In 2019 there were 3.9 billion email users throughout the globe, and that number is expected to grow to 4.3 billion in 2023. With half of the international population expected to have an email account in less than five years, email marketing is an integral aspect to any digital marketing plan.
Here are some of the guidelines and best practices to follow to help ensure the success of your email marketing strategy.
Choosing an Email Marketing Platform
There are countless email marketing platforms out there; each one claiming to be the best. It’s important to choose an email marketing platform tailored to the specific needs of your business. Some of them are suited to businesses that already have a list of 1000-plus email subscribers, while others cater to those trying to get their first opt in click. Almost all email marketing platforms offer a free trial period; take advantage of that. We recommend trying out as many as it takes to find one that’s a good fit. You can save money by paying for a yearly subscription upfront as opposed to being billed monthly; so, it’s worth the time and effort it takes to choose an email marketing platform you’ll stick with.
How Do I Get Email Subscribers?
Building an organic list of email subscribers within your target market isn’t an easy task, but when done correctly the payoff can be significant. The potential ROI of reaching 10 people with genuine interest in your product is significantly greater compared to emailing 1,000 people who are just going to click “delete”.
Adding a signup form to your website is a good start. Email marketing platforms make this easy by providing customizable templates you can copy and paste onto a webpage. You may have the option to feature an email subscription popup; however, if you do this be sure to configure it in a way that won’t annoy website visitors and increase your bounce rate. Including an enticing call to action (CTA) can increase the likelihood of a user clicking subscribe; for instance, if you have an eCommerce website your CTA could be something akin to “Sign Up to Receive 5% Off Your First Order!”.
If you have a brick and mortar storefront, consider asking people to sign up when they checkout.
The Welcome Email
Before adding a signup form to your website, don’t forget to create a welcome email. Welcome emails automatically get sent to subscribers as soon as they submit their information. And with an average open rate of 82%, the welcome email has a higher chance of being read than any of the future emails. We strongly recommend going above and beyond the generic “thank you for signing up!” and including content that will maximize ROI.
Personalization
It’s a good idea to include or even require users to fill out a “first name” input field when signing up for your email list. This enables you to create personalized emails much more likely to be read by recipients. Subject lines that include the subscriber’s first name have average open rates 50% higher than impersonal subject lines.
Be Active, Not Annoying
Your subscribers signed up to receive your emails because they want to hear from you, but probably not every day. So, how often should you send them? There are a variety of factors to consider including your industry and the demographics of your subscribers; however, there is no magic number. One to two emails per month is probably a safe bet. You may want to consider sending them out on special occasions such as sales events or holidays.
Play by the Rules
In order to keep email marketing methods in check and deter spam, Congress enacted the CAN-SPAM Act in 2003. Regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), this law essentially sets the rules for commercial emails and gives recipients the right to have you stop emailing them. This is why it’s essential to include an “unsubscribe” link within the footer of your emails. Users unsubscribing from your email list is an inevitability that should be taken in stride. Having your emails marked as spam is what you should really aim to avoid; if enough recipients report you for spam, your domain can become blacklisted which negatively affects your email deliverability and potentially your SEO.
Track & Use Your Results
Any decent email marketing platform includes a way to track the results of your email marketing campaigns. You’ll be able to see your open rates, click rates, and other valuable data. Use these analytics to learn what works and what doesn’t so that your future email blasts have a better chance at meeting or beating your expectations.
The email marketing experts at Electric Bricks are here to help whether your business is looking to build a list of engaged subscribers or attempting to maximize ROI with successfully executed email campaigns. Contact us today for a free consultation.