Email marketing is a high-value digital marketing channel. On average, every $1 you spend on email marketing leads to an ROI of $36. However, you can’t just send emails to your full list and hope for the best. Whether it’s the design elements you use or the lists you send: Every aspect of email marketing requires a strategic approach.

As we head into the new year, now is the time to rethink what you can do to revamp your email marketing strategy and look for new opportunities to improve.

Here are 23 tips for better email marketing: 

Always Add Personalization

Studies suggest that emails with personalization in the subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened than emails that don’t. Personalization is key to creating meaningful relationships with your customers and a great tool that helps you build a connection with your audience and makes them feel like the email was personally sent to them, not your entire subscriber list.

Segment Your Sends 

The easiest way to send an email is to share it with your entire list and hope that the content resonates with at least a few customers. It’s also the quickest way to lose subscribers.

You risk unsubscribes and non-opens if you only send emails to the full file. Instead, you’ll want to segment your sends and rethink the content for each email you send.

For example, if you’re a B2B business that sells services to HVAC companies, you probably don’t want individuals in plumbing to get the same email as someone that installs air conditioners. Taking the time to segment your sends will help you add more value to each email and ensure your content resonates with each niche of your target audience.

Quality Subscribers, Not Quantity

Instead of just trying to get people on file, consider what you can do to target more valuable leads. You don’t want to have a list of people that signed on only to receive a discount. You want to nurture leads into recurring purchases that appreciate your brand.

Here are a few ways you can grow your list:

• Turn top-performing content into a lead magnet 
• Add an opt-in at the bottom of your blog, articles, or landing pages
• Create a lead gen landing page

Test Email Timing

You’ve probably Googled the best times to send an email at least once or twice. Tuesday mornings are popular for a variety of reasons. However, consider how many brands are also sending on Tuesday morning. Inboxes start to get flooded on that day at the same time. Which means your email might get lost in the inbox.

You’ll never connect with every individual on your list if you always send your emails at the same time and on the same day of the week. Consider playing with different timing and days of the week. Once you’ve tested a few sends, you can compare the performance analytics to find the perfect send time and day for your business.

Utilize User-Generated Content

User-generated content is a great way to add an organic and authentic look and feel to your emails. When someone opens an email, they’ll see the UGC. The UGC will help them envision themselves with your brand and push them to make a purchase.

Pro Tip: Test out a few different types of images and see which one provides the best click-through rate. This will help you shift your focus towards more meaningful content types.

Keep Things Simple 

Sleek, chic, and simple isn’t going out of style anytime soon. The easier an email is to understand, the better. Consider the user experience. What elements are a must, and which ones can you live without? Is there a way you can do more with less? Don’t be afraid to draw inspiration from your competitors or the other promotional emails that pile up in your inbox.

Track Your Performance 

Email marketing analytics provide vital insight into consumer behavior. With this data, you can find the perfect time of the week to send an email, know which subject lines lead to higher open rates, and which CTA resonates the most with the consumer.

We also recommend looking at your email analytics every month to see if there is anything you can do to adjust your strategy or mimic top performing sends.

Scrub Your Lists 

If you aren’t regularly scrubbing your list, it could impact the deliverability of your sends, and can skew the data leading to inaccurate performance results. Every quarter, you’ll want to scrub the non openings from your list, and if they haven’t opened an email from your company in over 30-60 days, chances are they never will. Removing them from your list will provide a clearer picture of your email performance.

A/B Testing 

You’ll never know what works and what doesn’t if you aren’t regularly A/B testing your emails. A/B testing allows you to test new subject lines, content, and personalization tokens. You can also add different CTAs, design components, and preview texts.

For the best results, start A/B testing with one component at a time. Test something different once a month so you can slowly fine-tune your strategy.

Soft-Sell Your Services

You don’t always have to sell, sell, sell to your audience. Instead of sending deals, discounts, and new products – consider what you can do to add value to their inbox. Are there any emerging trends you have your eyes on? Can you turn a recent blog into an email? Is there company news, videos, or exciting announcements you can share? With a healthy mix of informative and promotional content, you can build long-lasting relationships with your audience and keep them coming back for more.

Optimize For Mobile

Did you know over 46% of email opens occur on a mobile device? If nearly half of the individuals who open your email can’t read it, that could negatively impact your bottom line. After you create an email and send yourself a test, don’t forget to check it on your mobile device. This way, you can fully optimize your content and catch any mistakes before you send it out.

Always Add a CTA

Every email has a purpose and needs a CTA. A call to action is a must-have for every email you send that will drive your subscribers to take action, make a purchase, or shop on your site.

Here are a few best practices you’ll want to keep in mind.

• Only have one CTA
• Make your CTA stand out from the rest of the email
• Play with different phrases and words
• Make the button a different color 

Stay True to Your Branding 

Your emails should be a reflection of your branding. Keeping things clear, concise, and true to your branding guidelines will increase credibility and help you maintain consistency across all digital marketing platforms.

Get Trendy With Your Subject Lines

Your subject line is key to getting people to open your email. Consider what you can do to get your email noticed in the inbox.

Email subject lines are supposed to be fun and poppy. They are a tool that helps you stand out from your competitors and get noticed. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and have some fun.

Here are a few tips to help you brainstorm:

• Play with emojis or capitalizations 
• Keep them short and snappy
• Ask questions 
• Think about ongoing trends
• Add personalization
• Highlight a sale or exclusive discount 
• Have fun!

Play With Email Frequency 

Email frequency is the timing and the types of emails you’re sending. Are you consistently sending promotional emails every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Maybe you send information-style emails every Tuesday or Thursday. The sweet spot is finding the perfect mix of both informational and promotional.

This is the best way to keep your customers engaged and ensure your content is getting noticed in the inbox. If you’re unsure which content resonates the most with your audience, send out a survey or add one to the bottom of your content!

Target Engaged Customers 

You don’t need to send your entire file a last-chance email when a sale ends. Instead, consider segmenting your list based on performance analytics. This allows you to only send emails to the people that want to see your content, which will maintain the integrity of your subscriber list. To do this, segment your sends by clicked or opened only and then analyze the results.

Automate Your Customer Journey

Automation is a must-have in today’s digital age. With a welcome series and follow-up emails, you can nurture leads into paying customers and keep your brand top of mind (and at the top of their inbox).

You’ll want to audit your customer’s journey annually to ensure all bases are covered. Consider what worked and what needs to be updated for the new year, as this will allow you to keep fresh, up-to-date content sent to your customers.

Have Fun With Your Brand Voice

When it comes to email marketing, your brand voice is all about how you talk to your customers. Are you playful and fun? Serious and straight to the point? Maybe you strive to take a conversational approach to everything you do. Regardless, whatever voice you use on social media platforms and your website should always be present in your emails.

To help you brainstorm new and innovative ways to use your brand voice, subscribe to your competitor’s emails or similar brands with the voice you like. Consider how they use words, graphics, and other content to connect with their audience.

Keep The Content Skimmable

Let’s be honest: Your customers aren’t reading your emails from start to finish. They are looking for what they want, so they can move on to the next. By accommodating their reading habits, you create a better user experience. To do this, avoid dense paragraphs, keep your sentences under 25 words, and always be clear and concise.

Set up an Abandoned Cart Series 

An abandoned cart series is an invaluable tool for B2Cs. They are a friendly reminder to encourage individuals to continue shopping or complete their purchases. When they are dynamic and personalized, they will catch your customer’s eyes and keep the product they want top of mind.

The best part? 44.1% of abandoned cart emails are opened, and 29.9% of those lead to a conversion. If you already have an abandoned cart series but aren’t seeing results, consider revamping the email content, adding a discount, or changing the email frequency.

Don’t Skip Out on the Pre-header

The preheader is the preview of your email. It’s a small snippet of copy that gives customers an extra nudge if the subject line doesn’t sell it enough. Always keep the preheader unique and compelling. Don’t just copy and paste the first line of your email.

You can do this by highlighting what’s inside, the discount you’re giving, or anything else you think will push them to open the email.

Use Minimal Templates

Gone are the days of complex designs and over-the-top templates for email marketing. Minimalist templates are the design of choice for web design and email marketing. You’ll want to avoid going over the top with images, fonts, and colors. 

Instead, utilize the white space, say more with fewer words, and keep the content meaningful. This will improve the user experience and help you generate more traffic back to your website.

Try out Interactive Content

Adding an interactive component to your email is a great way to keep customers entertained and add a bit of fun to your content. One of the best (and easiest) ways to do this is with a GIF.

GIFs provide minimal animation that doesn’t disrupt the user experience. Whether it’s moving photos of your newest clothing line or animating a graphic for a holiday campaign – your content will stand out from the rest.

Connect with Brandastic Today

Email marketing is a high-value digital marketing channel with the potential to help you reach your revenue goals and connect with your target audience. However, if you’re still doing the same things you did in 2022, you risk falling behind. Without a buttoned-up strategy or new innovative ideas, you may lose that spark you have with your current customers.

Partnering with a digital marketing agency like Brandastic is a great way to revamp your email marketing strategy and find new ways to get noticed in the inbox. Contact us today to learn more.