Best Practices for Email Marketing in 2020

In 2019, everyone was talking about quick-tip videos, live Instagram, Snapchat on the rise, Tiktok virals and witty tweets. However, one marketing tool that still remains to have significant value and is not talked about enough is emails.Today we’re going to be talking about email campaigns and how influential they can be for generating potential customers for your business.

You might be thinking, man….email content takes a lot of work and I am not sure the strategies we onced used in the 2000s will work in 2020. You would be right on all accounts. Creating strategy and content for emails and email campaigns, so they don’t hit the spam box, but are opened and incite an action on the part of the receiver isn’t always a simple task. However, we have found that our own average email marketing campaigns have an open rate of 40-50%! The average open rate for most email campaigns is 20-30% and you should at minimum be getting an open rate of 20%. So let’s talk about what works.

Really connect with your audience and customize the emails

As you know from being a consumer, you need to feel as though the person reaching out is connecting with you, addressing your needs. If not, you discard them quickly. That can be said for you reaching out to an audience as well that you are trying to sell your services or products to. So know your audience before sending out emails to them. We have seen emails that relate to doctors that have been sent to lawyers and it just doesn’t make sense. Tailor the content to the reader.

In order to customize your emails, first segment your email recipients. What appeals to them? What have they expressed they are looking for? What are their industry needs if they are a business? What ultimately made them visit your website and contact you. It’s easier to customize your email campaigns, emails, and follow-ups when working with segmented audiences.

Get your audience’s attention and keep them interested

Getting your audience’s attention has never been harder. Why? Because in this day in age there is so much readily available content to them that as a society we have become the age of scrollers. We scroll through news feeds, social media feeds, and emails. Everyone is offering the same thing with their own spin. So standout. Use witty headlines, appealing images, and straightforward emails. No click-bait, you will instantly get people to shy away from you then.

Create a sense of urgency in your subject line or headers such as “Don’t miss out…”, or “Don’t be left behind…”. Humor is also good to use in emails. Biggest thing to remember is don’t be boring.

Have a call-to-action that is clear

You would be surprised how often people forget to add a call-to-action to an email. You aren’t just writing your audience to inform them, but for them to take action to use your services or buy your products. So…have a clear purpose in your emails. Maybe you want them to visit your website or subscribe to your newsletter? Maybe you want them to like one of your social media accounts or just schedule a free consultation. Either way, make sure you have a purposeful call-to-action.

Limit your email blasts

Don’t be that guy. The one that sends emails non-stop. Multiple things can happen if you send too many emails. First, your emails can start going into their spam filter to be lost forever. Secondly, you don’t want them to send you to their spam folder, unsubscribe or even report you as spam because that could hurt your email/domain credibility. So don’t get over enthusiastic. Email when you have something to say, share, follow-up or remind. But don’t go crazy. Limit messaging to at least once a week, and email campaigns should have cycles.

Have catchy headlines and subject lines

Email subject lines can be a deal breaker. I won’t even open an email unless the subject line is catchy or urgent. Like all readers, boring subject lines can be easily ignored. MailChimp conducted a study that found that short, descriptive lines were the best when it came to open rates.

Make sure your emails are user-friendly

Everyone is so into html emails but don’t take the time to understand that when the emails are opened does that structure stay the same. This can take away from the message. Keep your emails clean, using few images, thumbnails for videos, and simple html if used at all. Sometimes plain text is the best text. Make sure your emails are mobile friendly because I shouldn’t have to remind you that over 70% of most emails are read on their phone.

Send professional emails

Lastly, remember to always be professional. What you email reflects that of you and your business. Sending emails with grammar errors or typos will definitely reflect badly. Always prepare your emails thoroughly. Take the time to plan both emails and email campaigns. Proofread it several times.