10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL ......10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2 EMAIL MARKETING...
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10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Transcript of 10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL ......10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2 EMAIL MARKETING...
10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL
MARKETING CAMPAIGN
10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
LASTING RELATIONSHIPS. TRUST. LOYALTY.
These are all elements that a successful email marketing campaign can help you build with your audience. Email marketing is an immediate mode of communication, cost-effective, and as wide-reaching or targeted as you need it to be.
Whether you’re just beginning your email marketing journey or have years of experience under your belt, SGA’s top 10 best practices for a successful email marketing campaign is a helpful resource to make sure you’re getting results!
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SUBJECT LINE
A subject line that clearly shows what the reader can expect to see inside the email will increase the likelihood of the email bypassing spam filters.
Trust is also lost if a gimmicky headline does not live up to the content that is being presented in the email. If there is a choice between cute and clever, and clear and concise, always go with clear and concise. You can always A/B TEST different headlines to gauge what your audience reacts best with.
IN AN A/B TEST you set up two variations of the one campaign and send them to a small percentage of your total recipients. Half of the test group is sent Version A, while the other half receives Version B. The result, measured by the most opens or clicks, determines the winning version, which is then sent to the remaining subscribers. This is a quick and easy way to ensure your subject line is a winner.
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PREVIEW TEXT
Don’t forget about this short snippet of content that usually displays right after the subject line. The preview text is an additional piece of real estate available to encourage (or entice) the reader to open the email.
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DESIGN & LAYOUT
If you don’t take your email design seriously, then neither will your subscribers. Some obvious (but good-to-reiterate) pointers:
• Always double-triple-quadruple check for spelling and formatting mistakes
• Break up paragraphs and use bullet points/numbering so your readers’ eyes don’t tire
• Use legible and larger fonts (14-16pt)
Less obvious tips?
IMAGES are a great addition to emails to add visual stimulation, but be careful to not go overboard. When using images, use them sparingly and thoughtfully and remember to include descriptive ALT TAGS for email subscribers that disable images in their email browser.
SIZE MATTERS. Keep your email width to about 600px to make sure it’s seen in its entirety, no matter the device it’s being read on.
LINKS inside the body of the email to more information are great. Avoid including attachments because using them will flag spam warnings, which increase the likelihood of your email never being seen at all.
The most important point to remember?
YOUR EMAIL DESIGN should reflect your brand. Consistency with style, color palette, and overall design should follow your brand standard to make sure readers instantly recognize your email before reading any of the content.
10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
AN ALT TAG simply means alternative text displayed with an image. Think of it as the backup text that provides some context about what your image is because some people have images blocked or turned off by default, which is exemplified on the right-hand side. Another important reason alt text is used regards visually impaired subscribers that may use a screen reader to get a description of images in an email.
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PERSONALIZATION
One of the best ways to personalize an email is to segment your email list. Are they a dog owner? Do they have children? Where do they live?
Subscribers don’t want to know (or have to think about the fact) that they are being marketed to. Make your emails as personal as you can to ensure this. Try to understand your subscribers and who they are, then make your emails about them. When you segment an email list with information about the email subscriber, you have the opportunity to personalize the content to their specific interest or location. Personalized and relevant emails get an average of 14% MORE CLICKS versus mass emails without segmentation.
Remember, the email should be the start of a conversation with your subscribers that potentially leads to a long-lasting relationship.
And NEVER send emails from a “no-reply” email address. This sends the exact opposite impression of a personalized, caring message.
opinions
values
behaviors
interests
attitudes
activities
10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
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TIMING
You don’t want to bombard your subscribers with emails, but you don’t want them to think you’ve forgotten them either! You may want to start with only 1 or 2 emails a month. Keep your email timing as consistent as possible. You may also want to consider the day and time you send out your emails. While studies vary significantly when it comes to the best time to send an email, the tried-and-true strategy is to send out email blasts in the middle of the week (Tuesday through Thursday) and in the middle of the day. Generally, somewhere between 1pm – 3pm is what works best for email marketing (although some also suggest mornings between 9am-11am). The key will be to test these time variables and compare your open rates to see which best suits your audience.
PRO TIP: When testing variables for your email campaigns, limit experimentation to one variable at a time while keeping other variables the same. For example, if you’d like to compare different send times, keep the send day the same. While this may be a slower testing process, it will yield better results.
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THINKING OUTSIDE THE DESKTOP COMPUTER
Our lives have become mobile, so your email marketing campaign should too! With OVER 55% OF PEOPLE CHECKING THEIR EMAIL ON THEIR SMARTPHONE OR TABLET DEVICES, your templates need to be mobile-friendly and be responsive to different screen sizes. Since people are using their hands and not a mouse to access
links, buttons should be thumb-friendly and large enough to make it easy to click on a mobile device. Most email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp or Constant Contact have mobile-friendly templates available for you to work with. They also provide custom template design services (for an additional cost, of course).
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ONE CALL-TO-ACTION
A call-to-action (CTA) is an easy way for you to encourage your subscribers to dive deeper into your brand. The CTA can be the centerpiece of your email as it encourages your readers to interact with your content. It tells your reader where to look and what to do next. Make sure to stick to one straightforward CTA per email. You don’t want to ask for too much up front, as that can scare subscribers away.
Here are examples of some creative and interesting CTAs:
• See What’s Next• Join Millions of Others• Reserve Your Spot• Learn More• Don’t Miss Out, We’re Just a Phone Call Away• Talk To Us
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GDPR COMPLIANT
As a relatively new policy, it is important to make sure that you are aware of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that rolled out in May 2018 and may require compliance from your organization. GDPR means that subscribers will have to explicitly opt-in to receive your emails and explicitly consent to have their personal information made available to you. Although this law is specifically for European Union (EU) citizens
at the moment, being in compliance with GDPR regardless of location means being proactive with handling your subscribers’ information. Even if you are not an international organization, there is still a chance that you can have an EU subscriber on your list, making you responsible for being GDPR-compliant. For your own peace of mind and to respect the privacy of your subscribers, become GDPR-compliant!
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MISTAKES HAPPEN.
Even the biggest companies make e-mail marketing mistakes. Realize that mistakes are learning opportunities and don’t be too hard on yourself if a mistake happens. Before sending out another email apologizing to the same list and potentially annoying your subscribers about mixed-up links or misspelled words, think it through. Was the mistake made around your primary call-to-action? Or was it a small spelling mistake on the very end of the email? If the mistake was critical to your marketing efforts, then a quick follow-up email with the fixed link or content is all that is needed. If it was a minor mistake, it’s best not to bring attention to it and let it pass.
oops!
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TEST, TEST, TEST
The ultimate e-mail marketing best practice is to remain nimble and open to changes in the digital marketing landscape. E-mail marketing trends shift constantly and a year from now, the list above could become irrelevant. Make sure to always stay in the loop of any new e-mail
marketing changes from your primary email service provider. Whenever new changes are implemented, make sure to A/B test constantly to always stay consistent and match your content with what your audience expects.
10 BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
NEED MORE HELP?
SGA Marketing creates, manages, and executes various email campaigns for our clients across California. If you need help crafting the perfect message and creating a strategic email campaign, or simply have questions regarding the content you’ve read here, please contact us today.
Phone: 562.597.0205
