Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to increase brand awareness. It is the backbone of any serious marketing campaign. Despite this, most business owners and marketing teams struggle to keep up with the ever-changing email marketing landscape.
They struggle to achieve high conversion rates due to a variety of flaws in their overall strategy. Creating an effective marketing campaign necessitates paying attention to the details. Given the maturity of email marketing today, we know which methods to use and which to avoid.
This article will go over email marketing do’s and don’ts to help you improve your growth and save time. Let’s start with the dos and then move on to the important don’ts.
Do’s of Email Marketing
There are numerous healthy practises to implement in your email marketing strategy. Some will help you make a better first impression, while others will help you increase productivity and introduce automation. Here’s what you should include in your email marketing strategy.
1. Everything Starts With The Subject Line
In a crowded inbox, the subject line is the first thing that potential customers will notice. The first impression is crucial, and it should be treated as such.
More specifically, 64% of all email users will decide whether or not to open an email based solely on the subject line. It’s a decision made in a fraction of a second. At this stage, it is critical to capture people’s short attention span.
Make sure your subject lines are interesting. Make an interesting promise to your prospects and pique their curiosity. A great subject line conveys value while also establishing trust.
The suggestion that the recipient has a limited amount of time to act creates a sense of urgency. Use powerful words to pique the reader’s interest. But don’t overdo it. Excessive use may land you in the spam box.
2. Automation Is Your Best Friend
Marketing trends are shaped by customer needs. Automation has had the greatest impact on the marketing industry as a whole.
Of course, in order to get the most out of it, you’ll need to first build your email list. Collect emails through your website, social media, or other platforms, and make sure to encourage sign-ups at every step of the way. Include gifts or free content in exchange to add value to your exchange.
You can communicate with thousands of people at the same time with automation software.
After segmenting your audience, you can send different emails to different groups on your email list. The best part is that you can set up auto-responders and email sending schedules. Because your email is automated, this helps to streamline many other marketing processes.
3. Send Pure Text Emails
Email is considered a one-on-one conversation. As a result, the plain text conveys a personal and natural touch. Sophisticated visual elements may appear appealing, but they lack a natural approach.
Avoid structuring your email as a single long commercial. Nobody wants a giant flashing billboard in their inbox.
There are many beautiful image-based templates for building your emails, but they are vastly outperformed by pure and straightforward text emails. A/B testing has revealed that these types of emails have significantly higher click-through rates.
Some uses of imagery are unavoidable, such as sending sensitive image content such as passports, bank statements, and invoices. Fortunately, thanks to advancements in OCR API technology, these tasks are safer and less time-consuming.
4. Optimize Emails For Mobile Platforms
It’s easy to overlook the fact that in this day and age, mobile phones account for 60% of email communication. That is why it is one of the most important email marketing dos and don’ts you should review.
Users are less likely to follow through if emails are poorly optimised. As a result, a well-structured and powerful mobile experience is critical.
Single-column layouts are preferable. It makes no difference how much time or effort you put into creating two columns, or how good they look; they will always be displayed as one on a small screen.
The same can be said about using a call to action. Always place it near the top of the text. Instead of a text link, choose an easily tappable button. That way, it’s easy to see, and your recipient won’t accidentally click it.
5. Keep Your Emails Brief
Make everything as long as it needs to be. People are constantly bombarded with long walls of text, and their overflowing inboxes and limited reading time do not help.
Maintain your focus on your agenda and the topic at hand at all times. Don’t overcrowd your emails with irrelevant information. Edit your emails to be as brief as possible while still including important information.
If your emails are brief and to the point, they appear to be small talk with a long-lost friend. This kind of attitude toward potential customers will make them feel more at ease, giving you a better chance of forming a successful business relationship.
6. Time Your Emails
You can’t expect people to open your emails every time you send them. The majority of them have daily routines and a schedule that they adhere to. On top of that, they become sluggish. Everyone does.
If your email is at the bottom of their inbox, they are unlikely to open it. According to research, 20% of emails sent are opened within an hour.
Take note of the time it takes your leads to respond to you. That’s exactly when you’ll want to send your email. Rather than sending emails at your leisure, try sticking to that timeframe. This ensures that your emails are among the first ones received by your recipient on that particular day.
Furthermore, we can see that the best days to send emails are most likely Tuesday and Wednesday.
7. Choose The Best Email Sender Name
Remember the subject line? The second thing your recipient will notice is the name attached to it. In some cases, it may even be the first thing they notice. It is very important in how your email is perceived by your recipient.
Receiving an email from a faceless brand will influence customers’ decisions. Because it is the most common practise, you should always try to use your company name as the sender name.
If your brand is still relatively unknown, but you, as the company’s CEO, are influential in other business spheres, use your name.
Finally, if you offer a specific service, your email should include a hint about it, such as Wise invoice or City Bank billing.
8. Include Statistics And Numbers
An intriguing statistic can pique your customer’s interest or persuade them to click a specific link.
Words can be ambiguous and deceptive at times. Numbers, on the other hand, are unambiguous. It’s a good idea to include an interesting statistic or percentage.
Some businesses use inaccurate information, which may provide your customer with a sense of confirmation, but at what cost? Yes, you will entice them to proceed and click your CTA, but if they conduct their own research, you will lose all credibility.
Sometimes the numbers are only partial and do not show the entire picture, which can be detrimental to your business.
The bottom line is to use statistics and numbers only if they provide a complete picture.
9. Always Keep Track Of Your Metrics
Make certain that you can visualise your metrics. It is a top priority when selecting the best email marketing tool.
This includes keeping track of the following:
- Email open rates
- New subscribers added to your emailing list
- Their entry point
- Click-through rates
- Unsubscription rate
With this knowledge, you can plan your current and future marketing campaigns much more easily. It becomes a piece of cake to identify potential flaws and bottlenecks in your marketing operation.
10. Do A/B Tests
Split testing, also known as A/B testing, compares the performance of two variables in your email. Businesses that use this method on a regular basis see a 37 percent increase in marketing returns compared to those that do not.
In the context of email marketing, it can mean a variety of things but serves a single purpose: determining what works best for you and your situation.
The subject line is an easy example of this method. By sending two different subject lines, you can collect data that will greatly aid in your conversions. Continuously and frequently test to detect trends and develop strategies for future endeavours.
Other examples of A/B testing include preview text, sender name, length, imagery, and other email elements. Test each one to find the most effective email template.
11. Utilize The Preview Text
Many copywriters devote a significant amount of time to fine-tuning the preview text. In most email clients, it is the second thing people notice after the subject line.
Consider it a place to add more context to your email and support the subject line. If your subject line piqued your interest, the preview text should provide more specific information.
If you’re not sure what your email preview will look like, you should use an email preview tool. Leaving it blank or displaying ambiguous instructions reduces the likelihood of the email being opened and read.
12. Avoid Ending Up In Spam
Spam filters keep suspicious and malware-infected emails out of your customers’ inboxes. It saves time to have them on hand. Despite this, many emails from marketers with good intentions end up in the Spam folder.
Always remind your subscribers to add you to their whitelist. Buying pre-made lists can be difficult in this situation because you don’t have anyone’s permission to send them messages.
Avoid using caps and subject lines that sound like spam. Also, include an unsubscribe link that is easily visible in your emails. Customers despise being added to an email list they do not want to be on.
Don’ts of Email Marketing
Following the advice provided above will keep you on track to developing an effective email marketing strategy. However, there are a number of pitfalls to be aware of.
Preventing mistakes is just as empowering as following best practises, because a single mistake can set you back several steps. Here are some things you should avoid doing in your email marketing efforts:
1. Buy Or Sell An Email List
Buying an email list may appear to be a good idea, but it is simply spam and, in some countries, illegal. If someone did not willingly give you their email address, your emails should not end up in their inboxes.
It’s an unethical way of advertising to people who aren’t interested in your products or services.
Furthermore, it is the quickest way to end up in the spam folder, which you do not want for your brand. Your reputation will begin to deteriorate once your emails begin to appear in users’ spam folders.
If you decide to sell your email list, you are selling the trust that people have placed in your brand. That’s another way to tarnish your brand’s reputation, because some people will notice that your company sold their email to a third party.
2. Forget To Segment Your Audience
Sending one-size-fits-all emails will not result in good email marketing results. To the contrary, you must send personalised emails to your subscribers in order to pique their interest. To achieve the best results, segment your email list.
This ensures that you’re sending emails to people who are interested in what you’re saying.
With a large email pool, you can segment it into various categories—everything from their age and demographic to specific interests. This, in turn, aids you in configuring your software to personalise the content they receive.
There are countless possibilities and methods for segmenting your email list. Among the examples are:
- Demographics
- Website activity
- Engagement rate
- Budget size
- Their status in your funnel
Taking this approach will assist you in writing more effective emails that appeal to the customer with the right message at the right time.
3. Send Emails To Everyone At Once
Your subscribers are most likely spread out around the world. That is yet another reason why segmentation is essential. You can reach out to different groups of subscribers at different times by using automation.
Avoid sending emails all at once because it will have a negative impact on conversion rates. While one receiver may receive their email at 1 PM, another may receive their email at 3 AM.
In the latter case, the outcome would be the same as if you had not sent the email in the first place.
That is why monitoring your analytics is a great way to learn more about your subscribers. It provides you with detailed information, allowing you to send emails that people will open and read.
4. Write Too Long Emails
Keep your message brief. When people open an email, they do not expect to see a wall of text. To keep the reader interested in your message, use short paragraphs broken up by images. It increases the likelihood of them reading the entire email and engaging with it.
For example, if you’re promoting a product, begin by introducing it and stating its purpose. Then, include an image with a link to a landing page. Those who want to learn more about the product can do so on the landing page.
There’s no need to overwhelm the user with unnecessary information. It would only lengthen the email and reduce the likelihood of the user clicking on the image.
5. Add Too Many Links
Every email should include a couple of strong calls to action. Adding too many links, on the other hand, appears spammy. It can also confuse the reader, causing them to close the email and go about their business.
Avoid this by writing a brief message with a clear call to action on what the reader should do.
Make sure the link is visible to desktop and mobile users alike. To draw attention, use a variety of colours. There are a few critical points to remember:
- Check that the link leads to the correct location — If your links lead to a different location, your emails will quickly end up in the spam folder. Deceptive behaviour will have a negative impact on your brand.
- It’s a clear call to action, such as “Click Here” — A clear message will tell the user what they need to do next.
- Font, size, and colour — Make everything about the link easy to notice, click, and tap. The user should be able to tell where the links are in your layout the moment they look at it. Make a pattern that you’ll use for all of your emails. Users will quickly recognise your links in all of your newsletters and other promotional materials as they become accustomed to them.
6. Forget To Add Contact Information
Add your PO box information to make it clear how people can contact you. Failure to do so will reduce your reader’s trust in your brand. They’ll know you’re a legitimate business if you include your address and contact information.
As a result, include a professional signature with all of the contact information. Aside from making a better first impression, some people prefer alternative contact methods and may choose to contact you via phone or social media.
7. Hide The Unsubscribe Button
One of the quickest ways to end up in the spam folder is to omit the unsubscribe button. It is unethical to remove the unsubscribe button from your readers’ emails. Your subscribers have the option to unsubscribe from your email list at any time.
Make it easy to unsubscribe by including an unsubscribe button in every email. It’s a good idea to include it in your standard email layout so it’s always there when you send an email.
Many businesses overlook these don’ts and then wonder why their email marketing strategy isn’t as effective as they would like it to be. Check to see if you’re avoiding all of the email marketing don’ts in order to build a solid foundation for your email marketing efforts.
Conclusion
There are numerous smart email marketing do’s and don’ts that a company should adhere to. However, running an email marketing campaign will teach you the most important lessons. Follow the advice in this article to develop an effective marketing strategy from the start.
However, don’t forget to monitor analytics and learn from your audience’s behaviour. You’ll quickly learn more dos and don’ts of email marketing that are unique to your industry. You can be confident that the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns will improve over time.
