Email marketing is a simple and inexpensive way to speak to your client base. However simply having a list of interested contacts does not guarantee you a successful email marketing campaign. Here are 10 tips to make your email campaign more successful.
1. Grow your list
Your list will fluctuate by 25-30% each year. Most of this is attributed to unsubscribes and new email accounts. You want to make sure your list grows at least as much as it decreases. Find out what pages on your website are most visited and put a field on them to newsletter sign-ups. Engage through social media outlets and offer sign up opportunities frequently. Asking people to double opt-in may grow your list more slowly but it will ensure that you are getting addresses who are extremely interested in what you are offering.
2. Clean up your list
Sending to addresses that will bounce is a waste of money. Do an overhaul of your list every 6 months to ensure you are sending to good addresses. Look at who on your list is opening your emails. If they haven't been opened re-evaluate how you can better connect with those people. Give them content they will want to open.
3. Minimize Opt-outs
By managing expectations and giving options you can keep contacts happy. When someone opts into your email list give them an idea of how often they'll hear from you and what you'll be sharing with them. Consider offering a preference section where they can set their own guidelines. Such as only receiving one email a month rather than weekly.
4. Divide your list to increase relevance
If a large group of your list is Chicago based while the rest are in the Boston area consider sending two different emails to these groups. Give each group information tailored to their area. You can do the same with retail locations vs. home improvement companies. Speaking directly to these specific groups will make your emails more successful.
5. Design for the inbox
Put your company name in the 'From' field rather than your email address. This will help you be quickly recognized by the recipient and free up space in your subject line which needs to be under 50 characters.
6. Test your message
Make sure you know how your email will look in every major email browser. Using fewer images will ensure that your message is received even in emails that don't automatically load images such as gmail. Lyris HQ includes a tool that does all of this for you.
7. Don't forget mobile devices
1 in 10 consumers only read email on their mobile device. Design emails for a small screen or consider including a link to click on if you are viewing on a mobile device. You can also offer contacts the option of communicating with you via text message.
8. Manage your sender reputation
Make sure that everything you're sending works. Links, photos etc. This will help keep you out of spam folders.
9. Follow laws and email etiquette
Follow federal spam laws (www.ftc.gov) and check for state and country laws where you are sending emails and make sure your emails include your privacy policy. Double opt-ins are a good practice although not a law. Your list may grow slower with double opt-in but you'll ensure that the names you get really want your information and are likely to stick around longer.
10. Test deliverability
Test your message against spam filters. Make sure you do not have "spammy content" such as unnecessary punctuation ***FREE*** You can use the word free but do not capitalize it. Keep it understated.
These simple steps can make a big difference in the success of your email marketing and help grow and maintain a quality list.
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