Email marketing has been around since the dawn of the internet. Despite the rise of social media and other digital marketing channels, it’s still relevant. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Whether we like it or not, a good email marketing strategy still makes companies stand out, along with capturing your client’s and candidate’s attention.
Buckle up and get ready to elevate your email marketing game. We’ll explore how you can leverage email marketing to improve your business and build lasting relationships with your clients and candidates.
Are Your Emails Falling Flat? Here’s How to Fix Them
It’s time to ditch those outdated, boring emails and start crafting messages that truly resonate with your clients and candidates. After all, you don’t want to send out emails you prepared for an hour only to end up in the trash folder.
1. Focus on the benefits and not the features.
Imagine you’re talking to a potential client pulling their hair out, trying to find the perfect candidate for their open position. The last thing they’ll care about is your fancy staffing software or your team’s extensive recruiting experience.
They just want to know how you can make their lives easier. Instead of droning about your features, focus on the benefits. Tell them how you can help them save time and increase productivity by finding the perfect candidate.
Put yourself in your clients’ and candidates’ shoes and think about how you can improve or solve their dilemmas. Make them feel extra lucky by showcasing the benefits they’ll receive.
2. Tell a story or case study.
People love a good story. Leverage that by sharing a success story or case study that proudly showcases your organization’s success.
Most organizations have this, and you could tell the story about your client who struggled to find suitable candidates until they met you. Highlight specific ways your team helped and how you want to provide the same level of service to other clients, too—probably even more!
This way, you can show other potential clients the value of your offers.
3. Use strong subject lines.
Subject lines are a lot like first impressions. They’re also the first thing people see when they receive your email. You better make them count if you want them to open your email.
Use humor or tease the content of the email to pique their interest. Why not use a subject line like:
- Need a superhero for your team?
- Get onboard a ROCKING ship!
- Are you exhausted from sifting through mountains of resumes? We’ve got you covered.
- Ready to find the next superstar?
To catch the attention of hiring managers, you have to add more color to your message. After all, who says staffing emails can’t be creative?
4. Get visual.
Plain text emails can be a snooze-fest. That’s why it’s time to bring on the visuals. Images and graphics liven up your emails and make them more engaging.
But don’t just throw in any old stock photo or clipart. Ensure they’re relevant to your content and reinforce your message.
If you’re promoting a job opening for a graphic designer, why not include some examples of their work to add excitement to the opportunity? Remember these things:
- Incorporate white space in your graphics. There’s no need to fill every area.
- Use a clear hierarchy of information.
- Guide the reader’s eyes to the vital information by using images and graphics strategically.
5. Make it mobile-friendly.
Almost everyone has a mobile phone these days.1 You have to make your emails mobile-friendly. Otherwise, you might lose a lot of opportunities.
That’s why you need to ensure your messages look good and are easy to navigate on a small screen. All you need to do is use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.
Also, you might want to check if your text and buttons are large enough to be clicked with a thumb—you don’t want your candidates getting carpal tunnel just from trying to read your job postings.
6. Keep it short and sweet.
No one’s got the time or patience to read a novel-long email.
Keep your content short and sweet by using bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs to break up your text. This makes it easier for readers to scan and digest the most essential information.
Always remember to have a clear purpose and call to action in your email. Don’t leave your audience scratching their heads, wondering what to do next. Keep it snappy and effective!
7. Personalize it.
Personalize it to connect with your audience on a deeper level!
Staffing firm Adecco knew this all too well.2 They took a page out of the playbook and segmented their email engagement program based on customer personas, tailoring each message with the right content to make their readers feel seen and heard.
They even got creative with their budget by reusing old content and strategically placing it in engagement programs. The result? A whopping 116% increase in opportunities created from marketing-generated leads.
8. Divide and conquer.
It involves dividing your email list into smaller groups based on demographics or behavior. It allows you to send highly targeted messages that speak directly of their needs.
For example, a staffing firm could segment its email list by industry, sending targeted emails to candidates and clients in each industry. It leads to higher engagement rates and better lead generation.
9. Conduct A/B testing.
You can do this by sending two versions of an email to a small portion of your list to determine which version performs better.
Experiment with subject lines, copy, and call to action to optimize your email campaigns and get the best results.
Don’t Let Your Efforts Go to Waste – Measure Your Success
If you’ve already tried to make it stick, make sure it does “stick.” Measure the effectiveness of your campaigns to see what’s resonating with your audience and what needs to be improved.
1. Open Rates
It tells you the percentage of people who opened your email out of the total number of recipients. Pay attention to open rates because if your email isn’t getting opened, your efforts are for nothing.
Make sure your subject lines are attention-grabbing and relevant to the recipient. For example, if you’re sending an email about a job opening for a nurse, you could use a subject line like “Calling all RNs! New job opportunity inside!”
2. Click-Through Rates
This metric is like a personal trainer that tells you how many people clicked on the links in your email. This indicates your email’s content was compelling enough to motivate recipients to take action.
Want better click-through rates? Keep your email content concise and engaging and your call-to-action (CTA) clear and visible. Say you’re promoting a webinar for job seekers; your CTA could say, “Register now for our exclusive job search webinar!”
3. Conversion Rates
Consider conversion rates as the goal of your email marketing campaign because they indicate that recipients found your offer valuable enough to take action.
If your conversion rates aren’t looking too hot, revisit your offer. See if it’s relevant and valuable to your target audience. While you’re at it, check if your website is optimized for conversions.
If you’re promoting a staffing agency’s services, your landing page could offer a free consultation with a staffing expert in exchange for filling out a form.
Staffing Success: Why Email Marketing is Your Secret Weapon
With email marketing, you can personally connect with clients and candidates, speaking to their unique interests and needs. It’s like having a one-on-one conversation but without the awkward small talk.
Consistent email marketing keeps your agency’s name top of mind, so when clients and candidates need staffing help, they know exactly who to call—and it’s not Ghostbusters.
Start wielding your email marketing magic and watch your staffing success skyrocket!
REVAMP YOUR EMAIL MARKETING WITH ALLIED INSIGHT
If you’re struggling to create kick-ass email marketing content for your staffing firm, Allied Insight’s here to help you.
We can provide you with the right strategies and support you need to launch your email marketing campaign to fruition. Contact us today to learn more!
References:
- “Mobile Fact Sheet”, Pew Research Center, Apr. 7, 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
- Eckerle, Courtney. “B2B Marketing: How a staffing firm used content to wake up more than 90,000 “Sleeping Beauty” leads”, marketingsherpa, May 3, 2017, https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/adecco
