12 Best Practices To Ace Your Email Marketing in 2021

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Marketing stats repeatedly show that email marketing is the best method to connect with your audience, as well as selling your product or service.

However, in order for your emails to be effective, there are certain techniques you must set into action to improve your chances of hitting the spot.

Sending out emails can really feel daunting in the beginning. It might even trigger some “email marketing anxiety” (yep, that’s a thing). Sending out emails does not have to be complex or frightening if you comply with some simple email marketing methods.

As you read this list of ideal practices for email marketing, you won’t find exact guidelines on how many emails you ought to send, or how long they should be, or the best word count for a subject line.

The fact is, while these questions are all vital inquiries, the answer to them varies for each business. They can only truly be answered by testing your email (which, incidentally, IS an ideal method).

No matter what service you provide or product you offer, informing yourself about the 12 best email marketing practices is a sure-fire way to guide you to success.

Before I get to the 1st reason, I want to send a big thanks to AWeber, the email marketing service I chose for my business. Why? They offer their customers a huge amount of helpful info, which inspired me to write this blog. 

They’ve recently changed their service from paid to free 🙂

Check it out here.

1. Create Email Campaigns That Are Automated

Email automation lets you send out the appropriate message to exactly who you want at the most appropriate time. This method extinguishes the labourious task of having to send out each email one at a time.

An excellent example of an automated email marketing campaign is your ‘welcome campaign’. Studies have revealed a welcome email can create 320% more earnings per email, 4x higher open rates than other emails, as well as 5x higher click-through rates than in promotional emails

As well as for a welcome campaign, you can also create email automation campaigns for:

• Abandoned carts

• Thank you for your purchase / download / sign up

• An opt-in confirmation

• A trigger based on an event like a subscriber’s birthday.

• If a subscriber hasn’t opened an email in numerous months, you can automate a “We miss you” message.

While automated email campaigns save you time and improve your engagement, don’t fall into the trap of setting and forgetting. You still need to keep on top of it and oversee the performance of the campaign. If there are areas it can be improved, it’s your job to find ways to alter and refine the campaign to get the best outcome possible.

2. Email List Segmentation

Segmenting your email list is a method to divide your list of subscribers into groups that are more targeted, related to a certain criteria.

When you segment, you can be more specific and personalised by sending relevant content to subscribers with similar likes and needs.

For example, let’s say your service relates to vintage cars. You know that a section of your list has an interest in vintage sports cars, so you send only them an email promoting a product or service relating to vintage sports cars.

By doing this, it results in a higher open rate, click rate, and most importantly, conversation rate. And more notably, greater income. Some businesses have reported an increase as high as 760% rise in revenue.

3. Personalise Your Emails

Test time! Which of these examples below would lead to more foot traffic?

In this example, if I know the preference of location for Diane is Springfield and I know she’s already bought products from Martha Stewart and LEGO, then she will be more likely to respond to the more personlised message. It will undoubtedly resonate more with her than the generic message.

Customising emails lets you create more targeted messages that connect more. A tip that will go a long way; personalise EVERYTHING. From the subject line (include their name), to the email copy, and the offer itself.

4. Make Your Email Content Engaging

The function of your emails is to get your subscribers to read them, in order for them to take a sought-after action. For this to happen, you must create an email that is engaging and interesting.

Now, if you’re not a natural writer, don’t panic. AWeber, the email marketing service I use, gave me this free eBook below that I’m passing onto you. It’s helped me a ton and I’m sure will help you write fantastic emails.

5. Use a Call to Action (CTA)

Be sure to let your subscriber know what you want them to do. A Call to Action is a necessity in your emails and most emails have them.

Of course, sometimes your emails don’t need a CTA, like a ‘Thank You’ message. But if it’s not one of those emails, get a CTA involved. This could be a button or a hyperlink that directs the subscriber to sign up for an event, your latest blog, or to buy something.

I recommend getting creative with your CTAs. Putting basic phrases like “Shop Now”, “Click Here”, or “Read More” are less likely to get a response than smarter wording. This example below is phrased well, promoting a “buy one, get one” offer.

6. Confirmed Opt-in is a Must

Having a signup form on your landing page or Facebook page is an excellent method to expand your e-mail list. Once they have signed up, make sure you send a confirmation email to confirm their email address.

By doing so, you’re making sure that this subscriber is the real deal and they really want to sign up. They are more likely to be more responsive, which will lead to higher email engagement and bolster your delivery rate.

7. Never Buy an Email List

Imagine, if you will, me holding a megaphone and shouting this warning from the rooftops. This is a necessary rule that every online business should know.

Never ever purchase an email listing. Sending out emails that people didn’t provide their consent to is simply spam… in addition to being unlawful.

By doing this you’re causing more problems than any business owner wants or needs. When people receive unwanted emails they mark it down as junk, which will lead to lower delivery rates. On top of this your emails will go straight into the spam folder and never be opened or read.

AWeber, like many other respectable email marketing companies, will not enable you to import a bought list.

8. Keep You Email List Clean

Don’t worry, keeping your email list clean doesn’t involve getting the polish out and scrubbing them until they shine. It simply means removing your subscribers that never open the emails you send.

By doing so you actually improve your open rates. You may think this sounds counterintuitive, but you’re now sending to people that are interested in what your sending and will be much more likely to open them.

You also lower the threat that an inactive client will register your email as spam, which might negatively affect your delivery rate.

I suggested that you clean your email list every 6 months, at least.

Rather than having a reply email address as [email protected], have it come from an actual individual or [email protected]

In any case, to guarantee your customers’ questions are answered in a prompt way, make certain you have someone actively handling this email address.

10. Test Your Emails Before Sending Them

Proof-reading your email is an essential step you must take before pushing “send”.

Make sure you always send yourself a test email first. Consider making a pre-send checklist, where you can check all components of your email to make sure it passes all requirements before sending.

When you send yourself a test email be sure to check these vital email marketing aspects:

• Email is loading correctly

• Images load fast and fully

• Every image has alt text (which tells the reader what the image shows if it fails to render)

• There are no spelling errors

• Every link in the email works, sending the reader to the correct URL

• It excels visually on a desktop and mobile

11. Assess Your Email Advertising Statistics

How do you know if your emails are even working? By evaluating the data. One of the best practices to succeed in email marketing is to recognize how your emails are performing.

The data you need to be looking out for are:

12. Use A/B Split Testing

Anyone can produce and send an email that is opened and clicked. But if your business wants to create an exceptional email experience for your customers, you must split test.

But why should I go to the trouble of testing?” I often hear. Well, if you use AWeber for your email marketing, testing is made simple.

Below are some suggestions of email test ideas to get your imagination going:

• Alternate subject lines

• Image 1 vs Image 2 vs no image

• Different colour choice for the action button

• Different send time

• Alternative subject line lengths

• Alternative message lengths

• Sender variation – your name, customer support, your company’s name

By testing your emails you get to understand your subscribers’ better, ultimately leading to a better experience for you both.

Keep in mind, once your test is complete, make sure you analyse the statistics.

Email marketing is not brain surgery. If you follow these best practices, I’m confident you’ll see much more success in your business — as well as having some fun in the process too!

If you’re worried about how to write an email that turns readers into buyers, click this link to get that free “What to Write” PDF.

If you want to watch my latest YouTube Video, where I give my 3 top reasons why Aweber is the best Email Marketing Service available hit this picture below.

I hope you have found these tips helpful and actionable. If you like this blog post please share it with your friends. Thanks!