You've got mail.
Email marketing tips and trends
Do you remember life before we had email access in the palm of our hands (or attached to our wrists)? Before email was a part of daily life? It probably used to be more exciting when we’d log on to our desktops, fire up the dial-up, and check our AOL a couple of times a week (or a month!) - mostly when we were expecting something, similar to how we check the front porch when we’re expecting a package.
I barely remember those days. My marketing career started in the early 2000s - and email marketing has been a part of almost every role I’ve had over the past 20 years.
Today there are four billion daily email users - this number is expected to climb to 4.6 billion by 2025.
For better or worse, we’re almost always dialed in these days. The yogi in me is an advocate for taking digital breaks (and I do take breaks from social media, email, and my phone regularly). The marketer in me still believes in email marketing as an impactful channel for connecting with the people who matter to your business.
Below are some of my favorite email marketing mechanics.
Make your email marketing easier
Since email marketing is not new, the software available today is mature (aka reliable and mostly easy to use). My favorites are still MailChimp and HubSpot - both have free subscriptions (up to a point). FloDesk is another email tool I've tried recently that is great for those with an eye for design.
Using email software makes it easier to schedule emails in advance and create templates that can be saved/reused. Software like MailChimp or HubSpot also allows you to incorporate personalization in your email marketing - literally with personalized fields but also by creating email list segments based on different criteria (different categories of customers or prospects) so you can be more targeted in your outreach.
Two other perks of using email marketing software are being able to track performance (how many people open, click, etc.) and being able to easily create sign-up forms that can be embedded or integrated into your website.
Other great email tools out there that can make life easier:
Using the best email send times
Subject line generator - the subject line is probably the most important part of your email
Make your emails about them (your audience)
Offer helpful content and useful offers
Use personalization (their name, other relevant personalization, send in their time zone)
Send at the right cadence for your audience, and keep it consistent (at least once a month)
Reward your subscribers with things like exclusive offers, first access
Make emails for humans
Email is both a great connector and disconnector. We’ve all had meetings that could have been email - and we’ve also all received the email that should have never been sent.
Whether sending a 1-1 email or a mass email campaign, it’s easy to get lost not only behind technology but also internal strategies and sales goals. Remember to keep it human and write to other humans. Use humor, make it fun, make it meaningful.
Make it non-spammy
Avoid using the word “Free” and other spam words
Make sure the domain you are using to send email is configured correctly and verified
Only send to people who are opted in and expecting to hear from you
Make it easy to opt out (in one click)
Use a list cleanse service to remove old, invalid email addresses a few times a year
Make it measurable
Track analytics (like your open rate, click rate, etc.) and measure against your industry benchmarks
Track engagement. Are people taking action from your emails (visiting your website, responding, signing up for events, or purchasing products)?
Thank you for reading Marketing Mechanics. If you have any questions about email marketing - or marketing in general - reach out to me today!