Tag Archive for: email marketing best practice

Top 10 Best Email Marketing Practices – 2023

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Top 10 Best Email Marketing Practices

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach and engage customers. But with so many businesses competing for attention, it’s important to make sure your emails stand out. Here are the top 10 best email marketing practices:

  1. Use single column layouts. For a while, two-column layouts allowed for more content on a page, but they are hard to read, especially on mobile devices. A single column of content is easier to read, scroll through, and easier to make mobile friendly.
  2. Personalize content. The best newsletter senders are using what their subscribers click on to determine what content to serve in the next newsletter.
  3. Tease content. People don’t have the attention span to read long emails anymore. The best approach is to add no more than a paragraph of content and include a “read more” link to the full content on your website.
  4. Keep your emails short and sweet. Most people only scan their emails, so make sure yours are easy to read and understand.
  5. Create scroll magnets. Position the most popular content in the middle of the newsletter so that a viewer will be compelled to scroll down and get to the bottom of the newsletter.
  6. Differentiate your sender names. If you send different newsletters or different kinds of emails, make those differences clear in the sender name by using a from name extension. Blogs.oracle.com does a great job explaining this concept in more detail.
  7. Use a consistent design. This will help your emails look professional and polished.
  8. Test and track your results. Use email marketing software to track how many people open your emails, click on your links, and make purchases. This information will help you improve your future campaigns.
  9. Write descriptive subject lines. Nowadays, newsletter subject lines often include issue numbers and lists of topics. This makes them user-friendly and helps subscribers identify your newsletter and know what to expect when they open it.
  10. Borrow from B2C Email Designs. Newsletters are moving away from text-heavy content blocks. We are seeing bolder uses of color, more Google fonts, and streamlined copy to create less boxy and more artistic and interesting designs.

By following these best practices, you can create email marketing campaigns that are more interesting and subscriber-friendly, and engaging.

Email Newsletters – Best Practices in 2023

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Email marketing, like all forms of marketing and communications, is constantly evolving. What was a best practice in 2020 or even 2021 may not be a best practice when it comes to email marketing in 2023.

Email marketing is a great way to reach and engage with customers. It’s also a very cost-effective way to market your business. Here are some of the reasons why an organization should use email marketing:

  • Reach a large audience: Email marketing allows you to reach a large audience with your message. You can target your emails to specific demographics, interests, or even purchase history. This means that your emails are more likely to be opened and read by the people who are most interested in what you have to offer.
  • Build relationships: Email marketing is a great way to build relationships with your customers. When you send regular emails, you stay top-of-mind and you can keep your customers updated on your latest products, services, and promotions. This can help you to build trust and loyalty with your customers.
  • Increase sales: Email marketing can help you to increase sales. When you send targeted emails to people who are interested in what you have to offer, you’re more likely to get them to buy from you. You can also use email marketing to promote special offers and discounts, which can help you to increase sales.
  • Generate leads: Email marketing can help you to generate leads. When you send emails to people who are interested in what you have to offer, you can encourage them to sign up for your newsletter or to contact you for more information. This can help you to generate leads that you can nurture and convert into customers.
  • Track results: Email marketing is a very measurable marketing channel. You can track how many people open your emails, click on your links, and make purchases. This information can help you to optimize your email marketing campaigns and get better results.

Overall, email marketing is a great way to reach, engage, and convert customers. It’s a cost-effective and measurable marketing channel that can help you to grow your business.

Email Newsletters – Best Practices in 2023

Here are some additional tips for creating effective email marketing campaigns:

  • Segment your list: Segment your list by demographics, interests, or purchase history so that you can send more relevant and targeted emails.
  • Personalize your emails: Use the subscriber’s name and other personal information in your emails to make them feel more like a conversation and less like a sales pitch.
  • Keep your emails short and sweet: Most people only scan their emails, so make sure yours are easy to read and understand.
  • Use clear and concise calls to action: Tell your subscribers what you want them to do, whether it’s clicking on a link, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter.
  • Use high-quality images and videos: Images and videos can help to break up your text and make your emails more visually appealing.
  • Use a consistent design: This will help your emails look professional and polished.
  • Test and track your results: Use email marketing software to track how many people open your emails, click on your links, and make purchases. This information will help you improve your future campaigns.
  • Avoid spammy practices: This includes using all caps, exclamation points, or excessive punctuation. It also includes sending too many emails or sending emails to people who haven’t opted in.

Email Marketing: Six Steps for Success

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Jonah Berger, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On, recently spoke about characteristics that make products and ideas go viral. According to Berger, there are six STEPPS (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotions, Public, Practical Value and Stories) which, if incorporated, make your concept much more likely to be shared with others. We can easily apply these STEPPS to Email Marketing.

1. Social Currency

According to Berger, sharable information is that which holds social currency and makes us look good to those around us. Too often, marketing emails ask subscribers to share an offer or information in an email communication, yet there’s nothing in that email that would make a subscriber look or feel good by passing it along.

2. Triggers

By Berger’s definition, a “trigger” is something that is easy to remember about a product or idea, helping to ensure it stays top of mind.

3. Emotion

Messaging with an emotional component is more likely to be shared. Every message you send should absolutely stay true to your brand, while remaining focused on your customer. If your subscribers feel like your messaging is all about you, without taking their interests into consideration, don’t expect them to participate in spreading the word.

4. Public

The public component of a successful, shareable program means that it’s designed to show and share with others. While it’s true that not all email content is meant to be shared (think exclusive offers, transactional statements, and other personal information), many elements are designed specifically for sharing. For these, be sure they’re “designed to show.” Format content in a way that lends itself nicely to the channels where you want the recipient to share.

5. Practical Value

Another word for practical value is relevance. If your email isn’t relevant, why would it go viral? Some of the most successful email programs are those that provide practical advice; how-to information, for example, or interesting, random facts. Think top ten lists, or “did you know” messaging. Always consider the practical value your messaging offers your audience.

6. Stories

If you read Berger’s book, he talks about our rich history of storytelling and sharing ideas with others. For email marketing, there are a couple different ways to use storytelling. You could come right out and toss an actual story into an email every once in a while. It could help keep your content fresh and keep subscribers engaged. Another way to look at building stories into your email marketing takes a more holistic perspective: What is your brand story to consumers? Every memorable brand makes implicit promises to consumers across key touch points. And every great brand keeps those promises with every interaction it makes. So, if every email you send isn’t reinforcing your brand story, the absence of that story can inadvertently erode brand value.

Conclusion

Consciously walk through Berger’s STEPPS in your next email marketing campaign and watch for any measurable difference.