Best practices for effective email marketing: Part 1

There is a lot that goes into the effort of building a well-executed email. If you regularly send email campaigns and newsletters and are looking for ways to improve email deliverability, we have narrowed down a list of best practices.

 

Experiment with different campaign elements to find out what works best
It’s important to A/B test every part of your email, from subject lines, delivery day and time to CTAs, button copy and content. When setting up an A/B test campaign, keep in mind the following best practices:

1. a) Small changes make big differences so only test one element at a time.
2. b) Make sure the sample size you are testing is big enough for more accurate results.
3. c) Some of your variations may or may not have any noticeable effect. It’s important to learn from each of your tests and use that knowledge to improve the effectiveness of your A/B testing and create better campaigns.
   d) Depending on what aspect of your campaign you are testing, we recommend running a test for a minimum of one to two weeks for your data to be accurate.

 

Make sure your email campaign or newsletter is flawless

When it comes to email, mistakes are permanent. There’s no un-send button or a way to delete it and send another. So having a checklist of all the important steps you need to consider will help you send emails with confidence. Here’s your pre-send email testing checklist:

1. Write your content before you mock up the email.
2. Mock up your email on the email platform you are using and then double check if there are any grammatical or syntactical mistakes, as well as any unnecessary capitalisation of words.
3. Check if all hyperlinks are working and if there are any design flaws.
4. Check if social icons are linked to the correct social networks.
5. Check the web and mobile version of your email by sending a test email to yourself.
6. Make sure all the information on your footer is correct and it includes an unsubscribe link.
7. Make sure you select the correct email list or segment.
8. Choose the correct day and time for your send.

 

Write a catchy email subject line

People do judge emails by their subject lines. Subject lines affect the email’s performance, hence why it’s so important to write catchy phrases to get people to click through. Regardless of your goals, there are some things that you need to consider:

1. Ask open-ended questions to inspire readers to open the email in search of an answer.
2. Include a deadline to create a sense of urgency and therefore encourage readers to open it the moment they receive it.
3. Think of a subject line that will spark their interest, but at the same won’t reveal what is about.
4. People love offers, discounts and offers so if you are promoting a special deal, let your readers know in the subject line.
5. Personalise it with the recipient’s name as it makes the reader more likely to open the email.

 

So what are you waiting for? Before you press ‘send’ on your next email campaign, first go through the pre-send email testing checklist, think of a catchy and unique subject line and test all critical elements of your email.

 

Stay tuned for more email practices!