to Motivate

People won’t click unless they know what’s in it for them.

Simply adding in some well-placed, eye catching links might not be enough to entice the majority of people to click through.

Telling them exactly what they will be getting if they do, now that should work!

Facebook Business tells us that if you can explain the benefits of your link you are more likely to see an increase in email CTR.

It could be something simple like letting them know they need to click your link in order to watch a full video. Right up to something super tempting like clicking a link to receive a discount or promotion.

Build Trust

If people don’t trust your brand they are unlikely to open your emails, and even more unlikely to click on your links.

Becoming a trusted brand takes time, it’s a slow process which pays off in the end when it comes to increasing your average CTR.

[su_list icon=”icon: check-circle-o”]

• Always deliver great content. People need to know that you will consistently provide useful and engaging emails and links.
• Show them who you are and what you do. Giving people a behind the scenes view is a great way of building trust and letting people know that your brand is genuine.
• Fill the footer. Making sure your email footer is filled with all your company details will let your readers know that you are legitimate and that you aren’t hiding anything.

[/su_list]

Link Placement and Repetition

Where you place your links within the body of your email can make a big difference to your CTR.

If you place your links at the very top of the email it can sometimes look like you are trying too hard to push a sale.

On the other hand, you don't want to place your links too far down in the email. This could cause some people to click away from your email without even getting to where you need them to be.

Adding in extra links might seem cheeky, pushy even. However, most email campaigns which include multiple links see a CTR increase of up to 25% according to an article from Campaign Monitor– so give it a go!

Multiple links allow you the opportunity to spread out throughout your email, using clever positioning.

Curiosity Works A Charm

Sparking the curiosity of a reader is one of the most effective ways to boost your email CTR and see results – fast!

You want to offer the reader a teaser, a taster, a little sample of what’s to come. You want to do it in such a way that they just won’t be able to resist.

• After a crazy long work week, I decided to meet an old friend for lunch. He told me the wildest story about how he grew his business to six figures in just 9 months (without working a 60-hour week)! Click here to find out how he did it.
• I came across the reviews for the brand new must-have business app and I couldn’t believe what they said! Watch my video here to find out why.

It’s simple really – make them curious and then deliver something incredible!

Size Does Matter

What would be the best possible length for an email to maximise click-through rate?

The answer may disappoint you slightly, but there isn’t one! The best way to see an overall increase in email CTR is to mix it up.

The length of your email really depends on what your call-to-action is going to be.

For example, if you have an e-commerce business and you are promoting a 50% off sale it might be better to send out a short and snappy email. One big push towards your call to action.

However, if you have a life coaching business and you are promoting a new online course, you may want to make your email longer.

This way you can explain more about the product. You can educate on the benefits of the product and you can add in multiple types of links.

Think about what it is you want to say, then think about how much text you need to say it effectively.

Hide Ugly Links

If you are using affiliate links or a third-party shopping cart, for example, chances are they will be long and ugly.

Another great way to increase your email CTR is to make your link look more appealing and trustworthy

For example:

ugly.com/876987098u/jhkiuy89797

Becomes…

Yoursite.com/ugly

When someone sees a long URL it can be difficult for them to know their destination and will be less inclined to click.

There are several ‘link cloaking tools’ available, here at Response Suite we use a WordPress plugin in called Pretty Links.

With Pretty Links you have a huge range of custom options to play around with and create your own cloaking links. You can also choose to go Pro or stick with the Lite account to suit your needs.

We’d love to discuss your own tried and tested tips for increasing email CTR.

Just pop them in the comments section below for us to see…