Email marketing is one of the best forms of digital marketing available today. And, despite what naysayers say, it’s far from dead.
As a result, making it perform at it’s best is one of the most important things you can do.
Fortunately, there are just a few quick actions you can take to make sure you get the most mileage from your email list. And the best part is none of them require any specific technical know-how.
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The Results of Good Email Marketing Are Worth The Time
A good email marketing campaign gives you an edge that no other form of marketing can. When you’ve built a solid list, you have access to your prospects around the clock. 24/7, everyone keeps their mobile device close at hand. They’re just a notification alarm away.
But besides that access, email marketing can give you all sorts of data to make your campaigns more effective. Feedback from open rates, click-through rates, spam complaints, and unsubscribe rates all let you know what’s working and where the system is breaking down. That information helps you target what to change and how to change it.
What do you do to get the most out of it, though? Do you send relentless emails? How about using alternative marketing copy? Is there even an easy way to get your email list to go farther? Yes, there is, and anyone can do it.
It’s Time To Tune Your List Up
With a little patience and a lot of purpose, it can be exceedingly easy and incredibly effective to get your email marketing list in great shape. Use these 8 simple steps and make your list more effective than ever before.
Use some form of double opt-in. You might wonder what that is. Double opt-in is simply a response email that verifies the individual entered an active email address. It sends them an automatic response that requires an action from them in order to keep them on the list.
With a double opt-in system, you verify that the individual who signs up to your email marketing list did so intentionally. As a result, you also identify people who will actually interact with your emails. If they’re willing to opt-in, they’re interested in what you have to offer.
Split That List Up. Segmented email lists, according to MailChimp, segmented emails see a 14.99% increase in clicks on your email’s call to action. That can be a large number of additional actions on even a small list.
Segmentation is where the list is split up by demographics. When you take the time to combine enough similar factors, you can identify common areas of interest that you can use to communicate with that particular list. Remember, if they like what you have to say, they’ll look further.
Customize your email. Look, all marketing is about building your brand. Create a template that feels right for your company. If you do, your emails will both look uniform and create a great feeling about your company.
While you’re at it, make sure the template is responsive. Mobile devices represent a staggering 54% of all email opens according to Litmus Software. Your emails need to meet them there, allowing them to get your communications wherever they are.
Put their name in it. How many emails are in your inbox right now? If you’re normal, just the thought of looking makes you sweat. There are more than you can count. After a while, they all look the same.
“The sweetest sound to anyone’s ears is the sounds of his own name.”
-Robert C. Lee
Robert C. Lee said, “The sweetest sound to anyone’s ears is the sounds of his own name.”. It must be similarly true when they read. Use the recipient’s name in the emails you send them. It may seem like a small thing, but look at how few are in your inbox with your name.
Make faces in your subject line. That smiley face on your phone keyboard is called an emoji, and they seriously help grab attention. You can use them on your computer, too (bet you didn’t know that).
Using a colon, hyphen, and closed parenthesis in order yields this: 🙂 They can also be found on most virtual keyboards (especially if you’re using Windows 10). In an email, they make a more natural, in-touch form of expression that catches attention. You’ll stand out for sure.
Let them know what to do next. Your email should have an action you’d like the reader to take. At least, it should if you want a shot at converting the reader into a lead or client. That’s called a “call-to-action”.
Make sure your email only has one CTA, and that it is crystal clear. The reader isn’t going to take any action if they don’t know what you want them to do. And they certainly don’t have time to read a long email. So try to put the call to action at or near the top. That way, when they file your email in the tl;dr file, they at least might do what you wanted them to first.
Try different times of day and week. People on your list have lives. Sometimes they’re more likely to check emails at specific times of the day or specific days of the week. Sometimes they will check whenever, but can’t immediately take action. Either way, be prepared.
Schedule email sending for different times and find out what works the best for you. If you’re segmenting, this works even better. It’s just one more way to communicate with your email marketing list on their terms.
Clean out that list. It happens all the time. People change email addresses, kill accounts, or sign up with fake ones. Your email marketing list can become unbelievably cluttered with addresses that will turn your sending address’ reputation on its head.
Run your list through a verification software, like hunter.io, to make sure that only valid email addresses exist on it. That will keep your “undeliverable” rate low and stop Google from marking you as spam.
A Little Time For A Big Result
With the potential for huge revenue growth, email marketing is most definitely something you want to do right. With a little time and patience, you can tune that list up to perform its best for you. Once you do, you’ll see exactly the impact it makes.
