With today’s automation and optimization techniques, email marketing is easier than ever.
Email marketing is one of those areas of marketing you simply can’t (and shouldn’t) avoid, even if the whole ordeal may seem somewhat confusing. As consumers, we know all too well just how annoying the wrong kind of emails from brands can be, and those perspectives can sometimes color our opinions as marketers on how, when, and if we should implement certain email strategies to meet our own email marketing objectives. Additionally, in today’s age of technology, the concept of modern email marketing can feel daunting with all of the buzzwords like “automation,” “hyper-personalization,” and “optimization” floating around.
While all of those are valid concerns and roadblocks, we’re here to let you in on a little secret: with a little bit of practice, preparation, and persistence, your email marketing objectives can become a piece of cake. So let’s dive in and discuss some of the key things to keep in mind when you’re setting out to reach your email marketing goals.
Email Marketing is Worth More Than You Might Think
Thankfully, email marketing is actually easier than ever and more lucrative than ever. Over the last three years, worldwide email marketing revenue has grown roughly $3 billion dollars, jumping from ~$7.5 billion to more than $10 billion, and that number is predicted to continue soaring. That isn’t to say that email marketing makes “easy money” by any means; like any other marketing strategy, there are advantages and disadvantages of email marketing, and successful implementation requires thoughtful consideration.
When we mention that email marketing is “easier than ever,” we’re referring to the onslaught of new(ish) technologies that make seamless optimization and automation easy breezy. The creative components of email marketing, however, still rely heavily on your team’s practice, proof, and brain power. Just as is the case with AI use in content marketing, human involvement and oversight are key. But we’ll get more into these aspects of email marketing in the next section.
First and Foremost, Avoid the Pitfalls
The top of your email marketing objectives list should read “Follow the Rules!” There are both legal requirements and courtesy requirements in place when it comes to email marketing and it’s crucial that you stay up to date with them.
From the legal side of things, you need to consider both the CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) Act and (if any of your email recipients are in Europe) the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law. Under the CAN-SPAM Act, the requirements are sensible and mostly focus on the recipient’s ability to easily opt out of emails and on protecting recipient data/privacy.
From the courtesy side of things, there are a couple of aspects to consider when trying to improve your click-through rates and establish a good relationship with your recipients.
- Sending and signing your emails from a real person, instead of just from your company’s name/general email address, can make a big difference. This courtesy goes hand-in-hand with the personalization that consumers are craving and helps to show the people behind the process at your company.
- Make all links/buttons/CTAs both easy to find and easy to follow. There is something so frustrating about being asked to leave a review or explore products but not being able to quickly find where to do so. When actions are too confusing to take, recipients are more likely to give up on the email altogether.
- Do not resort to buying email addresses to bolster your contact list. Not only can doing so violate certain privacy laws, but it’s also a sure way to annoy or anger those who didn’t agree to receive emails from your company. There is no winning with buying email addresses.
Achieving Your Email Marketing Objectives
Now that we’ve gone over the “don’ts” of email marketing, let’s dive into the “dos.” There are seemingly endless considerations when developing your email marketing strategies and campaigns, but if you keep this checklist in mind, the process is sure to become easier all around.
Keep It Simple & Snappy
As we have discussed in previous blog posts, catching consumer attention is tricky business. Emails are at the top of the list of messages and content that consumers are quick to discount if it doesn’t quickly grab their attention and tell them upfront exactly what they’re getting.
There are two key things to consider here: subject lines and preview text. Subject lines need to be intriguing, informative, and within the character count (we’ll go more into this in a minute). Preview text should follow similar guidelines, but rather than grabbing the recipient’s attention, this section of your email should clearly state what the recipient will get out of opening the message.
Concision Is Key
In line with the last section, keeping your messages short and to the point is one of the most effective ways to achieve your email marketing objectives. You should keep your email copy between 60 and 200 words, erring on the shorter end whenever possible. Of course, these numbers vary based on the type of email you’re sending, but regardless of subject matter, nobody likes (or reads in entirety) lengthy emails.
When it comes to subject lines, your character count is even more restricted, meaning you have to be clever and catchy in a very short-word snippet. For desktop emails, the recommended character count is 60, and it’s advised that you stick to about nine words or less. If you’ve been writing SEO titles lately, you’ll know that this limitation can be a struggle, but the more you practice the easier it becomes.
Mobile Optimization
It’s a mobile world and we’re all just living in it. With the rate of mobile internet users surpassing 280 million last year, it’s important to keep in mind that when sending out an email campaign, it’s very likely to reach recipients on their mobile devices first. That said, mobile emails aren’t always your best friend when it comes to improving your click rate; data shows that click rates are roughly 40% higher on PCs than on mobile devices.
Think of it this way: it’s crucial to optimize your emails for mobile because it’s more likely to reach the recipient at the intended time of impact – and more users than ever are receiving emails on their mobile devices. Additionally, be sure there is a desktop version of your emails that recipients can go to when more clicking/interaction is required.
Segment Your Email Recipients
Subscriber segmentation is key in today’s world of email marketing. This practice improves your ability to personalize content, reach varying audiences, and ensure subscriber satisfaction. An example of segmentation would be new subscribers versus veteran subscribers, with the former group receiving more informational and welcome emails and the latter receiving more updates.
Dynamic Design
Interesting, eye-catching, and unique visual elements are a crucial component of a successful email these days. Not only do impressive visuals draw recipients in, but they can be just as informative as the copy. However, like the copy, design elements should be clean and simplistic; overwhelming visuals turn people away just as much as excessive copy.
Final Thoughts on the Components of Email Marketing
We certainly went over a lot of the objectives of email marketing today but, in truth, we’ve barely scratched the surface of everything to consider. From automation, to content planning, to A/B testing, there’s a whole wide world of email marketing that our team at Fishnet can help you with. If you’d like to learn more about our email marketing strategies for clients, contact us today!
