Email Marketing Dos and Don’ts

With the large quantity of emails you receive, you might think that email marketing would slowly be disappearing from the list of today’s marketing tactics, but that is not the truth. To keep up with technology, current trends and interests of the consumer, here are some updates to what you may have previously practiced.

What you SHOULD do to create effective emails…

1. Optimize your emails for mobile: Some people only access their email through a mobile device so this is important for your tech savvy subscribers.

2. The subject line is crucial. Think of it as a headline in a newspaper or magazine. Keep it short and simple—you want to grab your reader’s attention and interest instant.

3. Personalize. Try to be as specific as possible in your headline or in the text of your actual email perhaps using either the recipient’s name, the city they’re from, addressing their needs, etc. It’s a more personal experience and lets people know that you went the extra mile in creating something just for them.

4. Create a clear call-to-action: Make sure you only have one; too many will overwhelm and confuse the reader. And whatever call-to-action you decide to go with, make that button rather large and easy to find, and also easy to press on a mobile device.

5.After you have successfully designed, created, edited, proofread and sent out your magnificent email, do not forget to track and analyze its results! See what your open rate, click through rate and unsubs are, then compare the metrics from previous email campaigns, and see what can be improved upon.

What you should NOT do…

1. Bombard your customers with the same, boring and mundane messaging. This is sure to get more people to click that unsubscribe button. Quality supersedes quantity. Get your message across in one solid email rather than 5 separate and repetitive emails.

2. Crowd your emails with a ton of links. Too many links become un-clickable, not only on mobile, but on a desktop as well.

3. Put all of your messaging in one giant image. The settings on your phone or desktop computer may automatically block images from certain senders. So if all your copy is in that one image, some people may not even see it.

4. Buy an email list that is not double verified. Ask the seller of the list; Are they verified? Where were they compiled from? And am I taking title or are you having a third party send the email? People do not particularly like it when they receive unsolicited emails and may unsubscribe or report it as spam. It may take a little longer, but take your time when purchasing a list.

Although there are many more dos and don’ts when it comes to email marketing, these are the most important ones that you should start applying today.