The Do’s and Dont’s of Email Marketing
By: Kevin Worrall
Tags: Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Email Marketing Tips, Email

What are the best practices of email marketing? And what should you avoid? (Ticketbooth 2020).

The Do’s:

1) Clean your mailing list regularly

The first example for best practise with email marketing would be to conduct a clean-up of your email list by removing those who never engage with your content (Vaughan, 2020). If marketers are noticing reduced open/click rates, it can be seen as a sign that they need to update their lists. This can be done through screening the list for duplicate emails, emails that look like spam, and removing any bought email addresses (Hurley Hall, 2020).

This is an example of best practice because it helps to reduce the number of spam complaints. Emails marked as spam can start to build up, which will then lead to emails automatically going straight into the spam folder (Hurley Hall, 2020). Furthermore, when an email list is congested with unengaged subscribers, it can be difficult to see whether their email marketing strategy is working as marketer’s won’t be able to gain any fair idea on how effective their campaigns are. Having a smaller list that’s more actively engaged will provide a more accurate reading of your email marketing strategy (Hurley Hall, 2020).

2. Personalize the email greeting

Grab reader’s attention (NewOldStamp 2018)

An email that has a generalised ‘Dear Subscriber’ greeting isn’t as engaging compared to a greeting that references the reader by their name. Marketing tools such as MailChimp and Newsweaver allow for marketers to customise their settings so that the email will include the first name of the reader upon delivering to their mailbox (Vaughan 2020).

The signoff of the email is also equally important. Having a personalised signature from a specific person can lead to greater engagement, as readers know the email came from a human being, not a collective marketing team or robot (Vaughan 2020).

3. Use incentives to increase open rates

Including an attention-grabbing subject line can allow for open rates to increase by as much as 50% Vaughan (2020) suggests offering an incentive for readers to open the email, such as news of a special offer or a company update.



Whilst the subject line should create a sense of urgency, it should provide readers a sense of what to expect once they open the email. However, Vaughan (2020) explains that best practise for doing this is to not go overboard in case one overwhelms their readers with savings- or product-related emails. The subject line should have between 30 and 50 characters as email accounts and mobile devices cut off any subject lines that go beyond this length.

4) The 5-second test

Vaughan (2020) explains how the 5-second test is an example of best practice. This is done through sending a copy of the email to colleague. They should be able to spot what the call-to-action (CTA) is. If they can’t, then it might be a sign that something isn’t work.



Vaughan (2020) explains further that the call-to-action (CTA) should be “above the fold”, meaning in the upper half portion of the email. It was found that up to 70% of recipients won’t see a CTA if it falls any lower. He suggested that a CTA should be repeated at least three times throughout the email in various places and formats.

5) Logo placement

Place your logo where readers can see it (Mailbakery, 2016)

Vaughan (2020) explains how readers tend to look for company logos in the upper-left hand side of emails. Placing your logo either in the upper-left or centre top of the email is important as it reminds readers who you are. It is an example of branding the emails and demonstrates to them what they can expect from the email they are about to read.

The Don’ts

1) Not segmenting your email list

Adding all of one’s subscribers into one long list can be damaging for open rates. Not every person on the list will need or want to hear about every company update. It will lead to the customer feeling overwhelmed with receiving emails and feeling spammed. Thus, showing that the business is not catering to the needs of each customer. Customers want to feel like they matter and aren’t just another subscriber on your list.

Instead, marketers should ask their subscribers upon subscribing what updates they would like to hear about and segment them into different email lists based on their choices. This will deliver even more value to customers and greater marketing effectiveness as they can stay informed on the aspects of the business they would like to hear (Conlin 2019).

2) Failing to optimize for mobile

Make sure your readers can access your emails on their phones!( (BlueMountainMedia 2020).

Conlin (2019) notes that almost 3 out of 4 people will delete an email if it doesn’t display properly on their screen. Therefore, it is important to take a few moments to ensure that your content will format appropriately for mobile. Mailchimp offers a function where one can look at how their email will appear on a phone or desktop before launching the email.



A further step would be to send a test email to yourself first and ensure it displays properly on your personal mobile. If there are any formatting issues marketers will be able to spot them this way and amend them before issuing the email to the subscriber list.

3) Sending emails at the wrong time

Sending emails at different times and days allows marketers to see the best time that their customers are engaging with their emails. Christoff (2020) explains that the time in emails are sent can have a huge impact on a campaign. For instance, an email sent on Monday morning isn’t likely to get much engagement, as workers are likely catching up on their emails from the weekend. Christoff (2020) suggests sending an email campaign between Tuesday — Thursday at 12pm or between 2pm — 5pm as these are considered to be the peak hours when an email is likely to be opened.

Monday mornings are the worst time for people reading campaign emails (Unsplash 2020).

Sending their email later in the day tends receives higher engagement. However, if they are hoping to make the news, then it is not advised to send too late in the day as journalists will not have time to put together a story (Conlin 2019).

References

BlueMountainMedia (2020). “How To Optimize Email for Mobile Devices: Design and Content.” BlueMountainMedia. [Image]. Available at: https://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/how-to-optimize-email-for-mobile-devices Accessed 27 November 2020.

Christoff, C. (2020). “5 Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (And Best Practices to Follow).” Business2Community. [Online]. Available at: https://www.business2community.com/email-marketing/5-email-marketing-mistakes-to-avoid-and-best-practices-to-follow-02334978 Accessed 30 November 2020.

Conlin, B. (2019). “10 Email Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.” Business News Daily. [Online]. Available at: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7101-email-marketing-mistakes.html Accessed: 23 November 2020.



Hurley Hall, S. (2020). “Email Scrubbing: Why and How to Clean Your Email List (Step by Step)” Optimonster. [Online]. Available at: https://optinmonster.com/email-scrubbing-how-to-clean-email-list/ Accessed 30 November 2020.

Mailbakery. (2016). “Brand Consistency in Email Marketing.” Mailbakery. [Image]. Available at: https://mailbakery.com/blog/brand-consistency-email-marketing/ Accessed 27 November 2020.

NewOldStamp. (2018). “How to Write Eye-Catching Email Newsletter Subject Lines.” NewOldStamp. [Image]. Available at: https://newoldstamp.com/blog/how-to-write-eye-catching-email-newsletter-subject-lines/ Accessed 26 November 2020.

Ticketbooth. (2020). “Email Marketing Campaigns For Your Event.” Ticketbooth. [Image]. Available at: https://www.ticketbooth.eu/ticketing/blog/email-marketing-campaigns/ Accessed 23 November 2020.

Unsplash. (2020). [Image]. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/fotKKqWNMQ4 Accessed 26 November 2020.

Vaughan, P. (2020). “17 Email Marketing Best Practices That Actually Drive Results.” Hubspot.com [Online]. Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23965/9-email-marketing-best-practices-to-generate-more-leads.aspx Accessed 3 November 2020.